1. The Bride’s Guide to Easy Wedding Planning
By the avenue banquet hall
The Stress-Free Way to Have a Perfect Day
Timeline
Once you are engaged, you choose your wedding date and set your
timeline for planning your perfect wedding. The steps you take are the
same regardless of the length of time you have to plan. If you have
less than three months before your big day, you might have to rush
with some elements. This guide will help you step through the wedding
planning details successfully, whether you plan a simple wedding or an
extravaganza.
There are some tasks that you have to start early:
 Setting the date
 Finding the location for the wedding and for the reception
 Building a guest list
 Sending invitations
 Choosing a theme
 Planning the menu
And some that are ongoing. The first task is:
Announcing Your Engagement
Placing the engagement announcement in a newspaper was the
traditional method for getting the message out but social media has
become an acceptable alternative or additional method. Some people

2. send out emails, or set up a dedicated website or Facebook page
announcing their engagement.
An elegant and old-fashioned method is sending out handwritten notes
to your friends and family. If you prefer, you can have announcements
printed and mailed out.
Mini Checklist
 Write Announcement
 Include date: Yes or No
 Send Announcement
Setting the Date
Hand in hand with announcing your engagement is setting the date
and time for your wedding. You can announce your engagement and
wait to announce the date when you send out the invitations.
The venue for the wedding determines the date. You may have to
make a choice between the time and date and the location. Some
times of the year are popular for weddings so if you have your heart
set on a location, check early to see if it is available and if it is, book it.
Mini Checklist
 Check venue
 Choose person to conduct the ceremony
 Set date

3. The Guest List
Start with the essential guests you want to celebrate with you. These
are your family, your best friends, and the people you are duty-bound
to invite.
Mini Checklist
 Make a list
 Set it aside until the budget is decided
 Refine the list
The Invitations
Choose the invitation design and style and begin to address the
envelopes. You have the choice of inviting people to the wedding
ceremony or to both the ceremony and the reception.
Send out the invitations about six weeks in advance.
If guests are coming from out of town, allow them time to make plans
to travel. You might want to send out invitations out 10 weeks in
advance.
Mini Checklist
 Choose design for invitations
 Consider ordering matching cards for sending out thank you
notes after the wedding
 Collect the addresses for mailing the invitations
 Address the envelopes
 Choose the mailing date
 Mail the invitations

4. Mini-Tasks
These are all essential elements that you can fit in around the big
tasks. Start working on these as soon as you can.
 Set up your gift registry
 Choose bridesmaids and maid of honor
 Choose best man and groomsmen
 Choose wedding hairstyles
 Choose dresses
 Choose tuxedos or suits
 Choose gifts for your wedding party
 Videotaping
 Wedding music
 Wedding cake
 Flowers
 Having an ongoing
Keep a running list of wedding to-do items. Add to it as you think of
new things.
Budget
How much money do you plan to spend?
Who is paying the bill?
You need to discuss this first before deciding on the size of the
wedding. The average cost per guest per wedding is about $100. Half
of this cost is for the reception. The other half covers items such as
the flowers, decorations, and space.

5. Incidentals and Other Necessary Costs
 Guest book
 Basket for the flower girl
 Pillow for ring bearer
 Party favors
Wedding Theme
When you plan your wedding, after the details such and date and
guest list and budget, choose a theme. You need this set in place
before choosing the décor, music, flowers, and food.
Theme Ideas
 Classic old-fashioned wedding
 Cultural wedding with the wardrobe, music, food, and ceremony
that represents your heritage
 Hobby-based theme such as a golf course wedding
 Fairy tale theme.
 Vintage wedding
 Tropical wedding
 Tropical wedding in a tropical locale
 Back yard wedding
 Color-based wedding where everything has a touch or the same
color
Choose flowers and music to suit the theme.
The Food
This is a checklist to cover all food-related decisions.

6. Who prepares the meal?
 Caterer
 You and friends
Serving style:
 Buffet
 Hors d’oeuvre
 Sit-down meal
 Hot meal
 Cold plate
 Finger food
 Salad bar
Concerns?
 Vegetarian guests
 Gluten-free diet
 Religious dietary concerns
 Allergies
Caterer Checklist
 Shop around
 Check out their reputation
 Ask for a sample of their food
 Have a written contact with the caterer
o The time, location, and equipment responsibility
o Cost per person
o The number of guests clearly defined
o Deadline for final confirmation of the details

7. Arriving at the Reception
The reception begins when you arrive.
The receiving line is usually set up this way:
 Mother of the bride
 Father of the bride
 Mother of the groom
 Father of the groom
 Bride
 Groom
 Maid of honor
 Best man
 Bridesmaid and groomsman (repeated all bridesmaids and
groomsmen)
However you can rearrange this to suit your needs. An alternative is
bride’s parents, bride, groom, and then the parents of the groom
followed by the maid of honor, best man, bridesmaids and
groomsmen.
If there are delicate situations such as divorced parents, discuss the
receiving line with the parents to see what they feel comfortable
doing.
Entering the Reception
After everyone has gone through the receiving line, the master of
ceremonies introduces the wedding party.
The entrance of the wedding party is usually in this order:

8.  Parents of the bride
 Parents of the groom
 Bridesmaids and groomsmen in pair
 Maid of honor and best man
 Flower girl and ring bearer
 The bride and groom.
The first dance can take place now or you can wait until after the meal
and the dancing begins.
The Meal
The order of events may begin with a blessing or prayer. It is followed
by a toast by the best man.
Speeches can be delivered throughout the meal.
The Dancing
After the meal, the dancing begins. If you already had your first
dance, lead the dancers up to the floor.
Once the dancing is underway, you can cut the cake.
Having planned a time to leave for your honeymoon, get ready to toss
the bouquet. It is a nice touch to have snacks around this time so
people can still socialize while you change into your going away
clothes.
Ready to Go?
Come back for a last dance and then leave for your honeymoon.

9. Your wedding party helps pack up items in the banquet hall that
belong to the wedding party.
Copy write by the avenue banquet hall
The caterer takes care of the meal cleanup and the banquet hall takes
care of the tidying up of the hall.
Things You Must Do
 Check in with the caterer a month before the wedding to confirm
the meal and the number of guests
 Check in two weeks before on the flower arrangement plans
 Arrange hair and makeup appointments for the morning of the
wedding
 Check to see that all dresses fit in time for alterations if
necessary
 Order “Thank You” notes
 Keep your guest list addresses to make sending thank you notes
easier
Recap
Keep a list. Just use one main list so you do not accidentally miss
anything.
Start early and consistently check your list to see that all is
progressing as planned.
Set a realistic budget and adjust the cost of the wedding either in size
or complexity to keep within your budget.
Have fun and enjoy your new life together.

10. Copy write by the avenue banquet hall