So you’re engaged… here’s the first few steps of planning your wedding

You’re so excited, your partner just popped the question… it’s perfectly normal to wonder what you do next.  You’ll find lots of wedding planning checklists, but they don’t really help you figure out where to begin.  Don’t let the stress and anxiety of planning, ruin your excitement and anticipation.

We’re excited to help you, so after you’ve announced your engagement to everyone and the reality finally hits… here are the first few items you should take care of.

1)       Time to determine your budget.  All your decisions will be based on your wedding budget.  If you know how much you can spend and who plans to contribute with the expenses, then you will be able to figure out the type of wedding you can have (including how many guests, when and where you’ll host your wedding, what professional DJ and photographer you can afford etc.  Most couples talk to their families about who will pay for what and then arrive at a total wedding budget.

2)      Putting together your Guest List.  This is a crucial step because capacity is very important information in finding a suitable venue.  You must secure your location before you can successfully plan anything else.  You don’t need to finalize the list, but you do need an estimate from both sides of the family (and yourselves) right away, to avoid lots of planning headaches during the process.  Think about it, you don’t want to try to fit 300 people into a facility that only seats 150 people.

3)      Decide on your venue and your date.  It’s best to have an estimated budget and a headcount of your guests before you begin looking for a place to hold your event.  Most reception venues book out over a year in advance, so you can’t decide on a date until after you have booked your facility and have given a deposit and received a signed contract.  You should research and find as many places as possible that are within your budget, can handle your guests, and meet your style and atmosphere desires.  You’ll want to schedule some appointments to view each venue and meet with the facility managers.  Once this is done, you’ll sit down and make a decision.

4)      The next two most important wedding professionals you’ll want to book are your DJ and your photographer.  DJs and photographers also often book sometimes a year in advance, so it’s best to research, meet and secure these next.

You’ll find if you secure as many services, as early as possible, you’ll really be able to enjoy the process and the journey.  You’ll truly be able to look forward to your wedding day, as the months go by, thus eliminating lots of anxiety and stress.

Music Fantasy Weddings is a full time professional wedding DJ service.

I read a great article the other day on researching reception sites.  It seems many facilities break down their costs differently.   Sometimes what seems to be less expensive, may wind up more costly once all of the figures are totaled.   The experts say you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for an itemized list of fees.

When you’re trying to figure the costs to host your wedding reception, here are some questions to ask your reception site:

What is the facility rental fee?

What is the cost—for food? (sites typically offer more than one menu package; determine which menu package you will most likely utilize for your wedding reception—and use that amount in determining your estimate.)

What is the cost—for beverages? (save time by having an idea of what beverage package you would like to serve, whether a full bar, limited bar or non-alcoholic bar)

If you can hold your ceremony on site, what is the ceremony fee?

What is the set-up/break-down fee? (some sites charge per chair, others charge a lump sum)

What is the staffing fee? (including bartenders, waiters etc.)

What is the overtime fee?

Is there a fee for security personnel?

Is there a fee for parking or valets?

I had a great opportunity to view the 125 Bridal shop a couple weeks ago.  It’s under new ownership, you really need to check it out.  Natalie was so gracious and took me on a tour of the newly expanded space in Plaistow, NH.  It is so much bigger than it appears from the outside.   They have SO many beautiful gowns by many well known designers (Casablanca,  Maggie Sottero, David Tutera, Alfred Angelo – just to name a few) I had so much fun!   Natalie explained how they recently purchased the inventory from 2 local shops that have gone out of business (ladies – this is a great way to save money on some of the most beautiful gowns).   There are many choices when it comes to shopping for wedding gowns.  There are independently owned full-service bridal shops, couture bridal shops, department stores, discount bridal outlets, nationwide bridal chain stores & even custom gown designers.  You should remember that the dress you order usually takes a few months to be made, so you want to order early and make sure you leave enough time for alterations.   Enjoy your shopping experience.  The 125 Bridal & Tux shop is located at 5 Plaistow Road,  Plaistow, NH - in the plaza next to the old Shaws store.  603.382.4511

Unique touches can often create “something to talk about” -  wine lovers are using wine bottles and decanters as centerpieces.

With so many people considering the environment, going green is very popular.  It’s fairly easy to bring the outdoors inside.  There are lots of natural items you can use:  branches, twigs, leaves, pinecones, & even rocks/stones.  All these items can be used to surround pillar candles or can be placed in antique containers.  There are lots of websites available to help with green wedding ideas.

Hand tied bouquets are still extremely popular.  A fresh bunch of flowers gathered and wrapped in wide satin ribbon always looks elegant.  Many brides are further customizing by adding pins, crystal picks and even broaches & family heirlooms.

Different shapes are beginning to emerge, arrangements with an unstructured look are replacing the traditional tightly bound bouquets.  If you opt for a looser arrangement, flowers like amaranthus, orchids & lilies (to name a few) work very well.  We’re even seeing add in touches like crystals, feathers, & berries

Navy was one of the hottest colors in 2009 – many brides area incorporating flowers that have a dark tone deep blue violets, white roses can be dyed any color.  We’ve seen bold navy paired with ivory & even navy with yellow.

Sample of a Tussy Mussy

Part 2 – Wedding Flowers

Many brides are changing from the light pastels and traditional shades and starting to use jewelry, beads and crystals.  The hot gemstone colors seem to be amethyst, turquoise and amber.

