As soon as lovers decide that they want to get married, a lot of questions immediately arise before them, for example, how to prepare properly, where to start preparing for the wedding, what needs to be done and taken into account before it, how not to forget anything, which is why in this article we We collected the main tips and steps regarding the most important day in the life of the bride and groom, and also, step by step and point by point, wrote out a detailed plan on how to organize your own celebration and arranged it in order in the form of a to-do and shopping list:
- We choose a day.
- We are planning a budget.
- We determine the style and color of the celebration.
- We select outfits.
- We are looking for a place to celebrate.
- We are sending out invitations.
- We decide what wedding services are needed.
- We create a daily routine.
- We're going on our honeymoon.
- We remember the little things.
date
You can begin submitting an application to the registry office two months before your desired date. If the bride and groom are confident that they will be able to organize a wedding in such a period of time, then you can safely choose a date and go submit documents. But it also happens that a couple wants to tie the knot at a certain time of the year. And if the decision to get married was made in the fall, and you want to exchange rings in the summer, then you have a huge amount of time to prepare for the holiday and choose a date. If the season of celebration is not important to lovers, then you can start preparing and planning your wedding day right now.
Sign up for a beauty salon
The wedding preparation plan should include not only the search for organizers, but also beauty procedures. On this day you will be the center of attention, so it is important to take care of your health, skin, and hair. Set aside a day during the last week before the wedding to go to the spa, get a manicure, or see a beautician. If you are going to a solarium, find a trusted professional to avoid unexpected results. But you can come to the hair and makeup rehearsal at any time. But if at the last moment you decide to change something in your wedding look, it’s better to play it safe and once again ask the stylists to rehearse your hair and makeup.
Budget
Probably one of the most important points when organizing any holiday, and especially a wedding, is the financial side. You should immediately decide what exactly you want and calculate the approximate cost. Unfortunately, not all couples can afford a magnificent and luxurious celebration. Very often, in this case, their parents help the young people. And sometimes future spouses decide to arrange everything modestly and invite only the people closest and dearest to them. Some even make a wedding for only two people. But those who want and need a big holiday are forced to save up a little money and only then start preparing for the event. What kind of wedding day you want is up to you to decide; your budget will completely depend on this.
What to do about it now?
Open your wedding notebook, which we recommended keeping last time, and flip through it from beginning to end. Please note all questions that are approved. Call back the restaurant administrator, photographer, toastmaster, confirm the validity of all past agreements, review the contracts again - perhaps in the time that has elapsed since signing you have realized that you want to add another clause or, conversely, exclude something.
Put all your purchases in one place: set aside a kind of “wedding closet” for the preparation period. Let there be a dress, shoes, suit and shoes of the groom, all the little things (veil, handbag, gloves, tie/bow tie, sets of new underwear and socks for both of you). Here, keep every signed contract, printed products (invitations, seating cards, postcards, etc.).
If you have managed to prepare some of the things to decorate the room, allocate your own place for them. This way you'll avoid confusion when it's time to use it all, and each item will be kept separate throughout the house.
Style and color
Having a wedding entirely in white is no longer relevant. Typically, the bride and groom have one or two shades in their outfits, accessories and banquet area design that complement classic white. And sometimes the future husband and wife decide that their celebration will not be in standard light colors at all, choosing bright clothes and attributes.
Also in the modern world it has become very fashionable and interesting to organize stylized weddings. For example, you can surprise your guests and invite them not to a standard holiday, but in the style of Chicago gangsters or in Provence style.
List for the bride
At a wedding celebration, the main hero of the occasion should look fashionable, stylish and unique. Therefore, the bride must decide what she needs for the wedding. A list of every detail must be prepared in advance. It may include:
- Wedding outfit. Check in advance for wrinkles or stains on the dress. It must be ironed, hung on hangers and put away in a secluded place.
- Veil. It is advisable to try on the veil in advance, since some brides have to cut it if the length does not harmonize with the outfit.
- Shoes. Shoes must be perfectly clean.
- Tights or stockings. Be sure to bring a spare pair with you.
- Jewelry and hair accessories. So that you don’t have to look for them at the most crucial moment, put them in a bag and place them near the dress.
- Underwear. Make sure in advance that there are no stains or puffs on the lace.
- Shoulder cape. On winter days this item is indispensable.
- Outfit for the second day. Make sure in advance that the dress is clean and not wrinkled.
- A bag with everything you need. It (the bride's friend or mother will carry it with her) should contain a mirror, perfume, powder, wet and dry wipes, and a mobile phone.
