1. WEDDING PLANNING GUIDE
Planning a wedding is like building a house of cards; it needs to be done thoughtfully as each “card” (decision) added affects the
other “cards” (decisions) already in place. Although simplified, below is a list of the 10 critical “cards” you’ll be adding to your
“wedding house of cards”, in chronological order of importance, each critical decision directly affects all the others:
1. Date
2. Guest List/Wedding Party/Gifts for Guests and Attendants
3. Budget
4. Venue Selection/Rehearsal Dinner/Ceremony/Reception/Food & Beverage/Cake
5. Photography/Videography
6. Entertainment
7. Décor
8. Housing
9. Couture – Bride and Groom & Attendants
10. Transportation
Number 1 –DATE
 You must establish a target date before all else
 Just to be safe determine 2 other dates that are acceptable to you. Your church and desired reception venues may
already be booked for your #1 preferred date
 The date will also drive your venue selection process depending on the geographical location of your wedding
(especially important if any of the festivities want to be held outside)
Number 2 – Guest List/Wedding Party/Gifts for Guests and Attendants
A. Guest List
 The number of people you want to host will be driving factors in your venue and budget decision making
process.
 Also determine how many of your guests will need hotel rooms so you can reserve a block of rooms (see
#8 Housing on page 4)
 Develop an A Guest List and a B Guest List
 Once you’ve established your venue & budget you may find that you can include some guests from your B
List (try to prioritize each list as you develop them)
B. Wedding Party*
 Determine the size and candidates for your wedding party
 This decision will affect your rehearsal dinner & gift budgets
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2. C. Gifts for Guests and Attendants*
 It is a lovely idea to incorporate a wedding memento for each of your guests as they have, in many cases,
made a financial commitment to share your happy day with you
 These mementos do not need to be expensive but they should reflect the two of you as a couple
 Your attendants’ gifts should be more meaningful (i.e. costly) as each of them has made a large financial
commitment to stand up for and with you
Number 3 – Budget
A. Ceremony: site fees, clergy, vocalist & other musicians, program printing, florals for the church
(vases/chuppah/gazebo/arch) and personals (corsages, boutonnieres, headpieces and bouquets), aisle runner,
candles
B. Couture: bridal gown, shoes, headpiece, lingerie, jewelry – groom’s tuxedo, shoes, tux accessories
C. Invitations/Calligraphy/Postage: engagement announcements, save the date cards, invitations & rsvp cards, guest
book, thank you notes, table place cards, printed directions & other information for out-of-town guests
D. Music/Entertainment: live band, DJ, orchestra, string trios or quartets, pianist
E. Photography/Videography: personalized web-site, albums, photography packages
F. Décor: floral centerpieces for dining tables, card, cake, sweet tables, bathrooms, candles
G. Reception: site fees, food and beverage, cake, linens, parking fees, gratuities
H. Housing & Transportation: a block of sleeping rooms, honeymoon suite, transportation to and from the hotel to the
rehearsal dinner, the ceremony and the reception
I. Rehearsal Dinner: site fees, food and beverage, gratuities, flowers, parking fees
J. Mementos for Guests and Gifts for Wedding Party
K. Incidentals: Rings/Beauty Treatments/Hair & Make Up/Honeymoon
L. Wedding Consultant Fees: Full wedding consultation or “Day Of” wedding management
Number 4 – Venue Selection: Rehearsal Dinner/Ceremony/Reception (including food and beverage, cake, etc.)
A. Rehearsal Dinner – of the 3 venues this is the least important, book this last
 Try to select a restaurant close to your hotel
 Try to make it a casual evening as the next day is stressful and formal (this is a good time to make silly,
funny and intimate speeches, the wedding reception is NOT)
 If financially feasible, invite any out-of-town guests to join you and your wedding party for the dinner
 Traditionally, in the past, the groom’s parents picked up the tab for the rehearsal dinner but so many
wedding traditions have changed that this should no longer be considered an absolute.
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3. B. Ceremony – depending on the couple the ceremony venue may be more important than the reception venue, if it is
the most important to you book this first
 Your home church if feasible
 The proximity of the ceremony venue to the reception venue and the scheduled times of each will impact
your guests and may impact your budget if you plan to provide transportation to and from the different
venues.
 For couples who do not necessarily want/need a church ceremony finding a venue where both the
ceremony and the reception can take place is a viable solution.
 This solution can be more economical as you will not need:
o to transport your guests and
o you won’t need to pay site fees to 2 venues and
o the florals can be easily used for both functions
C. Reception - depending on the couple the reception venue may be more important than the ceremony venue, if it is
the most important to you book this first
 The reception venue must accommodate your guest list and your budget.
 Geographical proximity to the ceremony should be considered
 Ask what the cost to rent the venue and the price per person is for their average wedding meal (also
inquire about bar packages) to establish whether this venue is a good fit for your budget and your needs.
 Does the per person food and beverage charge include the rental of the venue?
 Many venues supply tables, chairs, linens, flatware, stemware and table settings and some form of table
decorations and a wedding cake, some do not.
 If your venue does not include the above providing them yourself will add to the cost of your wedding.
Your wedding consultants can be instrumental in helping you select the right venues for all of your wedding activities; they know
all the venues in your area, the costs associated with each and the appropriateness of each for your needs. A wedding
professional can save you a lot of time as well as money.
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4. Number 5 – Photography/Videography - Book your photographer immediately after you have secured your ceremony and
reception venue, they tend to book way in advance and your preferred photographer may not be available if you don’t book
them as soon as possible
 Visit perspective photographers in their studios so you can see the bulk of their work
 Make sure you understand their different packages and that there will not be any additional charges after
your wedding
 Be very aware of how the photographer makes you feel:
o Are you comfortable with them?
o Do they make you feel special, pretty, respected?
