Wedding Planning

Once you are engaged, you start getting a lot of free advice from family and friends about planning the wedding. Planning a wedding is not difficult but it seems so because you have never had to plan such a large-scale social event before.
While there is no right or wrong way to plan a wedding, it can be overwhelming with the seemingly endless choices being offered, stressful and time-consuming when it does not really have to be.
Wedding planning can be an enjoyable journey altogether. It is just about identifying the essential elements, breaking them down into simpler, achievable tasks, and organizing them in the right sequence. As the Wedding Bible puts it, wedding planning is about answering the Big 5:
How? Where? When? Who? Budget?
How? - How do you want your wedding to be? A simple religious ceremony. A religious ceremony with a grand reception or an out-and-out extravagant social event.

Where? - Where will the wedding and reception be held? Will they be in the same location? Having an idea about the wedding venue helps to plan things better.

When?- When will the big day be? Have the tentative date and month in mind. Always check for wedding venue availability and always book in advance.

Who? - Who will you be inviting? Your guest list depends on how big a wedding you want to have, your budget and how many people the wedding venue can accommodate. It's a good idea to create a guest list so you can have an approximate number in mind when selecting the wedding venue and planning the reception dinner seating.

Budget? - Finally, how much money can you afford to spend? Remember that weddings are joyous occasions that are about getting together, friendships and celebrating with family and friends and not about the money. So there is no need to go overboard.
Once you have the answers to these questions, you can take informed decisions that you are comfortable with. To read more useful tips from the Wedding Bible click on the Google Preview link in the right panel.

Wedding checklist

If you are one of the lucky few who have a lot of time to plan your wedding, here's a checklist to help you plan ahead. Even if you don't have a lot of time, this checklist will surely help you out:

1. First and foremost, fix a date and time for the wedding and reception. That decides your goal and you can plan better towards it.
2. Make a guest list. Instead of estimating the number of people at your wedding, having an actual guest list gives you a some what accurate number, so that you can choose the wedding venue appropriately. You wouldn't want to underestimate and create a crowd.
3. Once you have a nearly accurate number of guests for your wedding, chose the wedding venue. Make sure that the venue is close to the place where you live or will be traveling from. Visit the venue at the peak hour so you get a feel of the traffic situation. You wouldn't want to be late. Check that there is ample space for your guests to park their cars. Check with the staff for the seating, decoration and food arrangements. If you are planning a wedding some time in June, you should even consider the possibility of rain. Make sure the guests are not seated beside blaring loudspeakers.
   
4. Decide the type of decoration you would like at your wedding reception - flower arrangements or decorative curtains or mirrors hangings, according to your budget.
5. Meet the caterer, arrange for a tasting and decide the menu for the post-wedding lunch and reception dinner.
6. Once the wedding venue is finalized, visit a wedding invitation printer and chose the design for your wedding invitation. Prepare a mock-up for your wedding invitation and review it thoroughly. Spelling mistakes on the invitation are very common and annoying.
7. Book a bridal make-up and Mehendi professional in advance. Wedding season especially December is a very busy time for make-up professionals. Depending on the number of people getting a make-up and mehendi done, you might want to book 4-5 professionals.

Now, with most of the planning and booking done, all that is left for you to do is relax and enjoy the bliss!