6 Wedding Bills You Should Always Charge on a Credit Card
If you are having a large wedding you are certainly going to incur some big charges. A good way to pay those bills is by using a credit card. Not so much to defer the costs, but to protect yourself if the items are defective or deficient in any way. A good article concerning what wedding costs you should charge can be found here.
The article discusses 6 items you should always charge. They are;
Deposits
Wedding Planner Fees
Day of services
Wedding Dress
Anything bought online
Travel Expenses
For a more in depth discussion take a look at the article.
When Jennifer began to plan her wedding, she ran into one novel problem: how to dress her wedding guests.
Normally, this isn’t a problem. By tradition, a wedding is a formal event where guests are expected to show up either in tuxedos and gowns if part of the wedding party, or in suits and formal dresses if an invited guest.
The details of proper attire for the guests is left entirely to the guests themselves. Most people already know what they should wear to a wedding, or if not, they at least have enough sense to ask a mother or sister who will be delighted to explain exactly what they should and
should not wear.
Now and then you find a poor schmuck with a sister who has a vindictive streak and you get a wedding guest who arrives wearing a plaid jacket, red and green striped tie and a yellow beanie with a propeller on top. Mostly your guests are well behaved and arrive appropriately dressed, sober and with the suitable amount of discomfort required of all wedding guests everywhere.
Jennifer’s wedding was going to be a little different. She (and her fiance of course) had decided to have a casual dress wedding at a country club overlooking the beach. The bride’s dress was still planned as a formal gown, but the bridesmaids would wear sun dresses and the best man and groom would wear khaki slacks and summer jackets.
Jennifer wanted her guests to know that they were encouraged to wear casual clothes. She wanted the ladies to come in summer dresses or skirts with nice blouses and the men to come wearing sport shirts and slacks with a jacket. The total effect was going to be a casual, country club style atmosphere.
Jennifer wanted to say this in a nice way, without having to include a lengthy and offensive dress code decree in her invitation package. There is nothing quite so objectionable as having someone tell you in specific and didactic detail how you are supposed to dress. Jennifer was very much aware of this potential etiquette land mine and wanted wholeheartedly to avoid it.
On the other hand, she couldn’t just leave it to chance and simply say “casual attire” because sure as tank tops, someone would construe casual to mean T shirts, shorts and sneakers.
Jennifer fretted about this for days, trying several versions of her dress code message, none of which satisfied all the conflicting requirements of brevity, inoffensiveness and clarity.
Jennifer hit upon the solution: a short, humorous poem, printed on an index sized card along with the invitation.
This would immediately let people know exactly how to dress and would offend no one. Since the poem would also be humorous, it had the benefit of being entertaining and therefore easily remembered.
Jennifer overcame the last hurdle of being unable to write poetry by hiring a poet and working with him through four drafts until she had exactly what she wanted: eight lines of lighthearted verse which told the guests how they should dress and left them with a smile.
With a sigh of relief, Jennifer could now focus on the next problem which needed her attention: the weather …
There are pros and cons to hiring a wedding planner. One thing, it costs money, and for something that can be as expensive as a wedding, extra costs matter. But will it really cost you? One thing a wedding planner can do is save you money. Usually more than their fee if you are having a very large event. They know who can do the best job, what the current rates are for various services, and can negotiate on your behalf. Plus, they can advise you on the little extra that you might like to have but that really in the end are not worth it.
For a good article on the pros and cons of hiring a wedding planner, I suggest you read this article.
Wedding songs play a vital role throughout the entire wedding day. Wedding songs help create the mood and ambience of the day from start to end. Choosing the right wedding songs can also help accentuate the emotional significance of the occasion for a more memorable celebration.
In earlier years many weddings showcased traditional wedding songs Nowadays there is no limit to the type of wedding songs that couples can choose to play on their wedding day. Selecting wedding songs is also one of the fun things that couples can do to prepare for their wedding day.
Most couples prefer choosing wedding songs that have a significant meaning to them in order to create a more personal and unique atmosphere for their wedding day. A song that was played on their first date or songs of the couple’s favorite artist are typical selections for wedding songs of many couples.
