Planning your wedding day is an experience you should enjoy. The first step begins right here with your wedding venue. This little list of wedding planning secrets will take all the stress out of planning, and create an experience you will remember forever.
Taking the First Step
All the planning begins with the wedding venue. The venue will set the tone for the entire event, and make many decisions about the types of vendors you will need moving forward. Booking the wedding venue will also start the clock on the wedding planning timeline. Once you secure your date, everything has a deadline to meet. It is a huge step that sets one of the most important decisions about your wedding day in stone. This is why it is important to plan your wedding with a venue that has planners, designers and services that go far beyond the furnishings and décor. There are a few things to consider before booking your venue.
Choosing the location
Imagine your wedding day. Walk through the daydream, taking note of the space that surrounds you. Do you envision crystal chandeliers, a luxurious ballroom and a princess fairy tale? Your venue should be a space where you can recreate your theme. Not only should this picturesque venue encompass the fairy tail, but it should also be set in a meaningful location, accommodate your guest count and meet specific requirements. It might be important to you that it is located near hotels or an airport. The dream location must also fit within the budget.
The Cost of Wedding Planning
Pockets come in different sizes, but your wedding day should never sacrifice. Since your day deserves to look like a million dollars, you should consider a few secrets to creating the dream on a budget. Only 30% of couples choose to hire a wedding planner. Wedding planners charge between 25% and 30% of your total wedding budget. Not hiring a wedding planner can save you a few thousand dollars right off the top. However, this can create a stressful planning process. The safest way to avoid hiring a wedding planner is to book at an all-inclusive wedding venue with in-house designers, day of event coordination services and a concierge service.
Creating a Budget for Wedding Planning
Your budget should be flexible, willing to save in one category, and ready to shift the savings to another. Some couples think about the most important elements of their wedding and spend more on those items. This can create a noticeable sacrifice in certain areas. Some couples attempt to reduce the guest count to save on catering. Wedding planning should not be about sacrifice. It is about finding savings to afford the things you want. Planning on a budget involves creative financing and a few industry secrets.
Begin with the total amount you can afford to spend. Start creating a list of categories for all the things you must have. Pull out that list you made when you walked through the daydream of your wedding day. Every element requires a category for spending. Find your dream wedding dress and note the cost in that category. Count your guests and note the cost of catering in that category. Continue creating categories with an estimated spend for the cake, flowers, centerpieces, guest favors, place cards, invitations and all of your wedding vendors. Conduct an internet search to find the average cost and best savings in each category. Add everything up and compare the cost with the amount you allocated to spend on the entire event. This will tell you how much work you need to do in each category. Then, you will be ready to get creative with some wedding planning secrets to make it all work within your budget.
The Secret to Saving
The secret to wedding planning is to have the million dollar wedding on your budget. Instead of reducing the guest count or settling for less in any category, find an all-inclusive wedding venue that has the space, furnishings, décor, designers, planners, day of event coordination services, bartender services, banquet staff, food managers, and all the essentials. This will bundle most wedding planning expenses into one affordable package, and give you more to spend on other essential vendors, such as the photography, cake, catering and dress.
All-Inclusive Wedding Venue
Crystal Ballroom at Veranda is a luxurious wedding venue that creates the affordable fairy tale. Bring imagination and the list of experiences you want to create on your wedding day, and let the in-house designers bring your dream to life. Always tour your wedding venue beyond a photograph to fully experience the space. Everything begins with a tour, and a magical date.
Wedding Planning with a Date
Wedding planning revolves around one magical date. Once you have your heart set on the venue, you need to make sure your venue has the date available on their calendar. Most couples book the venue about a year in advance. If you are working with a popular venue and you cannot budge with the date, you might consider booking two years in advance. If the date is available, you should pay a deposit to secure it. This is especially important with popular venues.
Talk About the Calendar
Popular wedding venues hold several weddings each week, and more than one wedding on the same day. If you are planning an evening wedding, there could be a daytime wedding just before yours. This information is important for logistical reasons. Wedding venues usually have packages with extra hours. Talk about the calendar, your concerns and book accordingly. Consider the extra savings a venue provides, and take that savings to apply it towards the extra time you want at the venue during your celebration.
Building a Wedding Team
After booking your venue, you will need to begin building your wedding team. This will involve a list of about ten wedding vendors, give or take a few. This number is different for everyone and relies on your unique vision for your wedding day. Wedding planning usually involves flowers, cake, entertainment, catering, an officiant and photography. There are several other vendors to consider, such as bartender services, banquet staff, wedding attire, a day of event coordinator, photo booth, transportation, hotel accommodations, live stream services and a hair and makeup artist. Booking a venue with a concierge service and professional wedding vendors can make building your team easy and affordable.
Crystal Ballroom at Veranda
Crystal Ballroom at Veranda is an all-inclusive wedding venue with an in-house design team that is dedicated to creating every element of your wedding day. Beyond making the picturesque venue and elegant designs affordable, Crystal Ballroom offers additional day of event coordinator services to make every wedding a happily ever after memory. Every wedding package includes all of the furnishings, décor, bartender services, banquet staff and an in-house design team to decorate the entire ceremony space and reception ballroom. Build your wedding team with Crystal Ballroom vendors and plan everything in one place. Wedding planning begins at Crystal Ballroom at Veranda. Schedule your private VIP tour, and make your wedding day everything it should be.
