Getting Started Checklist

You’ve just gotten engaged and you’re overwhelmed. The first thing you need to do is get a good sense of the type of wedding you and your future spouse want. The following questions serve as a guideline for discussion. In addition to answering the questions, it’s necessary for you to decide on the importance of each issue. Start off being organized and you will be thankful later.

Do you want the traditional wedding and reception, or something different such as private ceremony and larger reception, or destination wedding and party afterwards?

Do you want the reception to be: indoor, outdoor, indoor/outdoor? If you want outdoor only, how will rain and bathrooms be handled?

Do you want an afternoon or evening wedding? Formal or informal?

Do you want a traditional reception or just a party?

Do you want a wedding party or just one person to stand up with you? What is the maximum size of the party? Does the number of bridesmaids have to equal the number of groomsmen?

Do you have a maximum number of guests you will accept?

Do you want dancing?

Do you want live music or a disc jockey?

Do you want a sit-down dinner, buffet dinner, or just standing reception?

Do you want everyone in one room during the meal or can they be seated in several rooms?

Do you want kids at the wedding? How do you envision their participation – hanging out with their parents or separate entertainment provided for them?

What kind of setting do you want: church, mansion, gardens, hotel, on the water?

Who do you want to perform the ceremony?

Where do you want the ceremony, or reception site?

How far from the reception to the wedding site will you accept?

What is the maximum you want to pay for the site rental?

What is the maximum you want to pay for the wedding? Who will contribute?