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Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Your wedding is an opportunity, certainly for sharing new experiences, for working together, for creating a memory that will last for a lifetime. Enjoy the romance and the excitement of the process but do not let it cloud your sense of good judgment. By taking a few precautions and using your common sense you can ensure that you are hiring the best wedding suppliers for the best value. By making the right choices this can truly be one of the best days of your life. http://www.indianweddings.co.nz/ provides abundant resources for planning your wedding. You can click onto our wedding services directory and call or e-mail requesting information and pricelists to be sent. As many of today’s brides and grooms are busy pursuing full-time careers or higher education, time is a big issue. Utilize your time efficiently by emailing suppliers during your lunch break or early in the morning. It is a great way to inquire about services and it saves time.
Throughout history it has been common for the family of the bride to bear most of the responsibility for paying for wedding as part of a dowry tradition. Today few families still adhere strictly to this, agreeing that in today's economic climate it is perhaps fairer to split the cost between the families involved. Also as couples get married later nowadays it is not unusual for the bride and groom to be well established financially when it comes time to tie the knot, placing them in a position to be able to contribute to the costs. For instance a bride may cover the cost for her outfit, hair and makeup while the groom could pay for the men's clothing plus the rings. Work out an arrangement that suits you and your family's position, and make sure you communicate clearly with all parties involved so no ill-feelings are generated.
PLEASE KEEP THIS DATE FOR US If you know the date you are getting married on, it is a good idea to let people who have to make travel arrangements know in advance of the official invitation mail out, usually about 3 months ahead is long enough. You can phone, email or post a little announcement asking them to 'save the date'. For the mail out of invitations, generally four to six weeks prior to the wedding is adequate time.
BRIDAL SHOWER The traditional bridal shower is an option favored by some; these consists of a party for close women friends and family of the bride and groom to meet socially at someone's house anywhere from a month to a week before the wedding. It is common for bridal attendants, the bride's sister or mother to host this. Traditionally called kitchen parties it was a good way for the bride to stock up on a few kitchen knick-knacks.
STAGG NIGHT Guys this is the end of your bachelor years so it is important to mark it by getting together with a few good friends. Usually the groom's attendants will organize this but should take into account the wishes of the groom in their planning. As this is a busy time for you both don't forget to show her you love her, lots of cuddles and kisses keep your communication lines free and help you to remember why you are getting married. As it is usually a best friend who organizes this give him lots of hints about what you would enjoy the most - pub crawl, barbecue, golf, go cart racing, ten pin bowling, a day at the races, a wild weekend away or you could combine bucks and hens night with a theme (say may be hiring a stripper-I didn’t suggest that). Whoever is organizing the night should check with the venue manager before hiring a stripper. If there is a lot of alcohol consumption in the party make sure everyone has a lift home. Whatever it be enjoy your “last night of freedom”.
THEME WEDDINGS Once you have decided on a colour scheme and a theme for your wedding you can begin to co-ordinate the whole thing, matching and contrasting featured colors to produce a unified look, whether it be napkins, tablecloths, name cards or flowers. It is most important to take samples with you when choosing items for your wedding, as a few shades difference in colour can alter the effect you are trying to achieve.
WEDDING PROGRAMS Wedding programs can serve to fulfill many useful functions, allowing guests who are unfamiliar with your traditions to follow the service and understand the meaning behind certain rites. The couple can share one or two special moments. Also put in the wedding vows, who performed the wedding, bridal party attendants and so on. Programs are also useful to acknowledge and thank those who are helping out both in the service and behind the scenes.
HEADTABLE A head table can look very impressive and add a focal point to the reception. Choose people who have an important role to play in the wedding to have at this table, a limit of around ten are normal.
TABLE SEATING Get or make a plan of the table arrangements and place the person's name in the appropriate position on each table. Keep another alphabetical list which you can tick off when the RSVP is received and pencil in the table number. Place cards can not only serve a useful function but can also add to your creative interior design. Follow the traditional card concept with the guest's name printed on a small rectangular card, or go wild and say it with a small chocolate or candy box, a napkin arrangement or a tiny floral emblem with the name printed on the outside. If you opt for a more informal celebration with a buffet style meal, where guests can sit where they like you can still make guests feel special by having small remembrance. This doesn't have to be elaborate; it’s the gesture that makes the guest feel special. MC – WITH 3 C’S (COMFORTABLE, CHARISMATIC, CONFIDENT) As this is the person who holds the festivities together, choose someone who is comfortable, charismatic and confident speaking in public. A sense of humour is a must for your MC as he/she should be entertaining and able to ease people into a relaxed evening. The MC's role is that of a host, he/she asks guests to stand for the blessing of the couple, introduces guest speakers and makes any last minute announcements.
Accommodate children of family or friends by asking venue manager if there is a small room for your little guests. Hire a professional or ask a teenage friend of the family to help out. Provide interesting snacks for the little ones and lots of activities to keep them busy. It's great to have a video player and a couple of movies, especially if the celebration goes on for a while.
DANCE FLOOR Some venues may already provide this but ask to make sure. Check with the venue co-ordinator where the dance floor should go and what size it should be. Arrange for someone to place these for you ahead of time. Check with the venue manager what is available, you may have to borrow or hire microphones. If you are having live musicians they could perhaps help with this and the positioning. Some venues may have cordless microphones available; these are really practical for the ceremony as they cannot be easily seen.
GUEST BOOK Be creative with your choice of 'guest book', anything that has significance to you should be considered. Imagine a cute, cuddly bear which everyone can sign or opt for a more traditional card with your engagement photo in the centre which everyone can sign around the outside. Frame this at a later date or place it in your wedding album.
CAKE Cutting of the cake usually follows on from the speeches. The wedding couple cut the cake, the groom places his hand over the bride's as she cuts. They then feed each other from the first slice. Any member of the wedding party, a sister or dear friend can then take over the cutting of the cake and with three assistants can hand out pieces of cake to guests.
LIGHTING THE CANDLE This ceremony symbolizes the uniting of two into one. Two taper candles are lit by the mother ( or mother figure) of the couple at the beginning of the wedding. These candles represent the bride and groom as individuals and sometime during the celebration the couple each take a taper and together they light the unity candle. This can be done at any time but it is nice to tie it in with the cake cutting.
WEDDING FIRST AID Don't get caught without one. Keep all those little items handy for whatever situation arises. This bag should contain lipstick, lip liner, powder, tissues, tweezers, sewing kit, scissors, safety pins, panadol, deodorant and pads. Give the bag to a trusted family member or friend to carry with them.
Do say Thank You. It can mean such a lot for a guest to receive a card with a personal hand-written note thanking them for their gift. For those special people who helped out something more tangible is a good idea. Arrange for flowers or a gift basket to be sent to them with a hand-written note from you attached as well.
TOKEN OF LOVE A lovely remembrance of your special day for those family and friends who shared it with you. There are so many simple decorative ideas to use, a small organza bag, or even some fancy paper with a ribbon around the top would be suitable. These can left on the tables before the ceremony, or close family and friends can hand them out towards the close of festivities. Guests could even collect them from a table near the exit as they leave. The choice is up to you but leave guests with a sweet taste and happy memories. |
