Planning your own wedding allows you to create a celebration as unique as your love story, with a personal touch no professional can replicate. After all, no one knows your vision for your dream day better than you do.
Visualize Your Ideal Wedding
Before making any concrete decisions, you should first consider the small but important details of the big day by creating a wedding checklist. Elements like flowers, furniture, lighting, decorations, vendors, and the event venue will not go unnoticed.
Wedding Checklist: Starting Point
Start with the basics. You and your partner should agree on an overall theme for the wedding along with a color palette. Align the theme with something true to the relationship. The wedding guide of an outdoorsy couple might include a garden party wedding, while a more extravagant pair might opt for an opulent black-tie event. At this time, you should also determine the guest list. Decide between inviting extended family and friends or keeping the ceremony a small, intimate affair.
Wedding Party
Create a vision and gather inspiration for the wardrobe theme of the bridal party. Integrate the chosen color palette to tie everything together. This will harmonize the wedding party dress code and colors with the overall theme. After deciding on a wedding party, quickly notify the groomsmen and bridesmaids to establish roles but also inform them of the clothing plan. Doing this with time to spare will allow for smooth sailing on the big day.
Set a Budget
Next up on the wedding guide: the budget. It’s important not to make any decisions before you know how much you can afford to spend on the event. The total budget may come from a wedding fund, personal savings, or a contribution from friends and family. Remember, the entire budget should not be fully spent during the planning process. Instead, creating a structured list of priorities may help to plan how money is allocated. Many resources for bridal budgeting recommend slightly overbudgeting or expecting that hidden fees will present themselves.
Choose a Date and Venue
Choose a date and venue that aligns well with your vision and budget for the wedding. Keep ideal weather, size, and accommodations in mind while browsing to find the perfect option.
Season
While picturing what the wedding will look like, you should also visualize the season. While some are dead set on a summer date, added costs come into play when booking an event during “wedding season”. During wedding season, which typically lasts from May to October in Minnesota, venues and vendors will be busier and more expensive. If you want your event during wedding season, you may need to book months or even years in advance depending on the demand of the space.
Venue
Perhaps the most important part of your wedding checklist is choosing your venue. It’s important to match the venue’s accommodations with the number of expected attendees to ensure everyone’s comfort. For example, venues like a church may only allow for a maximum of 100 guests and limited vendors. However, spacious outdoor venues like Blackberry Ridge Golf Course can accommodate up to 300 of your friends and family.
You should also choose a venue that fits comfortably within your budget. Typically, the event space and catering will cost 40% of the overall budget. Keep in mind what the venue offers along with the space. Blackberry Ridge offers a picturesque venue along with an expert team that helps with everything from setup to food service.
Choose Your Wedding Attire
Next, choose a theme or color scheme that guests and the bridal party will be wearing well in advance of the wedding date. Outlining this in the wedding guide will leave plenty of time not only for themselves but also for the bridal party and other guests.
Time is Money
Usually, more time is required than expected. For example, the bride and bridesmaids should have dresses purchased eight to ten months before the event. Suits for the groom and groomsmen require less of a buffer at around two months prior. Crossing attire off the wedding checklist early will leave space for alterations to be made so that no hiccups happen on the occasion.
Vendors and Performers
Vendors and performers give your wedding a little something extra for your guests. Choose an option that will provide the best bang for your buck while creating memories that last.
Party Perfection: Picking the Right Wedding Entertainment
Considering the scope and style of the event will narrow the options of which entertainment to hire. For example, an intimate family-centric event does not require a large catering company or an open bar. Music is an integral part of the event. Deciding between a live band, a DJ, or even a premade playlist may be tricky. As a couple, you must decide on which will fit best for your crowd. Booking with Blackberry Ridge takes some of the stress out of finding vendors by providing expert event coordination, food service, setup, teardown, and photo/video services.
Ask Around!
Ask your married friends or professionals within the space questions about their experience with different types of vendors. Recall past weddings you have attended to gather the best information. Make sure to read online reviews and recommendations for local vendors to gauge customer satisfaction.
Blackberry Ridge is Ready to Help!
Planning a wedding can be a stressful process, but with a comprehensive checklist, you can plan the perfect wedding. Blackberry Ridge Golf Club is the perfect venue for any wedding and features extensive wedding services in addition to its stunning vistas.
Contact Blackberry Ridge today to learn more about our wedding services.
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