ABC’s of Wedding Planning

A is for Artistry!  Your wedding is your blank canvas, so don’t ever think that going for the norm is the way to go.  Any area of your wedding that you can incorporate your personality, you brand your wedding with your artist signature.  Do it up in your own style and give your wedding it’s own DNA.  From your invitations to photography style to decor, you have full freedom to orchestrate the coming together of a vision that is only yours and your groom’s.  This is YOUR day.

B is for Budget!  One of the first things that you need to do is figure out your budget. Have a sit down with parents that are contributing (private for each household to prevent anyone from feeling uncomfortable) to find out what you should expect from them financially; also sit down and figure out your own salary vs. living expenses and how much you can save by the wedding.  This gives you a good idea of what you’re working with and helps you to divvy your funds so you can begin planning.

C is for Culture.  Whether you and your groom have grown up with the same culture or different, make sure you incorporate it into your big day, whether it’s your religion or nationality, or other pieces of your upbringing.  The wedding week events are the perfect opportunity to blend them together.

D is for Delegate.  In your wedding planning process, you don’t want to be the person trying to handle every detail your wedding.  You’ll go crazy, and you’ll miss out on the sentimental parts and moments because you’ll be so focused on the work of it.  So ask for help!  There are plenty of people in your life looking for an opportunity to contribute to this important time in your life;  hand projects over, so all you have to do is manage (check up on) those things.

E is for Event Coordinator.  It’s important that you spend some serious time upfront letting your Event Planner pick your brain and know exactly what your vision is, and what’s important to you (and what things to steer away from--for example, any tule or taffeta).  Wedding Planners are used to the stress and used to making things happen; so before you’re exhausted with details and shutting down, make sure that they know your taste and exactly what you’d want.

F is for Flowers!  Flowers are easy for lots of brides because they know which ones they love; but sometimes the seasons can make that difficult (many flowers are only a sure thing in certain seasons).  Another thing to consider is that each flower has a meaning, which can be another way to express your love in your wedding.

G is for Guest List.  Another thing to begin working on early in the process.  You’ll most likely have to cut it down, so it’s important to allow time for the process of deciding the number of guests (unless the venue decides for you and only allows a certain amount), and then choosing who you’ll invite from his list and your own... not to mention acquiring all of those addresses.

H is for Honeymoon.  After months of planning and the the hype of the wedding week, your honeymoon, your escape from all chaos with just the two of you, is something that will be absolutely utopian.  When choosing a destination, consider (with your husband-to-be, of course) the balance you want between relaxation and activities/adventure, and schedule your trip accordingly.  This is a great thing to look forward to, knowing that after all the hard work, you two will be able to just have the time of your lives together on a dream-trip that you picked out together.

I is for IntriCutz!  Also, I is for invitations!  The invitation is one of the first impressions of your big day.  It introduces your theme, your colors, and your style to your guests.  They need to be sent out 4-6 weeks in advance, but between the ordering process, the production process, and addressing them, it’s time to get started right away.  Check us out because IntriCutz is very interested in working with you to bring your theme to life and provide any stationary item you desire for your wedding, in addition to Invitations.

J is for Just Do It.  Okay, so it’s not OUR slogan, it belongs to Nike, but it’s true to many aspects of life.  When planning a wedding, if you wait for the moments you feel motivated and select based on the fun tasks, it won’t get done.  Push to knock out the most daunting tasks as early as possible so it doesn’t all snowball on you.

K is for Kiss the Bride.  Practice your wedding kiss, so you both have the same expectation about how you wanna kiss in front of your grandmothers and your Pastor.  Unless you’re both PDA obsessed, it could very well be the only time that many people there see you kiss; and that pressure in the moment can annul the lip-locking-chemistry you two have.  Figure it out.  It will be one of the more fun things on your to-do list.

L is for Lighten Up!  We know that you want every detail to be perfect, but in the big picture, the whole reason for all of this is you and the man you love saying “I do” to spending life together.  Embrace the process and see the beauty in that season of your life, because if you spend the whole thing stressed, you’ll be in a haze through a precious time that you can’t get back.  Don’t be so overwhelmed by it all that you forget what it’s all about.

M is for Makeup.  It’s important, when picking your look for your nuptials, that you pick something you know you’re going to feel beautiful/comfortable in.  Don’t make the mistake of choosing something much more dramatic than your usual look to step it up for the big day.  It IS a day to outdo the rest in beauty, but not with makeup.  Your hair, and more importantly, your dress will take care of that for you.  You want it to look like you, and you want it to look simple and give way for the dress and hair, without being too much.