When selecting wedding songs, things to remember
When selecting wedding songs, it is important to take into consideration the venue for the ceremony. Most wedding ceremonies often take place in a church, couples should first check with the minister if there are any restrictions to the type of wedding songs that can be played. Some churches have concerns regarding the kind of wedding songs that should be played during the sacrament of matrimony.
Other venues may not have a strict policy regarding the variety of wedding songs to be played. It is still a good idea to choose wedding songs for the ceremony that would not turn the occasion into a comedy act. It is best to reserve the entertaining wedding songs for the reception where everyone can cut loose to the music.
Another important factor to consider is the selection of the band or DJ who will play the wedding songs during the reception. Couples with a more traditional wedding theme may opt for a classical ensemble to perform wedding songs at their reception. For an intimate gathering a solo pianist, flute trio or string quartet serve as an ideal choice to play classical wedding songs.
For a more contemporary wedding theme, there are a number of professional bands that cater specifically to wedding receptions. Couples can also choose to hire a DJ to play wedding songs at the reception.
Planning the wedding songs.
Couples need to select a number of wedding songs for different parts of the wedding. There are essentially six parts of the wedding ceremony that would require music. The type of wedding songs for the prelude music is used to welcome family and friends to the ceremony. Festive and happy wedding songs can help set the tone for the entire wedding day.
Wedding songs for the processional of the wedding party marks the start of the ceremony. The songs are meant to usher in the wedding party and to prepare the guests for the entrance of the bride. The bride’s processional is the critical moment of the ceremony. Many would opt for the traditional bridal march, it is also a good idea to select different wedding songs that can make it more memorable.
The interludes are the various moments during the ceremony wherein a number of wedding songs can help enhance the overwhelming emotion of the occasion. Wedding songs during the recessional should be festive to celebrate the official union of the couple. The postlude wedding songs are meant to create a pleasant atmosphere to thank guests for coming to the ceremony.
Often I perform a wedding ceremony for young couples who have very little money. Their wedding is a special day for them, but they don’t have the money to make it extra special. Or so they think. The following are some tips on how to have a nice wedding on a very low budget. I am going to offer some specific examples for the local Columbia area. While the exact locations of course would not apply say in Charleston or elsewhere, it will give you the reader some idea of what to look for when planning your own low cost wedding.
The officiant. Me. Lol. I normally charge $90, depending on the location and how far I might have to drive to your location. Please call for an exact quote. In SC notaries can marry couples. Anywhere on the state you can find notaries who are willing to marry you. Just call around or use websites like 123notary.com. Using a notary will save you hundreds of dollars over using a minister.
The venue. Use a public place for basically free. In Columbia for instance there are several parks that have idyllic settings that would be the perfect back ground for a wedding. For instance Finlay Park in downtown Columbia has a beautiful waterfall and lake that makes a perfect backdrop for a wedding.
Flowers. Yes, the bride should have a bouquet. You can get a nice fresh flower bouquet at any grocery store for $12-15.
Dress. Forget the formal wedding gown. They are just WAY to expensive. The bride probably already has a formal dress of some type and that should do fine. It doesn’t have to be white. If you want a white dress then got to a consignment store and see if there are some good used ones. If you want to spring for a new one, then just go to a department store. For instance as I write this Target has several very suitable white summer dresses for sale for only $25. The groom should wear a jacket but not necessarily a tie. If he doesn’t own a suit or sport coat then try to borrow one or visit a consignment store. For something new you can find decent sport coats for $40.
Photographer. Just invite along a friend and make them the designated photographer.Any decent cellphone now can take great pictures. Just make sure you get several shots of the ceremony, the wedding party, and group shots after the ceremony. It might not seem important now to have pictures,but later on you are going to want to show friends, relatives, and co-workers your happy day.
Reception. Have one but forget the catering. Even if you just go to a restaurant you can have a fun time, celebrate your magical day, and save a lot of money. Most restaurants have private rooms you can use for free. For instance Hu Hot here in Columbia has a private room you can use, no charge. If you want to pay for some appetizers for your guests, all well and good. Maybe you could just buy one round of cocktails. If not, then just have everyone order their own meal and drinks. Or, you can go to a parents home, your house, or that of a friend. Buy a bottle of champagne (or two) and toast your wedding. You could easily do this for $25.
There you have it. A plan for your wedding day that costs less than $200 but makes it a special day, and creates wonderful; memories for you to look back on.
