A Guest Post from Alison of Devotion to Detail Event Planning

Tips on Keeping Your Planning on Track!

To keep your planning on track, it is important to keep making decisions. First you make the big decisions, then the next sized- medium decisions- and then work your way to the small details that will make your event polished and exquisite.

Tip #1: Make one long to-do list, utilize that to-do list to see what to work on next, but don’t be overwhelmed by the to-do list either. I find getting it out of your head and into a working list really does help, and if you think of something else you might want to do, put it on the list and then you can review and see if it meshes with all the other things you have left to do. Having multiple lists or a list that doesn’t make sense can be detrimental, so really try to keep in order of importance your list. At first it can seem a bit overwhelming, but by the end you will be glad to have had the to-do list.

Tip #2: Make decisions when the information is fresh in your mind- putting off decisions will only get you behind. I know you will want to think things over, I do as well. But waiting and waiting to make decisions until you have forgotten half the details from a vendor is not very effective either. Gather all your information, make your decision and then sleep on it. If it feels good in the morning, you are doing the right thing.

Tip #3: Remember what parts of your special day are the highest priorities. By putting more of your energies into the things most important to you, you are able to really make them special. Also, why waste your precious time on things you really are not worried or excited about? In the end, it will show what parts you focused your creativeness and energies on.

Tip #4: Keep moving to get to the end – ready to be married and less stressed! If you get one thing done, it will want to make you get another one done. Use the positive energy you get from this to keep moving forward in getting all those items of planning done from your list. I hear brides and their friends wishing for more time or saying- I got it all done smoothly! The ones who it went smoothly for really worked on things ahead of the deadlines.

Bonus Tip: Be brave and live a little! Making decision after decision can be daunting, but remember, your guests will like a little uniqueness to your event and you are the one you are celebrating so this day should be what you want. Also try not to only think wedding for 12 to 18 months- go out and have fun too!

Good luck and let me know what questions you might have, I love to talk weddings!

Devotion to Detail Event Planning has been helping brides, grooms and their families make the most of their wedding day experience since 2005. Located in Eastern Iowa they work to make you the honored guest at your event by freeing you from the stress of having to do it all yourself. Check out their website www.devotiontodetail.com or give them a call at 319-573-4801 and set up an appointment!

Happy Holidays from Appleby Photography

New Ring for New Years - First 3 Wedding Planning Steps for 2010 from Elegala.com

Getting Engaged - First Three Steps of Wedding Planning

Here are the first three steps in your countdown to “I do!” Get started now by tackling these first wedding-planning tasks.

So your partner popped the question…now what?

Unfortunately, for most newly engaged women, the excitement of finally finding “the one” is dampened by a hard dose of stress and anxiety. Sure, you’ll find about a gazillion wedding planning checklists out there, but they all tend to overwhelm more than they help, and all essentially fail to address the fundamental question: “Where do I begin?”

We’re here to help. After you’ve announced the exciting news and taken some time to bask in your newly engaged glow, it’s time to get cracking. Here are the first three wedding planning tasks you absolutely must accomplish before anything else. Cross these items off your wedding checklist – and you’re on your way.

First Steps of Wedding Planning:

Step 1: Determine Your Budget

Every decision stems from the wedding budget. Before you can plan anything, you must know how much you can spend and who plans to contribute. Your budget will determine the type of wedding you can have – from how many guests you invite, to where and when you host your wedding, right down to the specific blooms in your bouquet. And with the ever increasing cost of weddings, financing the event is often a group effort; the bride’s parents no longer need to take out a second mortgage just to fund the upcoming nuptials. You’ll need to talk to your families about who will pay for what, and arrive at a total wedding budget. This complete wedding budget guide will walk you through the process.

Step 2: Tackle the Guest List

Some “checklists” suggest setting a date and commencing other wedding plans before this step, but Elegala considers the guest count is the most vital decision after the budget. Here’s why: Capacity is one of the most important criteria in finding a suitable wedding venue – more so even than style and vision - and you must secure your location before you can successfully plan anything else. Trust us, cramming 300 people into a venue that seats 150 will not go over well. You don’t need to have the list finalized just yet, but you’ll need an estimate from both sides of the family (and yourselves) right away to avert countless planning headaches down the road. This complete wedding guest listguide will help you get started.

Step 3: Set on a Site and Date

Only once you have an estimated budget and guest count can you begin searching for a place to hold your event with any accuracy. Remember: Many reception sites book over a year in advance, so you really can’t decide on a wedding date until you have officially booked your venue with a signed contract. Find as many reception sites that meet your budget, capacity, and overall style quotient as you can. Use our wedding reception site search to find venues in your area, and narrow down your list. Then schedule appointments to tour each wedding venue and meet with the manager. After that, it’s decision making time.

There is one wedding planning truism that we hold dear. As you may have heard it said, once you find your wedding venue, everything else falls into place. Once you have accomplished these steps, you will find the rest of your planning task list a piece of, ahem, wedding cake.

Don’t stop now. Our complete ideas and advice guide will walk you every step of thewedding planning process, from setting the theme and style to managing every wedding detail.

New Ring for New Years - First 3 Wedding Planning Steps for 2010 | Elegala.com

Still Playing Catch Up....

Moving, albums, portraits, launching a new business... (This is a teaser- more info to come soon!) This is always a busy time of year, so posting here gets pushed to the bottom of the list. We do have a few more 2010 weddings that we'll be posting, so watch for those.

New Wedding Packages will be coming soon, with new additions and NEW ALBUMS! I always love variety, and am ready for some new options. We should have a couple of the new albums at bridal shows in January.

One of our new Reception Guest Books arrived today, which is so cute! An engagement album is a wonderful way to show off all of your favorites from your session, and using them as a guest book allows you to have everyone see them on the wedding day. This 8x8 book has sturdy pages that are designed to lay flat when the book is open, making it perfect for guests to sign. This design asks fun questions to get interesting answers, which are more entertaining to read than a standard signature.