Location
Of course, this point will depend on two factors: firstly, on the time of year, and secondly, on the topic. For example, it would be good to have a wedding in the summer right on the street, by the lake or outside the city, where there is beautiful nature and fresh air. You can also arrange on-site registration. But if your celebration is planned for a cool month or winter, then it would be better to choose a restaurant or cafe for the celebration.
For a specific themed wedding, there are appropriate venues. It would be great to organize a celebration in a nautical style right on a ship or yacht, but for a Russian folk celebration, a rented cottage or recreation center is the best choice.
When you decide on the place you like and need, don’t forget to book it and choose a menu. But before that, you need to decide exactly how many guests you will invite to your holiday.
List of things you must take with you on a walk
Is this all you need for a wedding? A complete list of small items should include things needed for a walk:
- Disposable tableware. It is better to take a little more glasses than the number of guests who will come to the party.
- Glasses that can be broken “for good luck.” Just think in advance where you will hit them.
- Sandwiches, champagne, sweets and other treats for guests.
- Garbage bags. Many people forget about this little thing, so necessary on a walk. But dirty plates and glasses need to be put somewhere, so you can’t do without a garbage bag.
Wedding services
When you decide on the date of the celebration, choose the style, images and colors for the wedding day, then you can start looking for a photographer, cameraman, presenter, etc. You can contact a wedding agency, and they will do everything for you, taking into account your wishes and possibilities. If you plan to organize everything yourself, then you will need to independently read reviews on websites and look at the work of photographers, florists, as well as other professionals and decide who to entrust to make your wedding day. It happens that lovers do not need a party host, cameraman or DJ. In this case, there is no need to spend extra money on agencies and you can do everything yourself.
Choosing a restaurant
The issue of a place for a banquet should be resolved in advance. On summer weekends, the most popular restaurants and cafes are booked months in advance. Great luck finding a free room just before the celebration. If you find yourself looking for a hall for the celebration too late, don’t worry. Many restaurants offer outdoor banquets, for example, on board a ship or in a country cottage, or in a park area on a lawn with tents. A way out can always be found. If your wedding is in an old or fairy-tale style, then choose an old manor or a restaurant decorated in an antique style for the celebration.
Wedding day plan
Another main point that will have to be planned, taking into account all the details, such as: what time will registration be, where will the photo session be, is it included in your plans to ride around the city with guests, etc.
Before going to the registry office, the bride and groom must have time to get ready. If we take a standard wedding day, then the girl and the guy spend the night in different apartments. In the morning, a stylist and makeup artist comes to the bride and prepares her for the celebration. Very often, the mother and close friends of the bride are present, as well as a photographer who captures the moments of the girl getting ready. By the way, before this, photography can take place in the groom’s house and he is also photographed.
Before going to the bride, the man and his friends decorate the wedding cortege, pick up a bouquet and go to the house to pick up his future wife. It is rare, but it still happens that bridesmaids arrange competitions for the groom, which have long been called ransom. Sometimes, the bride gets ready not at home, but at a hotel. It is possible to meet lovers directly at the registry office. In general, what will happen to you is worth thinking about and deciding based on your preferences.
After the painting, the newlyweds go to some beautiful place and have a photo shoot there, but you also have to think about where exactly in advance. Here it is worth considering the time of year of your celebration. In winter, it would be original to go to the skating rink or sledding, in the spring to visit the park, in the summer to have a picnic in nature or ride the carousel, and in the fall to take a walk along the street or visit the botanical garden. Photography can be arranged both before and after marriage registration, with or without guests.
How to cut down on wedding expenses
First of all, you should abandon the idea of renting an expensive car
Instead of an elite limousine or hummer, you can choose quite decent car models - Nissan Murano, Lexus ES 350 or Toyota Corolla, beautifully decorating them with balloons, flowers and other decorative elements.
In order not to spend money on a motorcade at all, the bride and groom should think about turning to familiar motorists for help.
You can cut down on restaurant expenses. To do this, it is better to rent it not in the center, but on the outskirts of the city
It is important to pay attention to how many people the banquet hall is designed for. For a small company, it is beneficial to choose only a small one so as not to overpay
In the absence of rent, the issue of room decoration remains relevant, which is often included in the cost of the wedding menu. This can save you at least 1000 rubles. If it is paid, then it is quite possible to involve your friends and relatives in the process of decorating the hall.
