• Find out who will be contributing to your wedding expenses and get a commitment on the dollar amount.  Setting a budget is one of first things you need to do,  everything else with hinge on how much you are going to spend on the wedding i.e.: how many guests are going to be invited.  .  The number of guests will determine a large amount of your budget. The number of guests effects, how large your hall is, meal cost, liquor cost, invitation cost, and favours.
• Tell potential service suppliers your budget for their service, this allows them to show you what can be done within your budget. You can then decide if you will increase your budget for that item.
• Be reasonable with the amount you have to spend in each category, in doing your research you will establish what is reasonable for that particular service.

Get contracts from all service providers which list the services they will be providing, the cost and when payments are due.  Know what their payment plan and cancellation policies are, in most cases deposits are nonrefundable.

• Don’t be pressured into making a decision before you are ready, make sure you are comfortable with your decisions before signing a contract.
• Be prepared to pay a deposit to reserve a service provider for your day.

Don’t assume when a friend or family member offers to help that they have the expertise required to perform a particular task.  These jobs may prove too much for them to handle, there is no quicker way to end a good friendship.  So unless your friend or family member it a florist, photographer or caterer by trade, it is probably a better idea to leave it to the professionals.

Every service you book for your wedding will require a deposit to secure your date.  Know what their policies for refunds, payments etc. are.  Keep all your receipts and contracts in your binder, you never know when you may need them.

Have the groom walk his mother down the isle (instead of an usher) with the father following.  The groom then takes his place at the front and the groomsmen can join him.

Consider including a “unity candle” in your ceremony.  Performed at the altar, the mothers of the bride and groom each light a tapered candle that is on the either side of a larger unity candle.  In the ceremony, the bride and groom together take these candles and light the larger candle in the centre at the same time.  This action symbolizes the joining of two families.  Save the centre candle and re-light it as a special memory on your anniversaries, creating a family tradition.

• Look in magazines for a picture of a hairstyle you would like on your wedding day, take it with you for your TRIAL APPOINTMENT.  Take your veil to this appointment.
• Always book a TRIAL APPOINTMENT for your hair and make-up awhile before your wedding.
• Consider having your make-up professionally applied by a make-up artist.
• Book your manicure/pedicure appointments for the day before your wedding.
• Bridal party members are responsible to pay for their own beauty appointments.  Unless other arrangements have been made.
• Salons book up early for busy Saturday morning weddings during the wedding season.  Book well in advance.  (see Beauty appointments Worksheet in planning pages

• Have your dress made
• Buy one in a Bridal Salon
• Wear your mother’s gown
• When you go out looking for your gown, remember that too many opinions will just confuse you, so take no more that 2 people with you while looking for your gown.
• Try on different styles; don’t judge by what it looks like on the hanger.  You may be surprised.
• Be prepared to put down a deposit if you find your perfect gown.

• Veil
• Headpiece
• Jewellery
• Undergarments
• Shoes
• Shawl or wrap

• Although it is an honour for friends and family to be part of your wedding, it can become expensive.  Be considerate of their budget and make an attempt to choose a style that can be worn again.
• One style for many body types sometimes doesn’t work.  Consider the same fabric in different styles to compliment the person wearing it.
• Coordinate all the bridesmaids shoes, jewellery (can be the attendants gift) to provide a finished look for photos etc.
• Always obtain sample of the fabric to help coordinate colour scheme with the florist, caterer, hall and cake decorator.
• Remind bridesmaids to take all undergarments and shoes they will be wearing to the dress fittings.

• If trying to cut costs, the groom and the groomsmen can all wear dark suits with matching ties.
• When going shopping for the tuxes, take a swatch of the bridesmaid’s dresses.
• If the groomsmen are from out of town they can be fitted at a local store that carries the same brand.  They will need the brand information including style numbers and colour.
• Designate someone to return the grooms and perhaps the groomsmen’s tux’s to the store after the wedding. (see download Special Assistance’s worksheet in planning pages).

Formal wear is required for the following people:

• Groom
• Groomsmen
• Ring bearer
• Fathers’ of bride and groom (optional)

Remind the mothers of the bride and groom that they need to start looking for their dresses 4-6 months ahead of the wedding, especially if the dresses need to be ordered, or they decide to have one custom made.  They should choose a colour that will compliment the bridesmaid’s dresses.

Ensure your hall has the proper kitchen facilities that your caterer will need.  Some caterers will also provide their own equipment.