N is for Newlyweds.  Soon your whole life will be different.  You’ll be leaving behind single life and you’ll be half of a whole, 2 becoming 1.  As excited as you are for that phase, appreciate the one you’re in now.  A new life of wedded bliss awaits you then, but now you still have the opportunity to schedule a last minute trip to Vegas with a friend who is suffering through a breakup, or splurge on a spa day without consulting with anyone.   As much as you’ll love and appreciate the beginning of the next season of your life, make the most of this season as it comes to an end.

O is for Organize.  Times have gotten more tech savvy, so now instead of carrying a big binder with all your wedding magazine clippings, you can add them to a digital clipboard in your Wedding Planning Phone app.  This stores all you need digitally and avoids the strained back from carrying the binder that’s busting at the seams.  Utilize the app or organizer you have, it’s to your benefit to have it all stored in one universal place where you can get to it in a moment’s notice.

P is for Pre-Marital Counseling!  Yes, he proposed, and yes, you said yes.  That doesn’t instantly give you all of the wisdom and understanding with each other you need to cross into marriage.  Your engagement is every bit as much a time for you two to grow as a couple and work through any things that you may need to before marriage, including your expectations of each other for married life.

Q is for Question.  Most grooms aren’t as active in wedding planning as we wish they were.  They want to help, but just get swallowed whole by the process when they try.  You want your wedding to represent you both, but you can’t get him to have an opinion about much.  Question him about the broad subjects (guys get lost in the details).  The more questions you ask, the more you get the picture.  If he won’t be a part of it ALL, let him weigh in about things he might actually have an opinion about.

R is for Romance.  Don’t forget, in the midst of your planning, gathering, and obsessing over details, to make time for you and your honey to spend quality time together.  As important as the wedding is, it’s important that you two stay connected; and not just when you’ve got a list of details to work out.  Set up dates where you don’t talk about wedding plans (resist the urge to bring it up).  In the end, it will be you two living your life together, so you must maintain the strong bond between the two of you.

S is for Shop Around.  Although many times you find something and just know that it’s what you want, it’s important to still look around.  If you haven’t price-shopped, you may not even know that what you’re paying is a splurge.  Whatever characteristics you love about this caterer, venue, photographer, or cake may be available somewhere else for significantly less moolah.  Research vendors and costs, because finding a discount in one department opens up more funds for other areas of the wedding.

T is for Timeline.  You’ll want to set a timeline, not only for the months prior (to accomplish tasks), but also a Wedding Day Timeline.  One that allows you to map out the order of events so everyone that has a part to play can know where they need to be and when, from your photographer to your Wedding Party and family members.

U is for Unique.  As soon as you decide your colors and theme, keep an eye out for pieces that would illustrate that theme.  Sure, you may not be able to find several more of those vintage birdcages to use them as centerpieces for your wedding, but you can use the one or two you have for the gift table or a food table at the reception.  Decor is hard to find all at once (if you’re a DIY bride trying to incorporate your own flavor), so be thrifty and find pieces bit-by-bit.  The non-uniform nature of your wedding will be unique and memorable.

V is for Vendors.  Vendors should be bound to you from the moment you choose them to your wedding day.  As important as your big day is to you, they have tons more “big days” that they’re preparing for; so as much as they should be organized and have it all together, don’t feel that it’s squared away until you’ve confirmed details and payments.  Check up with them and make sure.  If there’s a wedding professional involved, check in with them on details and progress.

W is for Wedding Party.  It’s important to surround yourself with a cloud of supportive people that will make that time even more special for you and your groom, be active in helping, and do whatever it takes to lighten your load and help free you up from stress.  They will forever be in your wedding pictures, so pick ones who you are sure will stay stand the test of time in your life.

X is for “X Marks the Spot”.  When you find the venue(s) for your wedding and reception (hopefully after you’ve shopped around), make sure to take pictures so you can map out the decor and the happenings of your big day there.  When it comes to where you want everyone to stand, how you want to incorporate your decor in each area, and mapping out your tables for seating and cake and other things, you most likely won’t remember every detail.  Take pictures so you can have a reminder and map it out.

Y is for YOUR Day. There are plenty of opportunities, when planning a wedding, to feel like you need to plan it around not hurting people’s feelings.  Do whatever will make the day best for you and your groom.  Making your decisions for other people takes the focus off of that and will lead to chaos, so decide for yourselves, and stand by it.  If there are people that you don’t feel comfortable inviting, don’t.  It’s your day and you have the opportunity to make it what you want it to be.

Z is for Zoom Out.  When choosing details for your wedding, think of the theme and environment you’ve created.  The wedding clippings you’ve torn from your bridal magazines are in there partially because they’re beautiful, and partially because they accomplished a look and feel that pull you in.  A pre-meditated quirk is one thing (one that you knew you wanted to incorporate), but when choosing decor and invitations and other details, make sure they line up with the big picture you’re imagining for your wedding.