Wedding Planning and Organizing Guide-2

The Wedding Planning and Organizing Guide-1 discussed Pre-wedding planning, Wedding Invitations & Announcements, Wedding Costs and Budget, and Selecting the Wedding Venue for the wedding. This part of Wedding Planning and Organizing Guide will discuss how to select various vendors for the wedding.

• Selecting the catering firm: Good food is the key to make your wedding memorable. A couple of important things that you need to consider before selecting a caterer are your budget and your food preferences. Once you are clear about these in your mind, next you must find a caterer. If you already know someone who can provide catering services, your problem is solved or you can either ask friends, family, and colleagues in case they know anyone. You can also search online as there are many caterers who have their own sites or are registered with catering communities online. BidGourmet is one online destination where you can strike the best deal. Check out how BidGourmet works.
  
  Consider the following factors while selecting a catering service - reputation of the caterer, quality of food, variety of dishes they can offer, quality of crockery used, food handling and hygiene. It is advisable that you request for sample menus and taste the food before striking the deal with your caterer as this will give you fair idea about food quality. To see the food presentation, ask him to show you pictures of events they have organized. You can also hire a full-service caterer who can provide tables and chairs, place settings, tents, dance floor, bartenders and servers, etc.

• Selecting the florist: An exotic flower decoration can add a great deal to the beauty of the occasion. Choose your florist carefully as he is the person responsible for the entire flower decoration. It is florist who selects the bouquets that the bride and her maids will carry and the flowers used for wedding cake decoration. It is good to take suggestions from friends and relatives before finalizing a deal with florist. Calculate the cost of the flowers, the florist fees and all the hidden cost like delivery and decoration and check your budget to avoid escalated bills. It is advisable to select a florist who specializes in making arrangements for weddings and receptions as they don’t need any guidance and can handle things professionally and most importantly to your satisfaction.
  
  Select your wedding florist at least 6 months in advance. You can visit the ones you shortlist after your phone discussions with them. Ask them about how they would decorate various spaces. If you have any preferences tell the florist. See pictures of decorations done by the florist to get a clear idea. Make sure flowers and colors are picked carefully that go with the bride and bride maids’ dresses and wedding theme.

• Selecting Entertainers and DJs: Wedding party is incomplete without music. The right entertainers can make any event a superb experience and create perfect atmosphere for your wedding. But first, you should think about the type of entertainment that you want. You can search the best entertainers and DJs through word of mouth or Internet. You can also hire an agent to book the best wedding entertainers. You can ask these entertainers for promo kits to check how the band, wedding musicians, vocalists, instrumentalists and DJs work or ask them to perform live to check if their music will appeal to your guests.  The entertainers should be professional, have enough music and instruments. They should be dressed appropriately and should be friendly and full of zeal. Select the best DJs and entertainers carefully to rock your wedding. Enthusiastic entertainers can make infuse life in any dull event and can make it memorable. A well placed sight performer or live band can create the perfect atmosphere for practically any event imaginable.

• Selecting the photographer: To cherish the memories of your wedding forever, hire a professional wedding photographer to capture those beautiful moments. Meet the photographer in person and take a look at his work and have a discussion in detail. Ask for references and try checking them personally. Ask for a rough estimate to see if the photographer suits your budget. If not evaluate to see if it is worth spending more to hire him. Ensure that he gives you the negatives along with the pictures.
  
  
• Other important points that need attention:
  • Wedding Dress: Select a wedding dress that is nicely tailored and fits you well. Check out the style, color, fabric, and accessories well in advance for a perfect wedding gown. 
  • Wedding Rings: There are various wedding rings available from classic to contemporary. You can select any metal and design according to your budget and you can also get some wedding vows engraved on it to give the wedding ring a personal touch.
  • Wedding Cake: Cutting wedding cake is very special for the new wedded couple. Therefore, the selection should be made appropriately. Order the cake much in advance to avoid any kind of last minute problem. Also, provide the baker important information about the type of cake, decorations, tiers, and date, time, and location of wedding.
  • Wedding favors: It is not important to have expensive wedding favors. They are a given as a goodwill gesture of thanking the guests. Personalized wedding favors are a great idea and will remind the guests of the memorable event even after years.
  • Honeymoon Arrangements: Select your dream destination for your honeymoon and make all the bookings with your travel agent before your wedding so that you can enjoy your romantic honeymoon.
  • Hiring a wedding planner: You can hire a wedding planner who will take care of your entire wedding planning responsibility. Wedding planners often lead to exceeding the budget so make sure you make this point clear so that he stays within the budget.