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Now that you are engaged, you are starting to think about where and when to have your wedding. You have probably already thought about how your dress will look and what colors you like for flowers and bridesmaid dresses. The venue you pick for your ceremony and reception will affect many other decisions. OR you can determine ahead of time what you want for color scheme and style of wedding and then find a location that FITS what you want.

I suggest you ask yourself a few questions before you decide on a venue:

Do you want to have your ceremony and reception at the same location?

How many guests will be coming?

Do you want to marry indoors or outdoors?

What time of year do you want to marry?

Once you know these things, you are one step closer to selecting the right venue for you. Maybe you have already searched online to see what venues are available that fit your criteria. Once you have found a few locations that appeal to you, now ask a few more questions

What will the venue look like at the time of year you are marrying? Which plants, trees or bushes will be blooming at that time?

What is the maximum capacity for the venue?

What are the permanent colors in the space such as walls, carpeting, and maybe even the chair colors? Will these go with the colors you want to have or will the colors clash?

For reception venues, do they have an exclusive in house caterer or do they allow other outside caterers to use their facility?

What is included in the fee to rent the venue? Are tables, chairs, linens or their sound system included? Can you use the whole venue or only certain rooms?

Do they have a preferred vendor list and do you have to use their chosen vendors?

Your budget and timing for the day can be affected by all of the above. When you go and look at a few venues, ask lots of questions before signing a contract.

If you would like a full check list of questions for selecting a venue, call or email me for a complimentary consultation. I offer many wedding services including researching and recommending vendors to brides.

Wouldnt it be great if you had unlimited money to pay for the wedding of your dreams? For most brides though, this is not usually the case. Budgeting is a necessary part of planning your wedding. Managing your expenses is also an important step in making your marriage financially sound after the wedding day is over!
First, know what your actual budget is. How much money is there to spend and who is paying? If money is being offered to you by family to cover expenses, is it a set amount or a range? Many times the total money is a combination from the families and the couples resources. The average price of a wedding in Washington State in 2006 was estimated at $26,940. You can have a beautiful wedding for less and could certainly spend a great deal more depending on your plans.

Now that you know your budget, decide what is most important to you for your wedding celebration. If you have your heart set on a designer dress, luxurious location, or sumptuous menu, stick to your wishes. Write down what your dream day would be. Look at which aspects are most vital to you. Spend more in the aspects that really matter to you and less in areas that are not as important to you. Then stick to it!

How rewarding it could be to start your married life without the worry and stress of a pile of debt greeting you after the honeymoon. Sticking to a budget can be challenging as you get closer to your wedding day. All the expenses start adding up.

This is where Simply Celebrations & Events can be most valuable. I can help you maintain and stay within your budget from start to finish. Good planning and creativity can save you money and you can still have the wedding you have always dreamed of.

Wouldnt it be great to have a customized one? A well thought out checklist is crucial to good planning and can even relieve stress. Putting it all to paper can give peace of mind. Satisfaction is crossing items off a list.

Almost everyone has awakened in the middle of the night thinking or worrying about something they forgot to do! All the important details of planning a wedding can be overwhelming even for the most organized couple. Just making a list can seem like a big project!

Generic checklists are a great place to start planning. These are readily available on most wedding websites and in bridal magazines. Checklists will have most of the necessary steps to planning a standard wedding. However some of your not so typical needs might not even be mentioned on these. A good customized checklist starts from asking questions about what is important to you on your wedding day. Some aspects will be mean more to you than to another bride. Maybe you want to carry a family Bible down the aisle or the luscious food at the reception is your main focus. Perhaps you want to be sure that your Great Aunts cake knife is at the cake table for slicing your cake together or you plan to use special heirloom glasses for your first toast. There are so many details to remember and these are what will make the day truly yours. To be certain that all the little things arrive at your wedding site and are in their right place, you need a well organized checklist.

So take out your pen or pencil and ask yourself what details need to be included. If you find this to be more than you want to handle on your own, let Simply Celebrations & Events cross one more thing off your list&&your own personalized checklist and time-line.

Bridal Shows

Get a list of upcoming bridal shows in cities near you. Shopping at a bridal expo beats driving all over town so take advantage of this opportunity.

Wedding Magazines

A wedding magazine is the perfect start to planning your wedding; browse for ideas, pick styles and colors, and get in touch with the reality of planning.

Planning Your Wedding

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