You can also win money if you choose a non-wedding season for your wedding. This is considered to be the period from late May to mid-October. In April, the weather is usually sunny and pleasant, ideal for holding a wedding ceremony and outdoor banquet.
The day on which the painting is planned will also play a role. It is more profitable to schedule it on weekdays, which will allow you to get a good discount. On Saturday and Sunday, most restaurants have significantly higher rates, and many contractors are already busy with other projects.
It is worth thinking about giving up the toastmaster if there are few guests at the wedding, that is, no more than 20 people.
Honeymoon
If a couple has the desire and opportunity to fly away on vacation after the wedding, then they need to think in advance where exactly and purchase vouchers or tickets, but it is worth remembering that each country has its own season for vacation, we have a detailed article about this.
Buy the necessary things and accessories for your honeymoon in advance so that after the wedding you don’t have to think about it anymore.
In 5 months
7. Find a music group that you like.
Attend their performances to finally make sure that the choice is right.
8. Create a preliminary menu.
9. Dress and suit.
Consider whether you will sew them to order or buy ready-made ones. The groom's suit should be in harmony with the bride's dress. Create a complete image of your couple. Read more about wedding trends in the article “Wedding dress 2022 - trends and ideas.”
10. Create a wedding website.
Create a personal page where you set the date of the celebration, travel information, conduct a survey of guests - whether they will be at your holiday, get answers from guests on menu preferences.
11. Invite guests.
Buy invitations or order designer ones. Another option is electronic invitations.
12. Start planning your honeymoon.
Make sure your passports are in order and there are no outstanding debts. Buy vouchers. Make a list of things you need to take on your trip in advance.
Other little things
Buy your favorite wedding rings, order a wedding cake. Think about how and with what you will decorate the banquet area if you have completely rented the premises. Think about the cars, how many are needed and whether they will be decorated. Most often, the cortege of young people consists of one ordered car, and the rest are cars of friends. If there is a bachelor and bachelorette party, then you need to think about where and with whom. Often newlyweds spend their wedding night in a hotel, so if you like this idea, then you need to choose a room and book it.
Now you have a ready-made plan of where to start your wedding preparations, how it goes and what needs to be done before the celebration, and we wish you a beautiful wedding and we hope that our step-by-step list will help in organizing the holiday of your dreams.
List of things for the registry office
What should you buy for your wedding? Let's look at the full list of things for the wedding ceremony below:
- Documentation. No matter how much you ask, no one will register you without passports.
- Wedding rings. This important attribute should also not be forgotten.
- Wedding glasses and champagne. In the registry office immediately after registration, you can’t do without champagne.
Correct timing
Timing is a kind of table, without which it is impossible to properly organize a wedding. All stages of the celebration, all its key moments are described here, taking into account the time required for each contractor. So, what are the secrets to creating timing? Here's an example of what you can do:
It must be compiled clearly, in the form of a table or diagram. It’s better to start planning 1-2 months in advance, checking in advance with stylists, artists and banquet organizers about the time required for their work. In your table you must indicate: the name of the contractor and his functions, the start time of his work, his address, telephone number for contact. The document must indicate the time of even small events - taking out the cake, fireworks, serving first and second courses. It is important to leave time in your plan for unforeseen situations (traffic jams, loss of some details of the celebration, illness of the master, and so on). Before the wedding day, you should call all contractors and check their readiness; an appropriate note should be made in the timing.
The more detailed the timing is and the more comments it contains, the lower the risk of disruption of the wedding.
Holiday: from start to finish
The best option for the duration of the celebration is to start the ceremony at 4 pm, and end the celebration no later than twelve at night. The second day is a relaxing lunch. But this is optional.
The rhythm of the wedding is classic: the celebration is divided into three main parts. The first one is calm. Greeting the newlyweds, introducing the guests to each other, the main toasts - parents and witnesses. Then there is a break - the first dance of the newlyweds, perhaps showing a video clip or a slide show about the couple. The second part is more active. It includes performances by musicians, dancers, or other entertainment. Then there is a short break, when guests can go out for a walk, relax, and socialize. The third part is the most intense. The main wedding traditions take place here - throwing the bouquet... In this part the cake is cut, and the whole holiday begins to gradually approach its end.
Today, competitions are increasingly being abandoned so as not to tire guests. Among the entertainment that is relevant today are slide shows, modern ballets, ballroom couples, acrobats, circus performers, magicians, jugglers, sand shows, animation, soap bubble shows, musical groups, fakirs... If you wish, you can contact a wedding organization agency and view the portfolios of various artists.