• Always view pictures, of their work.
• Remember you will need to provide a meal for any service provide that will be in attendance during your reception:
  
  • Photographer
  • Videographer
  • Disc Jockey
    

A caterer will provide:

• All items needed to present your meal in your chosen locations i.e.: linens, dinnerware.
• Wait staff
• Your caterer or reception hall will need your final number of guests two weeks before your wedding date.  This is very important as they have food to order to fulfill your requests.  Usually after you have given them the final guest count that is the number you will pay for, even if fewer guests attend.
• When planning your meal menu be sensitive to guests with special needs i.e. vegetarian.   caterers and halls will generally fill these requests. 
• If offering more than one choice of meal you will need to identify the guest’s choice so the waiters will know.  One way is to have place cards at the tables with their names and a special code for the waiters to see i.e.: a certain flower on it for beef.  If giving a choice of meal, you will need to list the choices on the reply card, so your guest can choose one and you can give your caterer or hall the correct number of chicken or beef meals.
• Halls and caterers will add taxes and gratuities to your final bill. Don’t forget this when doing your budget.  An example would be 14% taxes and 15% gratuities.
  

Remember this is a day when you don’t want to be worried about all the details, having someone else in charge lets you enjoy your day and when your wedding is over someone else is responsible for taking everything down. 

• Decide if the ceremony site and reception site are to be decorated.
• Have a budget in mind.
• Determine if you wish to hire a professional or do it yourself. 
• If hiring a professional see pictures of their work.
• Book as early as possible, so you won’t be disappointed.

Ceremony site decorations may consist of:

• Candelabras
• Aisle bows
• Aisle runner
• Flowers for the alter
• Unity candles
• Aisle candle holders
• Floral arbour/archway
  

Reception site decorations may consist of:

• Chair covers
• Table centerpieces, incorporating candles in your centerpiece will create a romantic atmosphere.
• Signing table arrangements
• Archway/arbour
• Coloured linens i.e. napkins
• Head table and cake table draped with a soft material and mini lights 
• Gift table draped with material and an envelope drop
• Backdrop for head table
• Seating plan easel
• Ceiling canopy
• Silk trees
• Pillars
• Floral arrangements

A professional florist will be able to tell you the latest trends and offer you creative ideas and create the look you want.  Flowers will add that touch of elegance and romance to your day.

• A florist should be booked about 6 months in advance; they too can only accommodate a few wedding a Saturday
• Do your research and know what you like, take pictures with you. 
• Inform them of your budget, so they can tell you what they can do within that budget.
• Make an appointment to receive the service you will require.
• Consider moving floral arrangements from the ceremony site to the reception hall.
• Take a swatch of the bridesmaid dresses.
• Be sure to see pictures of their work.
• Remember that Contact!

Invitations should reflect the style and formality of your wedding.

• There are many service providers that also offer the traditional invitation books which offer a variety of items including favour boxes, guest books etc
• If you decide to make your own invitations start this project 9 months before your wedding.
• Write out the information to be included in your invitation before ordering and PROOF READ!

The information you will need:

• Ceremony site name and address
• Time and date of your wedding
• Reception site name and address
• The correct time for cocktails and dinner
• Map to both sites
• The correct spelling of all names to be included on the invitation
• The date of the RSVP needs to be decided

REMEMBER: proof the invitation order very carefully.  Have several people proof it, it is very easy to miss a mistake because you see what you think you should.  DOUBLE CHECK before placing the order.

• Supply stamps on reply envelopes.  Canadian stamps cannot be used for out of country guests.
• ALWAYS have your invitation weighed and measured to determine what the accurate postage is.
• Mail your invitations 6 weeks prior to the wedding date.  Out of country should be mailed 8 weeks prior.

It is the master of ceremonies job to know the order of events and ensure that things run smoothly for your reception.
 
Duties of a Master of Ceremonies:

• Announce when receiving line is to begin or asks guests to take their seats and rise when the bridal party is ready to enter the room.
• Introduce them selves, welcome guests and states how kissing requests are going to be handled.
• Introduces the person giving the blessing.
• Introduces the head table and explains the relationships to the bride and groom (after dinner)
• Introduces the speakers, and gives a small speech themselves.
• Mentions anyone of importance that could not attend and announces names of people who have traveled a distance to attend.
• Choose someone that is comfortable speaking in front of a crowd.  
• Advise the Master of Ceremonies that it is not a good idea to open the microphone up to everyone.  It will make your speeches too long and drawn out.
• There should be a list made up of who is going to speak.  They should be informed to keep it short and appropriate to the occasion.  Telling jokes or funny stories about the bride and groom are fine, but should appropriate.

