Picking a location
Once you've decided on a location
Food and Beverages
Décor
Music
Photography
Invitations
Officiator
The Ring
Tips for Bride and Groom
Gifts
Getting Fit
The Wedding Gown
Travel
Honorary Wedding Day Roles
Out-of-town Wedding Guest Activities

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Picking a location
• How large will the reception hall / banquet room where you will host your reception need to be? If the banquet room is too small, it could get hot and uncomfortable for you and your guests.
• Ask about parking at the facility and find out if there are any charges?
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Décor
• How early can the wedding cake to be delivered and where well it be set up? Is the cake table included in the set-up?
• What color of table linens are to be used? Can the manager obtain other colors of linens?
• What does the china, silverware and glassware look like?
• Does the facility have centerpieces?
• How many guests will you seat to a table?
• Consider the backgrounds that the photographers will have to work with by the cake table, bride and grooms table, etc.
• What time should flowers be delivered?
• If you are going to use personal items (napkins, matchbooks, etc.) make sure the hostess/banquet manager is aware of this and agrees to place these items in their correct places.
• Florists and caterers often have photographs of their work that you should review if available.
• Bring pictures of ideas that you like to your decorators or florists.
• If you're having a destination wedding, will your hotel accept packages at the hotel on your behalf? Is there a per package charge for this service?
• Will the facility staff, florist or caterer be decorating any portion of the site?
• Is there a piano on-site?
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Music
There are several pieces of music that you will need to consider for your ceremony. Here are a few of the typical choices.
• Prelude music to set the mood of the wedding to play just before the ceremony. Adding a professional dancer(s) just before the processional music can be an interesting way to begin your event, especially for a theme wedding.
• Processional music plays while the attendants and the bride make their way down the aisle. This can be two separate selections of music.
• Will you want music during the ceremony at key moments?
• Recessional music is more powerful and even fun. This is what the wedding party will exit on.
• Celebratory postlude music can be played after the wedding party has exited to escort the guests from the ceremony space and keep the rooms mood high as your guests make their way to the reception.
• The music selection you choose can be played by a D. J. for recorded music, a single saxophonist, an orchestra or sang by a soloist, choir or A cappella group. You can decide to go with the more traditional classical pieces or use music that shares your personal taste and style like perhaps a do-wop band.
• A local conservatory or magnate school for the performing arts is a wonderful place to find talent for your event.
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Photography
To find a photographer you might ask a friend whose pictures you liked, ask the reception hall manager or area bridal booklets or magazines.
• Find out if you can view some of the photographers wedding work online or in a catalog.
• Does the photographer work with an assistant?
• Do you want your images shot in a mixture of black and white and color or only color?
• Confirm the times and date with the photographer a week in advance.
• Think about the backgrounds that the photographers will have to work with in the room.
• Ask how long the negatives are kept on file.
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Invitations
The sky is pretty much the limit these days with easy-to-use home graphics programs such as JASC paint or Adobe Photoshop. Let your imagination take flight.
• Create a "Story of our Relationship" book filled with photos of you and your fiancé throughout your relationship, with the near final page being the wedding invitation. Last page idea: "To be continued..." or "They lived happily ever after!"
• If your wedding is theme based, make the invitation reflective of that theme. If you are actors or theater lovers, create a playbill invitation or program.
• Create bilingual invites and programs.
• Album cover inspired invitations are fun for a musical couple.
• A fun idea for invitation images are the strip of four pictures taken at the Kiosk photo booths.
• Traditional invitations can be an elegant choice for more formal occasions.
• Having your invitations Thermographed instead of engraved can save anywhere from $100-$500 while producing nearly the same look.
• If you send an invitation to the president and First Lady you will receive a nice letter back from the White House extending their regret (unless you are friends of theirs). Address: The Honorable George W. Bush, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., 20500. You may also send an invitation to Pope John Paul II and he will send you papal blessing. Address: John Paul II, Prefettura della Casa, 00120 Citta del Vaticano, Italia.
