Before you start making any
appointments with suppliers, you should have a
plan/vision of what you want for your Wedding.
Talk between yourselves (bride & groom to be)
about the style, theme and format of the Wedding
YOU want. Advice and referrals from family and
friends are very important, but remember that it
is Your Day!
Prepare an extensive Budget
for your Wedding, and consider all those little
extras like spending money for your honeymoon.
When considering a Wedding
Supplier:-
Ask lots of questions. You
need to know what is and is not included in the
package you are looking at.
Ask for testimonials,
photo’s and referrals from past clients.
Make sure the work you look at
is the work of the person who will do your
Wedding.
Read all Contracts carefully!
Make sure everything is in writing.
Always seek 2 to 3 quotes in
writing, to compare.
Most importantly, make sure
you feel comfortable with them and confident that
they know what you want.
Reception
Decide on the general
location, budget, style, and environment you are
looking for before you start looking.
Call Venues first and check if
they can provide the main items you require in a
reception venue. If they can, arrange a Viewing
(ask when the room will be next set up for a
wedding and ask if you can have a look).
Allocate a MC who is confident
and will control the flow of speeches. Also
allocate time limits to your speeches as it keeps
your night on track time wise.
Photography
Seek referrals from family
& friends who may have used a photographer
for their Wedding. Make sure they are experienced
and specialized in Weddings.
Look at their work and check
that it is their work you are looking at. Only
book the photographer whose work you liked.
Make sure you feel comfortable
with the actual photographer; you will be
spending a lot of time with them!
When you have chosen your
photographer, ask them how much time is needed to
take the photo’s you want, and then base the
rest of your Wedding around those times. Timing
can be a big problem if it isn’t planned out
well.
Bridal Attire
When choosing your dress, make
sure you take at least one person who will give
you an honest opinion. Most Bridal houses will
make sure that the dress does look good on you,
but they are also out for a sale.
Make sure you feel comfortable
in the dress; you are in it for a while and will
need to move around in it fairly easily.
Some Guidelines to consider:-
If you are tall, go for a
straighter dress that doesn’t flare at the
bottom (it will make you look taller).
Shiny material makes things
look bigger.
Some guidelines to consider
when choosing where and how you obtain your
wedding dress:-
Hire – these days the
choices are more varied and usually up to date
with trends. This is the most cost-effective way
to obtain a dress.
Off the Rack – these
dresses are made in bulk and are usually cheaper
than designer gowns. They will come in various
sizes, but usually will need to be altered.
Designer Gowns – these
dresses are on show and are the made to fit the
buyer. Great way to get a well fitting dress.
Couture – these gowns are
designed especially for each individual bride.
The fit should be perfect and the design unique,
which is what you are paying for.
If you are hiring any Wedding
attire, try to pick it up 1 to 2 days prior and
try it on in the store if possible. If there are
any problems they can be fixed quickly if found
quickly.
Transportation
If you are paying someone to
Transport you around, check that they are a
Licensed Limousine vehicle and are fully insured.
Just in case!
Consider the length of time
you will need the transport.
Flowers
When choosing flowers,
remember that some flowers are seasonal and some
don’t do well in some climates. Check with
your florist.
Look at the work of the
florist, their style and the detail they put into
their flowers. Make sure that any photo’s
you look at are their work.
Cake
The price of a Wedding Cake is
dependent upon the quality of the actual cake and
the quality and time taken to decorate the cake.
Ask for a taste.
Let the supplier know about
the overall theme of your Wedding.
Stationery
With the development of
computers, most stationary these days are
designed and printed on home computers.
Remember to make it blend in
with the overall style/theme of the Wedding.
Generally you send your
invitations 2 months prior to the Wedding Date.
RSVP’s should be returned
at least 1 month prior to your Wedding Day.
Music
Consider what you want for the
ceremony and reception (Live versus DJ)
Go and listen to their work or
ask for a demo CD.
Make sure that they can
perform the songs you want.
Decorations
Consider what you have
available to work with. Some venues may require a
lot of decorations, others may not.
Decorations can tie the whole
style or theme of the Wedding together, but
don’t over do it.
Ask the Venue for the
decorator who does the best work in that
particular venue.
Jewelry
Shop around, look for quality.
Consider a Jewelry designer,
who will design something unique for you and it
can be less expensive than a Jewelry shop.
Beauty
Hair and Make Up is best done
by Professionals, for the sake of the
Photo’s. A different style of make up is
used when photo’s are to be taken. Have a
trial a few weeks before, as a test.
Formulate a beauty program for
yourself leading up to the Wedding.
Give yourself plenty of time
to get ready. Find out how much time will be
needed.