An alternative to the traditional corsage seems to be nosegays & tussy mussys.   I often take on the responsibility of pinning corsages and as you can imagine, pinning these can be a daunting task since the fabric is always so light and sheer.   The weight of a corsage can even pull or tear the fabric, so these are great alternatives. Definition of Tussy Mussy:  A Victorian-style bouquet where a small bouquet of flowers is carried in a metal vase specifically designed to be carried. Often comes with a stand so that at the reception it can become a centerpiece.   Wedding Depot explains:  a tussy mussy is probably one of the most useful wedding accessories, yet so few people know about them. Every bride probably has a friend who has been married and has had the experience of her bouquet being difficult to hold. A tussy mussy offers the bride and bridesmaids the best bouquet handle possible. Slipping the stems into the tussy mussy leaves a beautiful handle that provides a comfortable feel and ease to hold. Many tussie mussies are available with stands so you may use it and your bouquet to accent your bridal or cake table at the reception. At the end of the wedding and reception, your wrists will thank you for putting such a practical handle on your bouquet. Many tussy mussy styles on the market are quite small.  Many companies offer larger tussies that match the bouquets that today’s brides use in their weddings.

Wow, there are so many great aspects when planning a wedding.  In the next few posts, I’ll spend time talking about the flowers.  Wedding flowers are a great way to add originality to your wedding day; so many brides are daring to design unique creations.

If you’ve been reading about the latest trends you’ll find anything goes, when it comes to the containers that hold flowers.  Brides are using everything from antique urns, cans, mason jars, pitchers, wood buckets & odd shaped vases – this is a great way to tie in your wedding theme.  Some ideas that are popping up:  ocean/beach theme weddings incorporate unique jars filled with sand and sea glass, or shells and candles; watering cans filled with wild flowers would work nicely with a garden theme wedding.

Candles still remain popular, since they are eco-friendly and less expensive compared to traditional floral centerpieces.  Candles always offer a romantic feel and glow, and really create a nice ambience in the room.  I even read recently about a new technique called “pinspotting”:  It’s an advanced light design that shines tiny beams of light from the ceiling to accentuate the center of the table arrangement.  Until next time.

Here’s part 3 of my Wedding Traditions Blog - I found so much information, be sure to check back often for more insight!

Wedding Tradition – Throwing Rice  As rice is considered a “life giving” seed, it is thought that by throwing it on the couple they will be bestowed with fertility and have many children.

 Wedding Tradition – The old tradition of Garter Toss throwing comes from an English ritual called “flinging the stocking.” Guests would playfully invade the bridal chamber & grab the bride’s stockings, & then they took turns sitting at the foot of the bed flinging the stockings over the heads of the couple.  Whoever’s stocking landed on the bride’s or the groom’s nose would be the next to wed.    The garter & bouquet toss always make for great photos too! 

Wedding Tradition – Getaway Car – Cans Tied To The Bumper  One wedding tradition of the Middle Ages was to ward off evil spirits by banging pots and making a lot of noise after the ceremony. This custom has been replaced by tying tin cans to the bumper of the bride & groom’s “honeymoon get away” car.

Check back next week for another article!

Nancy Fauci, DJ & JP, Music Fantasy Weddings

This is the 2nd part of my Wedding Traditions Blog.   It’s really neat to find out where all these ideas originated from.

Wedding Tradition – Wedding Ring  The round/circular shape of a ring symbolizes eternal love and commitment – because it has no beginning or end, and the metal represents strength.    The wedding ring dates back to the early days of the Bible.  Abraham sent his servant to bring a wife for his son Isaac, the servant gave her a gold ring as he asked her to accompany him and marry Isaac.

Wedding Tradition – Wedding Ring on the Third Finger of the Left Hand  The Egyptians believed the “vein of love” ran directly from the ring finger to the heart, therefore the ring was placed there to denote eternal love.

Wedding Tradition – Bride and Groom Not Seeing Each Other Before the Ceremony  This tradition dates back to the early days of arranged marriages – when the bride and groom’s first meeting occurred at the wedding.  The two were kept from seeing each other to prevent the groom from bolting should he not like the look of his new bride. 

Wedding Tradition – Bridal Bouquet The first bridal bouquet did not consist of wedding flowers.  Instead, wedding bouquets were originally made of strong herbs such as thyme and garlic meant to ward off evil spirits.

Nancy Fauci is a Justice of the Peace & Ordained Minister and an integral part of Music Fantasy Weddings.

I was reading a neat article the other day on Wedding Traditions and Customs.  This is going to be Part 1 of a 3 part Blog on this fun topic. 

Almost Everyone has heard the age old: Flowers, rice, something old, something blue.  I bet you’ve wondered about where these wedding traditions came from or even asked yourself what do they mean? I found the meaning behind some of the most popular wedding customs and rituals & thought I’d share them with you:

Wedding Tradition – Bridal Shower  Tradition states that the first bridal shower was given to a poor couple in Holland who was denied the bridal dowry because of the groom’s lowly miller status. The miller’s friends gathered to “shower” the bride with items she’d need to make a new home and enter into marriage.

Wedding Tradition – Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Lucky Sixpence in Her Shoe
This popular rhyme originated in the Victorian area. Something Old – represents the link to the bride’s old life and her family. Something New – signifies the couple’s new life together and their hope for a great future. Something Borrowed – originates from the idea that borrowing something from a happily married woman will offer similar happiness to the new bride. Something Blue – represents fidelity, love, and purity. Lucky Sixpence in her Shoe – signifies wealth, both financial wealth and a wealth of happiness.  

Watch for the next 2 parts of this to follow soon.

I hope you find this entertaining.  I look forward to continuing to share articles that will help you in your planning process. 

I encourage you to visit often and look forward to reading your comments.  Hopefully, you can share some of your favorite articles & blogs with me. 

Nancy Fauci, Justice of the Peace & DJ  Music Fantasy Weddings