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Officiator
Will you have a Civil ceremony or a religious ceremony?
Clergy or Justice of the peace officiator?
Will you write your vows or use traditional vows? Discuss these items with your officiator.
• Be specific about the content of the wedding ceremony. Request a copy of the minister's vows to make sure they are appropriate. For example, non-denominational ministers say, "till death do us part," etc.
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The Ring
If you decide on a diamond wedding ring and know very little about diamonds here are some helpful hints.
• Note the style and shapes of stones in rings or necklaces that you already own. This may not be something that you consciously consider, but you may have a style or cut of stone preference.
• In Los Angeles, the jewelry district downtown can be a great place for you and your fiancé to get some ideas about the size, style, shape of your rings. You may even find a ring or stone from one of the many jewelers at a nice savings.
The Four C's:
• Carat means the weight of your diamond.
• Cut refers to the shape of the stone. Cuts are not simply limited to square, emerald, heart, oval and brilliant. New styles and trends of cuts come along every so often, so be sure to ask the jeweler to show you all of the cuts that they carry.
•Color is rated on a scale from D to Z, with D being the highest quality. D=colorless Lower rankings signify yellow or darkening.
• Clarity indicates the level of flaws inherent in the stone or the cleanliness of the diamond. Rankings vary from Cleanest to Imperfect. There are flawless diamonds, diamonds with flaws that are not visible to the naked eye and diamonds with more obvious visible flaws.
Keeping all of these items in mind, it is said that you will know your diamond when you see it as it will, figuratively of-course, *speak to you*. Remember to buy certified.
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Tips for Bride and Groom
• Brides should come prepared with a second pair of stockings.
• Consider shadows on the face for photography when selecting a hairstyle.
• Emergency kit with safety pins, bobby pins, clear nail polish, tape for quick repairs, ibuprofen, nail clippers, towel, wet wipes, plastic bags.
• Week before: Confirm with vendors a day or two before the wedding: photographers, stylists, etc.
• The bride and groom should spend a relaxing day by themselves prior to the wedding.
• Play relaxing music to help calm your nerves on the day of the wedding.
• Take deep, refreshing breaths.
• Add the scents of your favorite flowers, candles or aromatherapy oils to your environment.
• Block some time out of your pre-wedding day schedule to be alone and take it all in. Maybe its only five minutes, but use that time to be still, relax and enjoy the moment.
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Gifts
For those who help you along the way
Attendants, planners, groomsmen, parents who have helped orchestrate your special day deserve a token of gratitude for their generosity of energy and time. Here are a few idea's: memorable wine, beautiful frame with the happy couples image inside, a piece of jewelry, specialty food or beauty basket made by you, themed gift, gift certificate to a spa or restaurant, theatre tickets (movie or live) to name a few.
For your registry
• Have everything? There are specialty web sites that will allow you to create your own registry with items that you desire but can't purchase at a department store. Your family and guests will be able to contribute to the purchase the items you've specifically chosen such as perhaps your honeymoon, original art, a closet remodel for your house, a new rug, a gas fireplace, and so on.
• If you do find that you need some things to set up your new home together, you'll find that many stores now offer bridal registry stations and online services. Some stores will even wrap and mail the package for the family member or guest which saves them the trouble of transporting the item on their travels to the wedding.
• Try to respond to each gift received within 2 weeks with a gracious, hand-written thank you card.
For each other
Couples traditionally get each other a wedding day present. Some ideas: jewelry, watch, luggage for the honeymoon, a massage or spa certificate, travel robes, a nice hat.
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Getting fit
• Make your time to exercise as important as eating a meal. Consider it something you do to sustain a healthy existence.
• Create an exercise routine that’s fun for you. When you’re doing activities that you enjoy, it doesn’t even feel like exercise but rather fun.
• Drink plenty of water to bring out your natural glow and healthy skin.
• Use sun screen if your wedding is outdoors.
