Congratulations, you’re engaged! What next?
Here are 7 things you should do first to make sure your wedding planning gets a successful start.
1) If you have thought about your wedding a lot, you may already have a vision. If not, take a few hours or days and just think about the things that are important to you, and the things that differentiate you and your fiancé from other couples. You may want to highlight these things in your planning to personalize your wedding. www.Pinterest.com , Bridal Magazines, and wedding blogs are a great place to start if you know what you like but need inspiration, or even if you are not yet sure yet what you like! Brides, be sure to consult the groom about his wishes. Some grooms want to be really involved with planning; others don’t; but almost every groom has at least one thing that is important to him. Be sure to make that happen!
2) The period right after engagement is usually the busiest planning time for most couples because so many vendors must be scheduled and the sooner you do that the more likely you are to book with your vendors of choice. The first vendor you should book is your venue. Some couples have a set date that is sentimental and they want to get married only on that day. If that is you, then dashing to reserve a venue right away is the first order of business. With a set date in mind, you may get your first choice venue, or it may be booked. During peak times, a wedding venue may get multiple calls for the same date and the bride who puts down money first to hold the venue will be the lucky one to host her wedding there. If a specific date is not absolute for you, booking a venue may be a little easier, but is still one of the first things to do. Most venues require an appointment, so select the venues that interest you and schedule appointments by phone, or social media contact. In person visits often help make this important decision easier.
3) Once you have your venue and date, you can begin to schedule other vendors. Remember, all vendors have a limited amount of time and can usually only book one or two weddings per weekend so it is important to continue pressing forward. When booking vendors, you must get a contract and you need to make sure EVERYTHING is in writing. While most people today are still true to their spoken word, a contract ensures that there are no misunderstandings. If you have asked for something to be included that is not in the contract, have the vendor add it in BEFORE you sign. It is such a happy time that sometimes couples don’t want to destroy the moment with details, but details are so important! As you book your vendors, keep you overall vision in mind. Spend money on the things you have decided are most important to you, and save on things that are not as important to you. If you decide to hire a full service wedding planner, do that as early in the process as you can. Many planners will help and advise you as you create contracts with other vendors.
4) Sometime during all this early planning and scheduling, take time out find that perfect dress. If you want to have the most options, you will need at least 4-6 months because many dresses must be ordered in your size and that takes time. If you don’t have that much time, you will probably need to find a dress you love near your size and have it altered. Wedding dress alterations are expensive, so be sure to take that cost into account when purchasing.
5) Once you have secured all your venue, vendors, date, and dress, things will settle down a little but there is still more to do…one of the next things to do is registering at stores for wedding gifts will help ensure you get items you need to start out. Brides.com suggests these places as the best 27 stores to register for your wedding http://www.brides.com/home-wedding-registry/registry-ideas-answers/2011/02/wedding-gift-registries-the-best-places-to-register. If you are lucky enough to have a local store that has amazing things and takes bridal registry, be sure to consider that as well.
6) DIY strategically and early! Many brides plan to create their own décor, invitations, or even florals and cake. Consider this carefully. Be sure your cost savings justify the time you will be investing. If so, DIY EARLY. Anything that can be done months ahead, do it. You do not want to create more stress for yourself at the last minute. A couple of sites to help you find great items for your DIY wedding are www.saveoncrafts.com and www.amazon.com .
7) Weddings have many details that could get forgotten until the last minute, so don’t let that happen to you! Find a good wedding planning schedule, and follow it as it suits your needs. This Ultimate Wedding Planning Checklist from RealSimple.com actually is pretty simple and helps make things manageable. http://www.realsimple.com/weddings/weddings-planning/wedding-planning-checklist As long as you stay on top of things gradually, instead of making yourself crazy at the end, your wedding day will likely be a smooth and happy event! Enjoy the process.
#wedding planning, #7 tips for wedding planning, #engaged, #wedding, #littlewhitechurch, #heartoftexasweddingchapel
Heart of Texas Wedding Chapel Reception House, May 7, 2016
Are you a fan of fixer upper, Joanna and Chip Gaines’ show on HGTV? We are too! We actually contacted the show after the first season to see if they would consider “fixing up” our Reception House. A nice note back from the producers let us know that their next season was already booked up! So we tackled the Reception House ourselves. It might have taken us a bit longer…but we were and are thrilled with the result! Call us to schedule an appointment to come see it…and the 1895 historic Heart of Texas Wedding Chapel. Thank you to Chip and JoAnna Gaines for inspiring us and lots of other people to save and preserve homes from the past!
#fixerupper, #WacoTexas, #historicpreservation, #heartoftexasweddingchapel, #littlewhitechurch
Are you a Pinterest fan? No matter your style, Pinterest has ideas for you and your wedding. Heart of Texas Wedding Chapel lends itself to so many types of weddings. Since it is a church, it certainly has the feeling of a traditional timeless wedding. Just add pearls, a bit of Hollywood glam, and find an early vintage car to sit in front, and you have an elegant Great Gatsby era vintage venue or add a bit of burlap and lace for the popular rustic décor. In a small town setting like we have, it would be easy to transform the Chapel and yard into a French Country feel. So many options! Heart of Texas Wedding Chapel has lots of items of décor –furniture, signs, and other vintage props–that brides can choose from when decorating their wedding. That helps you keep your costs down while still having some fun decorating options to choose from. For some fun rustic wedding ideas, check out our rustic pinterest board https://www.pinterest.com/texaschapel/fun-rustic-and-country-wedding-ideas/. Have fun planning your wedding decor!!#pinterestwedding#rusticwedding#heartoftexasweddingchapel#littlewhitechurch
April 29, 2016 …It has been an exciting year at Heart of Texas Wedding Chapel, as we have moved our bride’s house from a small bridal bungalow a block away to larger Queen Anne Victorian home right beside the Reception House. The new Bride and Groom house has space for the bride and her bridesmaids and the groom and his groomsmen. This beautiful home, built just a couple of years after the 1895 chapel, still has is original stained glass windows, tall ceilings, and beautiful front porch, all beautifully restored. We are so excited for you to see it in person!
Heart of Texas Wedding Chapel is perfect for your vintage elegance wedding, your traditional wedding, or your rustic wedding. It would also be a great location for an anniversary or other event. Heart of Texas Wedding Chapel is located about 20 minutes from Waco and 20 minutes from Temple in Lott, Texas. We would love to have the chance to show it to you!
At Heart of Texas Wedding Chapel, we know how important your wedding day is. It symbolizes the beginning of your new life together. We want to help make your wedding day a wonderful, memorable day.
Get married in our historic 1895 church, and ring the bell in the belltower to celebrate! Have your reception inside…or spill outside under the Pecan Trees and have an outdoor reception. Think traditional….or choose a vintage romance style or a country style wedding. The only limit is your imagination! We would love to be a part of your special day!
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