Wedding Planning

[mstakenidentity]

Right, I think we’re on track. This is mainly for my own and Seamus’ records, but if anyone who has planned a wedding looks over this and finds a glaring gap, do let us know.



Wedding Venue: Booked, down payment made

Celebrant: Contacted one we like, waiting on reply

Guest List: Finalised, not everyone we'd like to be on it is on it, but that happens nearly every wedding I think

Rings: Spoken to Ben, he’s happy to make them and has given us an estimate, saving up for them now.

Readings: One picked out, still working on the other

Ushers: One asked, still waiting til can see other in person to ask

Songs: Processional decided on, piece for when signing the certificate not picked, recessional not picked but some ideas

Bridesmaids: All picked out and happy (I hope!)

Groomsmen: All picked out and happy (I hope!)

Photographer: Easy! Helps when you’re marrying the brother of a professional photo journalist!

Reception Venue: Booked

Car: Email sent, not heard back

Catering: Booked, need to finalise quantities

Booze: Have contacted wholesaler and venue, will be tasting soon and deciding on types.

Music: Some songs picked out, going to venue on Thurs to work out if we need to hire an amp/pa or if their system is fine

Bridal Waltz: Nothing organised yet

Groom’s Suit: I believe vague plans are in the offing

Groomsmen suits: Eh, that can be organised later

Dress: Picked out, down payment made

Accessories: Bought or arranged from whom to borrow

Bridesmaids Dresses: Vague plans made, waiting til after Eva’s honeymoon to finalise

Hair and Makeup: Stylist booked, trial sometime in November

Tablecloths: Found a place to hire from, will order once number needed confirmed

Cake: Are pencilled in with Cakes of Distinction, going in Thurs to discuss flavours and designs.

Flowers: Have made initial contact with a florist, alternatively will just buy some on the day/day before. (to get a bouquet made up is over $150, to just buy 12 long stemmed roses is $60, it is just me or is a bouquet a wrought?)

Favours: Vague plans made

Invitations/Programs/RSVPs/Printed stuff: Got quote, have agreed to it, awaiting specifications and then will design. Wording had been worked out.

Registry: Done

Speeches: Have told my parents to sort it out between them, still need to ask other people

MC: Big Jim!

Something to entertain children: No idea, colouring books? Do kids still colour these days? There is a pool table for the older ones. Maybe we’ll just tell them to bring their DS’…

Wedding Night: Hotel decided on, not yet booked

House sitter: Vague plans made, depending on peoples living arrangements by then


Okay, what have we missed?

Comments

[naturalredhead.livejournal.com]

Wedding bouquets are expensive, but I wouldn't say they were a rort. They don't just provide the flowers, but they arrange them, make them look pretty, remove all the thorns from roses. Mine wrapped the stems so that there was a nice handle, and so that I wouldn't get green stained hands from the stems, a little moisture pouch so that the flowers didn't wilt during the day. Lots of little things like that. It'd be worth looking at their work to see - I was happy with what I paid for my bouquet because of all the little extras like that. Its entirely up to you though.

[mstakenidentity.livejournal.com]

Hey, that's good to know. Once of the reasons I put this up was so people could tell me things like that, so thank you!

[naturalredhead.livejournal.com]

This was my bouquet.

This photo shows the handle - well, a little cause Mr seagoon is holding it. But you get the idea.

The other thing, is if you are up to it and the budget will allow, pre-wedding dance lessons are awesome. We had some, and I'm still dancing now, almost two years later. Where we went, they either make up a routine for you, or help you just learn a whole heap of moves that you can string together on the night. Either way. You get to chose your music, as well as dance style...

[http://users.livejournal.com/_audhumla_/]

I probably wouldn't advise buying flowers for you the day before, it might be a little stressful. My advice would be to get a real bouquet for you and buy some random flowers for the riff raff (bridesmaids ;). Unless you have specific ideas about what kinds of flowers you want you don't need to pay $150. Flowers vary a lot in price apparently, so you can get much cheaper bouquets which still have nice flowers in them. Mine was only $90, pretty bargain basement for a bouquet but I had a nice florist who gave me tips about how to make it cheaper rather than trying to upsell me. Mine was cheaper because it had some deep purple leaves in it, which are cheaper than flowers. It helped that I was pretty non-fussed about everything.

As for your list, will you need someone to work sound and stuff at the ceremony?

