It should be exactly as you want because...It's Your Party!: weddings

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Sunday, April 5, 2015

Wedding Planning Questionnaire for Engaged Couples

Wedding at The Farm - A Gathering Place by Jen Yuson Photography

When starting the wedding planning process, it's important to know that you as a couple are on the same page. This will allow you to make decisions independently, when necessary, knowing that it fits the look and feel of the wedding for both of you. It will also help you avoid arguments with each other during the planning process.

This short questionnaire can be filled out together as a couple, or print out two copies and fill out separately. You should discuss the reasons for your choices because it will help you when making decisions together.

If there is another person who will be an important decision-maker in the wedding, such as a parent, you may wish to get them to fill this out too. But I would recommend that you as the couple fill out the questionnaire first.

Wedding Planning Questionnaire

1. Rate the following in order of importance (put a 1 next to the thing that is most important to you, through a 10 next to the thing that is least important to you):

___Food
___Liquor
___Apparel
___Aesthetics/Appearance (flowers, decorations, centerpieces, ambiance)
___Music
___Convenience
___Spirituality
___Photography
___Family and Friends

2. When I look back on our wedding, I want to most remember: (choose 1)

___How exciting and fun everything was
___How romantic it was
___How beautiful it was
___How proper and tasteful everything was
___How smoothly and easily everything went
___How happy my parents and family were
___How relaxed I was

3. Circle two to three words that you think will describe your wedding:

Fun -- Romantic -- Classic -- Unique -- Loving -- Classy -- Tasteful -- Glamorous -- Elegant -- Funky -- Casual -- Relaxed -- Formal -- Themed -- Well-appointed -- Luxurious -- Decadent -- Old-fashioned -- Kitschy -- Preppy -- Sporty -- Morning -- Afternoon -- Evening -- Coordinated -- Cute -- Solemn -- Religious -- Secular -- Traditional -- Other ____________

4. Even though you may not yet have put together a budget, or know who is contributing to your wedding, select how much you think your wedding should cost: (choose 1)

___Less than $5000
___$5000-$10000
___$10,000-$25,000
___$25,000-$45,000
___$45,000-$70,000
___$70,000-$100,000
___more than $100,000

5. I want to get married: (choose 1)

___in the spring
___in the summer
___in the fall
___in the winter
___on our anniversary
___on an easy to remember date like 1/3/2013
___on a holiday (Valentine's Day, New Years, Etc.)
___on my parents' wedding anniversary
___on another special date _______________

6. Colors that might make good wedding colors: (choose 3 or 4)

Red -- Green -- Yellow -- Blue -- Purple -- Lilac -- Amethyst -- Eggplant -- Lavender -- Wine -- Bordeaux -- Burgundy -- Sky blue -- Teal -- Royal Blue -- Navy -- Midnight Blue -- Raspberry -- Light Pink -- Hot Pink -- Fuschia -- Coral -- Magenta -- Peach -- Tangerine -- Apricot -- Pumpkin -- Orange -- Curry -- Mustard -- Brown -- Chocolate Brown -- Camel -- Tan -- Beige -- Apple Green -- Grass Green -- Kelly Green -- Mint Green -- Lime Green -- Moss -- Sapphire -- Deep Aqua -- Gold -- Silver -- White -- Black -- Bronze -- Copper -- Cream -- Champagne -- Vanilla -- Marigold -- Electric Blue -- Neon Yellow -- Blue Grey -- Grey -- Other _____________

(weddings.about.com)

Once you have both completed the questionnaire, use your answers to start planning your wedding. You might use the budget number as a target to discuss with anyone who might be helping pay for the wedding. If you both agree that flowers are more important to you than music, for example, you might choose to allocate a greater percentage of your budget to flowers, and save money on music.

Here’s to a great experience with planning the wedding of your dreams.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Set Wedding Budget Before Choosing Your Date

Once you have gotten over the excitement of becoming engaged, creating a wedding budget is what should be first on your list of things to do. Too often couples start planning the wedding and hiring vendors before setting the budget. Budgeting after you have started spending money can most often lead to regret. You realize you have spent so much on your venue that now you can only afford half of the flowers you would like for the reception area.

Although it is tradition for the bride’s parents to pay for the wedding, this is not necessarily true for today’s couples.

There are several options:

· Parents may pay for all the wedding expenses.
· Parents may specify an amount they will put towards the wedding. The couple will pay the difference.
· Parents may decide to pay for certain aspects of the wedding such as the wedding dress, catering, etc.
The couple will pay for everything else.
· The couple can set a specific budget and ask everyone to pay evenly. This is a great option in a divided family. For example, the mother of the bride, the father of the bride and the couple split the costs. If the groom’s parents offer to pay a portion of the wedding, include them in the equation.
· The couple can decide on their budget together and pay for all the expenses of the wedding.

All Free DIY Weddings

Now comes the question of how much money you will really need.

Depending on where you live, you can figure $100 per guest is a good start. This comes to $50 per guest for catering and $50 for all the rest.

Start by using a wedding budget worksheet.

· Put in the actual numbers that you know, such as, venue, band/dj, wedding attire.
· Prioritize what is most important to you, choosing 2 or 3 must haves for your wedding day.
· Look through the budget and cross off the things you will not need.