• Consider a massage the day of your wedding to release all stresses.
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The Wedding Gown
• Getting married on the beach? You might want to avoid veils and gown trains.
• A clever starting point to begin your dress search is to go online. Go to www.google.com and search their 'image' database for "wedding dresses". By researching various dress elements, fabrics, designs, styles and perhaps designers in advance you can bring images and ideas to your retailer or dressmaker to help them find or create your perfect dress.
• Typical dress prices range from $500 - $4,000 and can even cost up to $20,000. Local bridal shops, vintage or designer resale shops are worth browsing.
• If you want to have a dress made from your own design, try a local dressmaker. Check out your local fine fabric store for business cards or posted materials on local dressmakers and start calling. Make sure that you connect with the dressmaker and that you enjoy working with them. Los Angeles dressmaker Peony Couture who specializes in couture bridal and evening wear says that the dressmaker should understand your design and your goal. Peony Couture's credentials span the globe from Hollywood's A-list to the British Royal family. Their haute couture creations are meticulously crafted - inside and out, and express an elegant femininity using vintage beads, silks, lace and don't forget the boning! Peony Couture - Los Angeles, (310) 247-8206.
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Travel
Guests
• Consider the travel needs of elderly relatives and guests with physical disabilities when making your arrangements.
• Set up a web site and provide guests with relevant information about your plans and your city for their visit. There are many companies that will let you host a site for free.
• You can call hotels and B&B's near to gather preliminary rates and availability for your guests. Posting your findings to your website will take some of the guess work out of travel for your guests.
Personal
• If you've hired a driver, provide them with a schedule of the wedding days events with addresses and maps of destinations throughout the day.
• How will you get from your honeymoon suite to the airport if flying?
• Print off reservations and confirmation numbers of travel itinerary.
• Confirm reservations at hotels, restaurants, with rental cars.
• Passport or Visa needed for travel?
• Provide a family member with your honeymoon itinerary including hotel phone numbers; photo copies of your vital documents that you will carry such as passport, drivers license, credit cards, and traveler’s check receipts.
• Keep the address & phone number of your hotel as well as your emergency contact information in your wallet.
• Keep a list of your travelers check numbers, credit card numbers and checking account number in a separate place in your luggage with the respective phone numbers. If your wallet or purse is lost or stolen you will want access to these numbers to call and cancel cards and checks.
• Bathing suit and Robe
• Corkscrew / bottle opener
• Toothpaste and toothbrush
• Travel survival supplies such as necessary medicines, feminine products, ibuprofen, snacks, Band-Aids, aloe vera, ear plugs, sun block, antacid.
• Also perhaps playing cards or a game for a rainy or lazy afternoon.
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Honorary Wedding Day Roles
Special people in your life could be honored by being asked to contribute with the following needs:
• Passing out programs
• Present flowers or gifts to family members
• Friends can perform music or other live performance
• Oversee guest book or make a record of the gifts
• Give toast
• Make sure honeymoon suite is decorated with a bouquet of fresh smelling flowers, a poem, champagne, tub filled with floating rose petals, luggage already in room, etc.
• Make sure that gifts are deposited somewhere
• Collect wedding items to be delivered to specified location.
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Out-of-town Wedding Guest Activities
Sending a list of fun things to do in Oxnard, Los Angeles and surrounding with the save-the-date card or invitation will help your out-of-town guests plan for their time in Southern California. Here are some ideas:
Hollywood, Rodeo Drive shopping, take a studio tour, Third street promenade to see the street performers, the Santa Monica Pier, go to the beach, see Santa Barbara, check out any of the central coast hot springs, visit the Hearst castle in San Simeon, Cambria Wine Shop, Southern California and Central Coast Wineries, Disneyland and Universal Theme Park, San Diego Zoo, Catalina Island, skiing Mammoth or Big Bear, or maybe a long, relaxing drive up coastal Highway 1. There's something for everyone in California.

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