In an effort to make your wedding planning less stressful,

 Record-Go-Round would like to offer some helpful tips . 

If you need more in-depth help, we are always available, Just Call us!

Remember, it’s only the single most important day of your life. RELAX! Thousands  have made it through without a gray hair.

You should have made your decisions on the various vendors you wish to have for the BIG day, such as Caterer, DJ, Photographer, etc. Rely on them to provide you with the expertise needed to make the day successful. Call on them as often as you need to provide peace of mind, but remember to listen to what they suggest. They do this regularly and can help you with ideas and procedures. Let them know in advance the basics that you require and let them handle it from there. Communication is the key to success and there is no substitute for their experience.

If you have a cell phone, make sure the battery is charged AND you have it with you on your wedding day. Give it to the Best man or Maid of Honor before you leave for the church. Also, make sure you have programmed in the phone numbers of ALL the vendors, the reception hall, parents, etc. If the vendors have cell phones (and most of them do for their own emergencies) ask them for that number, so if there is a problem on that day, you can reach the necessary person. Use the cell phone only in an emergency, car breakdown, running late to/from the church, etc. Also, be sure to give YOUR phone number to the caterer and DJ so you can be reached if they need you in an emergency at your reception site.

Be sure you or your Groom-To-Be has extra cash on them for little things that might crop up, such as a quick stop at a drug store on the way, extra last minute fees that might come up, overtime for the entertainment, etc.

Find a couple of different planner guides that you like AND USE THEM. They alone can help you with the preparations. Just make sure they have the information you want on them. You can always modify them yourself to personalize your day, but the basics should be there. Don’t be swayed by things on the planners that you might not want to do. Just because they are listed, doesn’t mean YOU have to do them. Be creative but don’t be outrageous!

Have a clear understanding of your own expectation for your wedding. Make sure you separate fact from fiction, fantasy from reality. This will help minimize the source of many problem and frustrations in your planning.

Set a realistic budget for each area of the wedding. But a word of caution here…don’t scrimp on the important things that will create a lasting memory of the day. Examples: flowers are important but not as important as the food; the cake is important, but not as important as the entertainment; the decorations are not as important as the photographer. I think you get the point here. Plan the budget realistically and make it flexible so you can have some breathing room. Do not however, let it become a stressful part of the planning. Here is a chart of Reception responsibilities. Use this as a guide to help with budgeting.

Once you have all the basic’s together, it’s time to sit down with both families and make some semi-final decisions. Communication is very important and must be open and honest. It’s YOUR wedding and it should reflect what you both want it to be, not someone else’s dreams. That’s not to say you shouldn’t listen to suggestions, but too many from too many people just adds to the confusion.

When you start planning who will be in the wedding party, resist the temptation to have 20 (or more) of your closest friends. Large bridal parties create untold stress on you and them and can be unruly to control beforehand, at the church and at the reception. The average number for most bridal parties is six or seven couples, not including the Bride, Groom, Best man and Maid/Matron of honor.

Delegating authority to other close friends and family members will significantly reduce the stress on you. We are not saying you should give up your desires, just give some of the jobs and duties to others and then supervise. Have one person responsible for making sure everything is ready at the reception hall; such as the flowers and cake have arrived on time. (Give that person the necessary phone numbers ahead of time). Another should be responsible for the Church. You will still be the “Go-To” person for decisions, but the helpers are the doers.

At the reception, the person who is worth their weight in gold is your full service DJ entertainer. He/she will lead you through the various events from the first entrance to the last goodnight. They will coordinate all the things you discussed in advance and make sure that it all comes together smoothly. They will also coordinate with the hall manager, caterer, etc., to make certain it all flows smoothly. This is one area you don’t want to scrimp on. The entertainment is the first thing your guests see and hear when they arrive and it’s also the last thing when they leave. Believe it or not, the entertainment is remembered much longer than the food, flowers, cake, etc. because it relates to how much fun they had at your reception. And fun is the bottom line to all of this.