Your local music stores or the musicians you choose will have wedding songs on tape to help you with your ceremony selections.

There are many choices for unique musical touches in your ceremony:

• Vocalist
• Harpist
• String quartet
• Organist
• Violin
• Piano
• Trumpet
• Bagpipes

• Always listen to samples of their work before booking anyone.
• If you have a desired musical selection you would like played ask if they can know that particular song.
  

REMEMBER: the contract it should list the times that you are booking them for.  I.e. ceremony, reception—cocktail hour, dinner music, cost and payment information.

A professional disc jockey or live band will play a very important role in the success of your wedding reception.

• Book up to one year in advance to ensure your first choice.
• Wedding guests present a wide range of musical tastes.  Make sure they are able to play a variety of music to suit all ages.
• Be sure they are aware of the level of formality of your wedding so they can dress accordingly.
• Consider taking dance lessons with your groom and/or bridal party.  It is a great way to introduce everyone and have some fun.  Plus your first dance will be presented with style and grace.

Do their pictures/video:

• Capture the emotion of the day
• Have good colour and clarity and sound (for video)
• Attention to detail and special effects
  
• Some photographers will give you a list of poses they regularly take.  Determine which ones you want and add in your own on the Must Have Photo list (download in planning pages) to give to your photographer.
• Assign a friend or family member to coordinate the family photos.  Give them and the photographer a list of the pictures and who is to be in each picture.  They can follow this list and have everyone ready to step into place.  This will help your photographer who doesn’t know your guests by name and will help with the timing of your photos.  Plus make sure that no important pictures are missed.
• Get contractS signed, make sure everything you are receiving is listed, plus the hours and the locations you will be going too.
  

Purchase disposable cameras with a flash and place one on each table at the reception for fun and candid photos

• Establish your approximate number of guests before starting your search for your hall.
• Never go to full capacity of your hall.  You want your guests and yourselves to be comfortable.
• Establish when the hall will be ready for you to have access for decorating etc.

Make sure your hall can handle with ease:

• Number of guests
• Dance floor
• Head table
• Cake table
• Disc Jockey or band
  
• A seating plan is helpful for your guests and will avoid confusion.  Display it at the entrance of your reception hall on an easel.

• Full Name of Venue
• Full Address
• Make a map to insert into your invitations

When children are attending your reception, set up a table with toys, games and books to keep them entertained.  Consider hiring a sitter or have some (not an invited guest) sit at that table to care for the children.  This will let the parents have a little time to them selves to also enjoy the evening.

Halls usually give you 2 feet per person at the head table which is pretty tight. If there is room request that your head table be larger than that.  I.e.:  10 people would normally be 20 feet request a 24 foot head table, so you and your wedding party will be comfortable for dinner.

You can pretty much rent anything, some halls will supply certain items and others will not.  After you have booked your hall you will have a better idea of the items you may need to rent.

If not supplied by your hall, you will need table skirting and linens for the following tables:

• Head table (skirting, table cloths and napkins)
• Cake table (skirting and table cloths)
• Signing table (skirting and table cloths)
• Gift table (skirting and table cloths)
• Disc Jockey table (skirting and table cloths)
• Buffet tables (skirting and table cloths)
• Guest tables (table cloths and napkins)
  
• Try to obtain all your rental items from the same supplier; this will make the pick-up and return of the items less confusing and time consuming. (Rental Pick-up and Return worksheet download in planning pages)

Renting a special vehicle is a popular way to enhance the memories of your special day, and will add a special touch of class and provide carefree transportation.
 
Decide on the form of transportation:

• Limousine
• Limousine bus
• Horse and carriage
• Antique car
• Rental cars (Hummers etc.)
• Family car
  
• Ensure your vehicle will accommodate the number of people you will be transporting.
  
• You will need to drive the various routes you will be taking on your wedding day to determine the timing. The driver will require a detailed list and a map of pickups and drop offs.
  
• It is customary to tip the driver 15% of the rental cost.
  
• Have a cooler in the trunk with drinks and snacks for when you are out taking your pictures is a refreshing idea.