When choosing your wedding venue you will be sorting through so much information. Having a list of questions prepared will help you to make sure that there are no surprises in store for you. Here are some common questions that you should ask when booking your wedding venue…

 1)      Do you have a minimum spending requirement or a minimum guest requirement?

2)      What is your maximum capacity?

3)      Is there a room charge to rent your facility on top of any catering fees?

4)      Do you offer any menu choices for children? If so, what are the ages of children?

5)      What do you charge for professionals meals, such as the DJ, Photographer, Videographer, etc…?

6)      Are linens included with our wedding package?

7)      Are there any additional fees that we could anticipate from you?

8)      When is final payment due?

9)      What forms of payment do you accept for final payment?

10)   How far in advance do you guarantee your pricing?

11)  Do you offer Taste Tests? If so, what is the charge?

12)  Who will set up the room on our wedding day?

13)  Do you have an event coordinator that will be there the day of our wedding to coordinate all details?

14)  How many events would you book on a given day?

15)  If you are planning an outdoor ceremony, what is the back up plan if it rains that day?

16)  Will there be enough parking for my guests?

17)  Is the facility handicap accessible?

Do you have a recommended vendor list of professionals that you have enjoyed working with?

Saturday versus a Friday or Sunday Wedding…

 Tradition has it that the most common day for a wedding is a Saturday, so it’s not hard to imagine that Saturday’s book up very quickly during the months of April thru October. Now, as years have come and gone, Friday’s have become just as popular for a wedding reception as a Saturday. Two things to consider when deciding what date to hold your reception on would be whether you have a lot of guests traveling from out of town that you really want to be able to attend, as well as the desired start time of your ceremony and reception. If you do decide to hold a Friday or Sunday reception it is a very good idea to send out save the dates as early as possible so that your guests can plan accordingly if they need to take time off from work. Also, it may not be wise to hold a 3:00 ceremony on a Friday, because it may be more difficult for guests to make it there at that time. The same thing would go for a Sunday. It may not be wise to hold a 7:00pm ceremony on a Sunday because many of your guests may have to travel to get back home early for the following day, which is a work day.

 Now…what about a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday Wedding? If you are planning a wedding for a Holiday weekend, Mondays and Thursdays would work just as well as a Friday or Sunday Wedding. That being said, they are certainly not a traditional day to hold a wedding…but you would be in for a big discount with all your vendors.

 One of the common questions when couples are putting together their guests list is…Should we invite Kids? This question does not always have an easy answer, especially if you are inviting guests from out of town and they are bringing children with them. However, by inviting children you can easily add 20-50 people to your guest list, and your budget.

 Some couples decide to cut off their guest list by not inviting anyone under a certain age. For example…no guests under 18 will be invited. And of course there may be some exceptions. For example, if your younger brother is 17, of course he would still be invited.

 The important thing is to make a decision and stick to it. Otherwise you may find yourself in the awkward position of having said yes to your favorite Aunt when she asked if she could bring your 12 year old cousin as a guest, and then your friend finds out you told her he could come, while you said she couldn’t bring her 10 year old son.

 One solution, in order to avoid any of this hassle is to hire a babysitter(s) for the evening and allow those couples the opportunity to place their children in their care at no cost to them. 

 On the other hand, if you decide to invite children, they can be very entertaining…especially out on the dance floor. Just make sure that their parents or guardian knows that they are responsible for supervising them at all times.

Are you having a hard time putting together a Budget for your wedding?

 Staying within a budget for a wedding is never easy to do, especially if you find yourself getting carried away by all the wedding books and websites that are out there. The number one thing is to prioritize. Sit down with your finance and make a list of the order of vendors and items for your wedding in order of their importance to you. To some brides the most important thing is the location, or the food…to others it may be having a videographer…or maybe having the perfect chairs for your guests to sit in. But no matter what is on the top of your list, or the bottom it’s a good idea to have one and to keep each others feelings in mind. Don’t discredit your fiancés suggestions, even if you don’t completely agree with them. Remember that this day is about the two of you.