If your wallet doesn't allow for such a program, enlist your friends' help in coming up with your own competitions or quizzes. For example, the groom's friends can come up with tricky questions for the bride. Moreover, it is more interesting if she does not have answers to them, but invents something funny. Usually, a DJ or musicians are invited to provide musical accompaniment. But an alternative to them can be a disk that you prepare yourself to your liking. It is also worth noting that modern weddings have begun to do without alcohol. Alcoholic drinks at holidays are not in fashion these days, so if you want to be modern people, we advise you to save yourself from contemplating drunken relatives, and your money will be safer.
Present
To avoid receiving unwanted and unnecessary things, prepare a wishlist (wish list) and send it to your guests. Today, such a list can be easily created on the Internet. And don't be shy - there's nothing wrong with that. This method has long been practiced in the USA and Western Europe. If you would like to receive money as a gift, then you should also inform your guests about this. Regarding the presentation of gifts, the newlyweds are usually congratulated and given gifts after the official part. As a rule, the witness holds a box or a special box with a slot into which guests throw money.
If you don’t like the option of having a queue of guests, you can experiment with Western traditions. For example, in America during holidays there is a special table on which guests place boxes with business cards attached to them. It is quite possible to combine our and Western traditions before the start of the feast, you can plan a half-hour, or even an entire hour, buffet. During this time, you can accept gifts, go around the guests and introduce them, and also go away for half an hour and take photos - if the wedding is taking place in a restaurant with an interesting territory.
Do you need a toastmaster?
There is a big difference between a toastmaster and a presenter. And today, couples are increasingly refusing the services of toastmasters and noisy competitions in favor of discreet hosts. More and more often, couples want to see a good entertainer first of all. The presenter must be restrained, with a sense of humor, with beautiful manners, and most importantly, there should not be too much of him. Some people remember various competitions with eggs, flour or toilet paper, and are very afraid of such a development of events at their wedding. When there is a good presenter, these competitions are not needed - neither the guests nor the young people are tense, bored or worried.
However, in this case, you cannot do without a script. There are two options for organizing a wedding: if the wedding is organized by a wedding agency or there is a wedding coordinator, then they are the ones who write the script; if the couple is preparing for the holiday on their own, the host will most likely write the script.
When choosing a host, personal contact with the person is required - meet with him more than once, or twice, especially if he is personally involved in developing the holiday script. Try to choose a host who specializes not only in weddings, or has nothing to do with holidays at all. In this way, you can protect yourself from banal competitions and tired stereotypes in the matter of entertaining guests. If you're debating whether to ditch the host or toastmaster altogether, then hold your horses. Experts in the field of holiday organization do not advise doing this. The host sets the tone of the event and can direct it. Just sitting, drinking, eating, and communicating will be boring for a wedding program. Without a host, a wedding can turn into an ordinary feast.
Video: film or home video
You can choose a videographer, as well as a photographer, based on a recommendation or look for it yourself - there are many such offers on the Internet. You can determine their level by looking at their portfolio - on the website or during a meeting. Please note that if you don’t like the person or you don’t feel the connection, it’s best to look for another cameraman and photographer. On your wedding day, you should understand each other perfectly.
Wedding films that are popular today are conventionally divided into three options - the so-called Russian, European and Hollywood films. The first is characterized by the use of a variety of special effects. The European style is more restrained - there are no screensavers, and the special effects are black and white footage. The Hollywood option involves shooting with two cameras and dynamic editing - but this option will cost twice as much. Today, the most popular is the European style of filming and editing.
In addition, a wedding film does not have to be staged. This could also be the so-called home video. The operator can go around all the guests and film their wishes. If one of your friends expresses a desire to film, this may be for the better - the guests will feel more relaxed, and therefore it will be easier to joke on camera. In addition, short video clips about the romantic history of young people are becoming popular today. Such clips are filmed in advance and shown at the wedding. Their duration is 10-30 minutes.
Bouquet
You may think that a bouquet is a trifle that can be left for later. Not worth it. Professionals advise ordering a bouquet two weeks in advance, since the flowers for wedding bouquets are not seasonal, but often exotic, which are brought from abroad. Only for this you need ten days. The vast majority of girls want to have something special than a standard hemispherical bouquet, and therefore order an individual project from florists, which combines flowers, exquisite greenery, berries and even fruits. It will take at least a month to complete such an order, so don’t hesitate. If you want to keep your wedding bouquet as a keepsake, then you need to order two bouquets - the main one and a backup bouquet that the bride will throw to unmarried girls.