 Do any of their services include engagement portraits?
 Depending on the length of your reception you should be prepared to feed the photographer and any
associates they might have brought with them
Your wedding consultants can be instrumental in helping you select the right professionals for all of your wedding needs; they
know all the vendors in your area and will probably have worked with many of them on other weddings. The consultant will
know each vendor’s capabilities, personalities, appropriateness of the vendor to achieve your wedding goals and the costs
associated with each. Again, a wedding professional can assure you the right vendors that will make your special day beautiful
and effortless plus save you a lot of time and money.
Number 6 – Entertainment – Again, your favorite DJ or band tend to book well in advance so get your date secured with them
at your earliest opportunity
 If you are unfamiliar with the “sound” created by perspective entertainers ask to attend one of their
performances before you book
 Your entertainer will become the “Voice” of your reception (announcing the introductions, first dances, cake
cutting, etc.) so you want to make sure their demeanor fits your vision for your special day
 Make sure you understand their different packages and that there will not be any additional charges
during your wedding
 Depending on the length of your reception you should be prepared to feed the entertainer/s and any
associates they might have brought with them
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5. Number 7 – Décor – Décor includes florals, audio visual, pipe and drape, aisle runners, lighting, dance floors, etc., etc.
 There are many florists available to assist you with the look of your wedding, make sure to contract a florist
who:
o Clearly understands what you are attempting to achieve visually and can provide that look within
your budget
o If your “look” is bigger than your budget a good florist will happily work with you to create
reasonable alternatives
 Renting vases from the florist is less expensive than buying them but then you pay the labor for the florist to
come back to retrieve them
 Make sure you understand their different packages and that there will not be any additional charges after
your wedding
Your wedding consultants will have recommendations to make for all the necessities of your décor plans. They can also assist
you in the décor development as they can “visualize” your dreams with photos of past weddings and other visual assists. A
consultant can make your wedding a seamless “work of art”.
Number 8 – Housing
 Select a property reasonably desirable geographically to your ceremony/reception venues
 Most properties will reserve a block of rooms at a discounted price but you will be required to guarantee
a certain number of the rooms
 Be sure to ask if the properties you are researching have a bridal suite and other suites for your parents
and if they’re complimentary if you book any of your activities at that property (such as the rehearsal
dinner or brunch the day after your wedding)
 If there is a form of ground transportation that will convey your guests to surrounding airports you should
get that information from your property and give that to your guests
Needless to say, your wedding consultant can guide you in your housing selection and will know what different properties will
offer you and for what. Another terrific time saver!
Number 9 – Couture: Bride and Groom/Attendants
 If your wedding city is not where the bride and groom live you will need to select designers/tux rental
houses who are represented in stores in your wedding city for final fittings if necessary or emergencies
and returns
 If any of your bride’s maids live in cities other than your wedding city you will need to choose a designer
who is represented in stores in your attendants’ cities for fittings, etc.
 If any of your groom’s men live in cities other than your wedding city you will need to choose a tux rental
vendor that has stores in your attendants’ cities fittings, returns, etc.
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6. Number 10 – Transportation
 There are several considerations you may want to consider for you and your guests’ transportation needs
and they are:
o Transportation from the airport to the hotel
o Transportation to/from the hotel for the rehearsal dinner
o Transportation from the hotel to the ceremony
1. The bride and her maids will need their own vehicle
2. The groom and his men will need their own vehicle
3. The parents will need their own vehicle
4. The out of town guests will appreciate some form of planned transportation
o Transportation from the ceremony to the reception
1. The newlyweds will need their own vehicle
2. The attendants will need their own vehicle
3. The parents will need their own vehicle
4. The out of town guests will appreciate some form of planned transportation
o Transportation from the reception to the hotel
1. The newlyweds will need their own vehicle
2. The out of town guests will appreciate some form of planned transportation which can
make several loops from the reception to the hotel and the attendants and parents can
use this transportation as well
Your wedding professional can take the confusion out of this particular aspect of your wedding planning as they will know a
reputable ground transportation vendor who can provide the appropriate vehicles and will be hands on to make sure all the
scheduling is accomplished according to plans.
* These items do not need to be accomplished chronologically
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7. 10 Reasons to hire a Professional Wedding Consultant
1. A wedding consultant will save you time and money
2. A wedding consultant will create a detailed quote for you so you can manipulate the costs as you need to to fit your
budget
3. A wedding consultant will match you and your wedding specifications with the correct venues and vendors within your
budget
4. Vendors and venues will perform to their ultimate because the wedding consultant is a repeat client for them
5. A wedding consultant will make the planning process fun and effortless
6. A wedding consultant will negotiate all of the vendor contracts and will pay them, that means you only write 2 checks,
a deposit upon approval of the quote and the remainder before the wedding
7. A wedding consultant can assist you with all of your selections: invitations, rsvp management, décor, seating, floor plans,
ground transportation, housing, hair & makeup, to name a few
8. A wedding consultant will create a detailed time line that will be a guide for all participating in your wonderful day,
vendors and attendants, everyone will be on the same page
9. A wedding consultant will manage your rehearsal so everyone knows exactly where to be and what to do
10. A wedding consultant will manage your entire wedding day so everyone in your wedding party, family and guests will
have the total freedom to envelope themselves in the beauty and love of your wedding ceremony and the joy of the
reception
ADH MEETINGS & EVENTS
www.adh-events.com
Virginia Lionberger – Office: 312-265-9759 – Mobile: 708-805-1810 – Email: vlionberger@adh-events.com 7