 If you have all the quotes you need from your vendors then start by making a list of the budget you need to set aside to work with them. Add those all up and take a look at the total. Is this number realistic? If it is that’s great, but remember there are always going to be expenses that you will incur that you didn’t expect. If your final number is not realistic for you, then take a good look at your priority list. You are most likely going to have to make some cuts somewhere. Perhaps, it’s in the total number of guests you are inviting, or maybe you will have to sacrifice those gold chafari chairs that you have been eyeing.

 You don’t need to take a second mortgage out on your house to have your dream wedding. Some of the most beautiful weddings I have seen have been the simplest. Also, remember if you are working within a budget, ask your vendors about off-season discounts. A wedding in June will most definitely cost you more then a wedding in January.

Relax…take a breath and try to have fun as you are planning your wedding.

While it’s so easy to become overwhelmed with all the decisions and meetings you are making as you are planning your special day…it’s important to take a deep breath and remember the reason you are doing all this. Deposits, Budgets, Color Schemes, Engagement photos, etc…can all be stressful but don’t let them bog you down.

If you are having trouble keeping track of all the information and deposits you have been making make sure to grab a folder organizer or binder and start keeping records of everything in one place. It’s so easy to misplace information when you are dealing with so many different vendors. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It may be in your best interest to hire a wedding planner to help you stay on top of everything…especially if you already have a very hectic professional and personal life.

Whatever steps you decide to take to help you plan your special day, remember to enjoy yourself and to take the time to relax do something other then think or plan your wedding. Believe it or not, it will all come together in the end.

Booking your wedding…

How far in advance should I book my date?

Most weddings are planned 1 year to 1 ½ years in advance, but there are always exceptions to the rule.

If you are recently engaged and really hoping to get married in 2010 you will most likely have to keep an open mind in terms of the date of the wedding. Saturday evenings will be hard to come by, if available at all at most Banquet facilities, and Friday and Sundays may also be slim. The best thing to do is to call the reception venues you are most interested in and get a list of the dates and times they have currently available. If any of those dates and times work for you then make an appointment with those venues right away, because availability does change daily. If there is a venue you have your heart set on, ask them if they can temporarily hold a date for you as you are making your decision.

If you are planning a wedding for 2011, then are right on schedule. Keep in mind that Saturday evenings will book first, so if you have to schedule your reception on a Saturday its best to meet with your top reception venues right away. Fridays will be the next dates to book and then Sundays. Holidays weekends and matching dates such as 11/11/11 or 9/10/11 are also very popular so if those are the only dates that work for you make sure that the reception venues you are meeting with have those dates available prior to you making an appointment with them.

If you are planning a 2012 wedding, then you are ahead of the game. You have some time yet before you need to rush to book that dream date. So take your time to meet with your potential vendors and decide on your dream wedding and reception location.

 Amber Mathias

Welcome to The Wedding Planner Blog. This is a place to ask any questions you may have as you are planning your dream wedding day. My name is Amber Mathias, and I am the event coordinator at River Stone Manor. I will be working with other local professionals to answer any questions you have from planning on a budget to designing the perfect color palate for your dream wedding.

This is the time of year when wedding professionals are all busy meeting with future Brides and Grooms…so if you are newly engaged, now is the time to start planning, and below are some tips to get you started.

Whether you are planning your upcoming wedding or helping a friend or family member plan their special day, there is more then likely so many questions and details circulating around in your head. The first question may be…Where do I start?

What I would advise is to take a deep breath and sit down with your fiancée and figure out the answers to these questions.

1)      What year do we want to get married in?

2)      What season or particular month would we prefer to get married in?

3)      What day of the week are you open to getting married on?

1. a.      Saturday evenings will book very quickly (typically a year to a year and ½ in advance at least). Fridays are almost equally as popular.  

4)      Will this be a small wedding or a large wedding?

1. This will require some time in order to create a preliminary list of family and friends that you would like to have in attendance.

5)      Do we want to do a destination wedding, or would we prefer to be married close to home?

6)      Would we like to be married in a church or at another location?

Once you have the answers to these questions you are ready to begin your search for the perfect ceremony and reception location. There are many websites that can help you with this process. Here are three online sites that will help you get started with your local search.

1)      www.theknot.com

2)      www.usaweddings.com

3)      www.albanywedding.com

The first step is usually to decide which Reception and Ceremony venues you are most interested in. Set up an appointment with these venues and meet with their event coordinator to go over their wedding packages and tour their facility.