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Emma's Diary: Before doing anything

Found this article in my Wedding Organizer Book, lots of useful stuff so I pasted it below.....

Church or Civil Ceremony?

In England and Wales you have three choices: a religious ceremony, a civil wedding in a licensed building or a civil wedding in a register office.

Setting the Wedding Date

Your wedding date may be determined by the availability of your church, register office or reception venue so it's a good idea to make enquiries with them before making a final decision on your date.

If you want to have your wedding on a summer Saturday, you may have to book your ceremony and reception venues a year in advance ? some of the most popular places need to be booked up to two years in advance for the most popular days! If you decide on a Sunday, weekday or winter wedding you may have fewer problems with booking ahead. On days other than Saturday, many of the core wedding suppliers offer discounts. However, this may mean that your guests will have to take time off work to attend so they will need as much advance notice as possible.

Wedding Styles and Themes

Whether grand or intimate, traditional or contemporary, your choice of wedding style is something you need to be totally happy with, as you will be working hard to make it all happen.

Deciding on a theme early on makes the rest of the planning easier as it will influence lots of the little decisions as well as the big ones. The theme can be subtle, such as a colour or motif featured in the invitations and repeated through details in the dresses, flowers, place cards, d?cor etc. Or it can be dramatic, such as a historical theme and encouraging the guests to arrive in period costume. Either way, if the theme is taken from something you love, it makes the planning more fun, especially if you are feeling a bit fed up with it all.

Budgeting for the Wedding

Unless you're very lucky, most couples have to set a budget and stick to it to avoid problems later on. Keeping a tight rein on the spending can be hard as there are so many wonderful things out there for one of the most important days of your life. However, letting yourself get carried away may mean the start of married life in debt which is less than fun.

Creativity can go a long way in getting everything you want. Setting up a dedicated savings account can help, with a regular portion of your income set aside to go straight into it. Perhaps you have a skill that can save a bit of money, or friends that can help. One way to get everything you want may be to ask for the flowers or transport or any other element as your wedding present, something to consider if you already have most of the things that would be on a wedding list.

It may just come down to prioritisation; if the way you arrive is more important to you than the cake, it makes sense to spend more money on a stylish car and choose a simple cake.

Key Players

The best man and chief bridesmaid play major roles in helping you organise events beforehand and be especially important to you on the day. Someone that you have partied with for ten years may be your closest confidant, but if they are unreliable, pick someone else. You need to be able to trust that person to deal with critical matters both in the lead up and on the day. Don't be offended if the first person you ask declines your invitation, it's a lot to ask of someone, especially if that person dislikes being in the limelight.

The extent to which you involve family and loved ones depends on your relationship with them. Generally people love to help, but if you are worried that they will interfere or take over, think hard before you ask them to do something. On the other hand, giving particular tasks to those eager to join in can take the pressure off you, but be sure to give clear instructions if it's something you care a great deal about. If you don't already have it, the lead up to the wedding will hone your ability to delegate!

Choosing the right professionals is even more important. Don't be afraid to take a little time after meeting a supplier to make your choice if you need to, but when you are certain, book as soon as you can, especially if it's to be a summer wedding - your favourite florist may already be taking bookings eighteen months in advance. The more you tell your suppliers, the more they know about what you want, and they will have all kinds of advice from their extensive experience.

Exciting Times

There's a lot to look forward to but it can be very hard work to make all of the parts of your dream day come together and sometimes it can be overwhelming. On those days, making a list of worries, putting your Organizer down and having a proper break may be the best thing to do. Most people have times when they wonder why they are bothering, but take it from us at the Wedding Organizer; it is worth it, it will be the best day of your life (so far!) and you won't regret the effort put in at all.