First Step in Planning a Wedding

When most people think of weddings, what comes to mind is usually basic information that's not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there's a lot more to weddings than just the basics. The day following your engagement, you run to the store to pick up every bridal magazine in sight. They are filled with photos of beautiful wedding gowns, rings, and articles on weddings. Some of the magazines give you a brief idea of what you need to do to plan your wedding, but you're still not sure how to start off the process. The key is to start organizing and planning earlier rather than later First, you need to create your own system to keep all the details in one place. You may choose to use a binder with a tab for each category you will be using. Examples of categories include: Bakery, Ceremony, Catering, Florist, Music, Reception, Photography and Transportation. An accordion file is another choice, using the same category tables. This way you will be able to see each category at a glance. Which system you choose is up to you, but use it consistently to keep track of all receipts, pictures, brochures, business cards etc. that is related to each category. The information about weddings presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about wedding or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes. Once you have your system in place, then you can begin the research. There are plenty of wedding-planning books on the market and countless online websites. Visit the bookstore or the library to pick up a book to help with the planning process. If you have friends who were recently married, ask them if they have a book you can borrow to save a few bucks. Next, find a wedding timetable layout. This will include a list of things 'to-do' for the entire time (months or years) before the big day. Some of the first things on the timeline may be: consulting with fianc