Yay, other people's wedding planning is so much fun!

[mstakenidentity.livejournal.com]

I really want roses, because they are my favourite flowers, but i'd be happy to have plenty of greenery and not get something too elaborate.

Hmm, sound at the ceremony might be an idea, though it'll just be through an ipod... I'll have to think about it, thanks for pointing it out!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_audhumla_/]

I think roses with greenery would look really pretty and should cost less than $150. I'd shop around.

[epony.livejournal.com]

I think my bouquet cost $120 (I've blotted out most of the costs now). I was quoted $90 per bridesmaid bouquet and that seemed very excessive to me, and i only had two of bridesmaids. Luckily, I already had the parasols and they were $12 each. If it had been reasonable, then I might have got flowers for them as well.

[epony.livejournal.com]

We delegated the organising of sound during the ceremony to someone who we wanted to include in the day. There were specific cues that we wanted the music to start at, so an ipod doesn't really cut it by itself, unless you know down to the second how long your service will be. (Of course, with your organisational skills, I wouldn't be surprised :P )

The only thing was that at our venue, the sound was set up inside the building, not near the service, and we didn't want her to miss it. So her job was more to take the music plan, and find someone at the venue to delegate to on the day.

[mstakenidentity.livejournal.com]

Sound at the reception, not the ceremony, as fnoo has kindly agreed to do sound at the ceremony!

[epony.livejournal.com]

Your list is super organised.

These might already been included in the places you've booked, but if not, they are worth thinking about:

Somewhere photogenic to sign the registry
Table decorations or something to personalise the reception venue a bit.

[mc-shamo.livejournal.com]

We're getting married in the guild theatre. It's fairly adaptable.....

And the reception venue - yeah definitely getting something in to jazz up the joint, but we'll shop for it closer to the day I think... Even though it's not a sit down meal reception, we'll still have table decorations and stuff. And if I know Chris, there'll be a lot of candles. I mean A LOT...... Like woah....

[foxe.livejournal.com]

Your wedding is in the Guild? that is super-awesome! :D :D

[mc-shamo.livejournal.com]

Men are super super easy to organise for clothes. We do a fitting for the grooms-men 2 weeks out, and we've got plenty of time to organise everything. And hey, there are a large bunch of things we actually can't organise this far out....

[mayak2.livejournal.com]

How exciting! You're super-organised :o)

Are you & S & the bridal party having photos between the ceremony & reception? Might need to look into where you'd like to go, whether you need to seek permission for anywhere, how much time you guys have for it, etc... and whether you want photos at the reception venue, too (eg. if they have gardens, etc...)

Anyhoo - keep the updates comin'! My friend Bec from work isn't telling me *anything* about hers as I'm the only one from work who's invited... so I have to wait until the Big Day to see everything. :P

xx

[mc-shamo.livejournal.com]

Ooooo oooo,

Photos on the bowling Greens!!!

[mayak2.livejournal.com]

Aw cool! That would be awesome... you could even pose with bowling balls that have a loveheart as their symbol.

When we have our work lawnbowls comp, I always demand the balls with the ponies... XD

[vivienne-aster.livejournal.com]

I am impressed and awed. Go you!

[sols-light.livejournal.com]

I can't see who's doing the video on the list. If you're getting that done professionally, it's another thing to organise and get quotes for. Trust me to spot that after wandering around at tens of weddings with my dad doing the video.

[mstakenidentity.livejournal.com]

I'm actually not a fan of the wedding video idea. I really dislike being filmed, one of the reasons I never audition for student films and don't enjoy the omniprop play watching nights as much as I probably should. As a kid one of my aunts was always filming every family get togethr and I'd duck and weave out of the way. Just not my deal I guess.

[sols-light.livejournal.com]

That I can understand. I also really like it, since to me, weddings are about creating the unique experience that best expresses the couple.

[elleuba.livejournal.com]

will the house sitter also be cat sitting? If not you will need to book them into a cattery.

This will mean finding one you like. There are a couple out Yarambat way that we like but that might be a little far. There's one in Collingwood that sucks

[mstakenidentity.livejournal.com]

The only reason we'd get a house sitter is the cats, so yes. The plants would be able to take care of themselves for two weeks in autumn, the cats not so much.

There is a cattery reccomended by our vet, which is probably what we'd go with if we couldn't get a house sitter. Our vet is absolutley awesome, so i'm willing to go with their opinion :-)