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If you want more than a signature to remember your guests by, have a friend stand by the guest book and snap candid shots with a couple of disposable cameras as the guests arrive.
Establish a realistic budget. Decide how much money you have to spend along with what each of your parents is willing to spend. Try to stay within your budget. Financial problems are the #2 cause for divorce in America - don't start your marriage out with one strike against you!
Eat a light snack before you dress. Don’t go down the aisle hungry and weak. If you’re too rushed to eat, put a pack of crackers in your bag to bring to the church. (If you’re worried about your figure: dairy & wheat products cause a slight swelling in the tummy area) Try fruit, raw veggies or carbs!
Interview more than one vendor in each category that you are seeking. Don’t be in such a hurry to book that you are not able to look around for the best prices!
Pack an emergency kit. Have someone bring along a bag packed with items such as: snacks, headache medicine, tape, needle & thread, hairspray, safety pins, bobby pins, make-up, deodorant, etc.
When choosing ushers (not groomsmen) – choose at least one from the bride’s side of the family, so that he will recognize family members & friends. Since the ushers have more responsibility than the groomsmen, choose guys who are responsible, mature & who will take their jobs seriously. –INSIST that they attend the rehearsal! –
There's no rule that says you have to teeter down the aisle in three-inch heels! For you, it just might be that flats are where it’s at. Purchase a pair of white ballet slippers and adorn them with beads, lace or delicate embroidery -- you'll dance 'til dawn in comfort and style.
If your heart is set on a June wedding or another popular season, and it seems that all the wedding and reception sites are booked – don’t despair – consider a Sunday afternoon wedding. Think about it. Most people attend church on Saturday evening or Sunday morning, so Sunday afternoons are often times free. Out of state family has an extra day to drive in. Being an “off-day” for business, you may even get better rates with your vendors.
Give destination-wedding guests ID tags for their luggage. Write your wedding information on one side so the airlines will know where to deliver lost bags.
Hold your ceremony and your reception in one place. You’ll save money on transporting your wedding party, and you won’t have to worry about guests getting lost between venues.
Ask your parents to recite new vows, or invite all of your married guests to reaffirm their love in unison. People will walk away from your wedding with a big reminder of the power of love.
If possible, try to minimize the time between the wedding and the reception, giving guests a comfortable amount of time to move from one locale to the next. If that’s not possible, find some sort of diversion for out-of-towners during the down time. Ask a friend or family member to host a little get-together at their place – very light munchies and non-alcoholic drinks are all that’s needed. Or, host a hospitality suite at the hotel where your guests are staying.
Tuck a map in to your invitations with details directions to an off-the-beaten-path site. To be extra considerate, give forgetful guests a second chance by including a copy of the directions in your ceremony programs. Think how many marriages you’ll save. (“I thought you brought the directions!” “No, you said YOU had them!”)
Get as many formal shots done before the wedding as you possibly can. Some couples get them all out of the way, so they can start celebrating right after the ceremony. But if you don’t want the groom to see you until after you say I do, keep picture-taking to a minimum – you don’t need shots at three different locals, in 17 different poses. Let your photographer know in advance how much time you want to allot to pictures – he’ll hold you to it.
Be sure your dance floor can handle the crowd you're inviting. Someone actually figured out that you'll need a minimum of 2.5 square feet of dance-floor space for each guest-though if you've got a crowd that really likes to boogie, opt for 3 square feet per person.
Don't make guests feel they must bring a date. Single, unattached wedding guests feel panic when they get an invitation addressed to "Jane Doe And Date." The proper way to handle a single guest's invitation: find out if he or she has a significant other; and if so, address the invitation to both of them. Otherwise, address the invitation only to the single guest. You can let guests know with a phone call that they are welcome to bring someone.
Don't crank the music constantly. There is nothing more frustrating to guests than trying to talk over music that is simply too loud. During meals, it's best to tone things down so that your family and friends can converse normally instead of shouting, or even worse, just giving up and eating in silence. Save the higher volume for times when your guests are ready to dance!
Ask a few friends to take care of post-wedding details such as taking your dress to the cleaners, returning the tuxes to the rental shop, and preserving your bouquet. This way, you can enjoy your first few days of bliss without worrying about anything.
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