First you tell your best friend about it. Then you tell your family. Next you share the news with a co-worker who takes care of spreading the word at work. Pretty soon the bagger at the grocery store knows about it as does the teller at the bank, the waiter at your favorite restaurant and your hairstylist. You don't need to announce it on Facebook - everyone knows you are getting married.
Now the hard part begins. The "Who, What, When, Where" and "Why" questions need to be answered. Wedding plans take many twists and turns.
Let's assume you are not rich. Perhaps buying a house at a low interest rate sounds more sensible and longer-lasting than 300 guests at a luxury resort on Maui.
In that case your wedding needs to be smaller, closer to home and affordable. At the same time it must be romantic, beautiful, joyous and memorable. It must reflect your style and taste. You need to decide upon colors, time of day, atmosphere, food, drink, entertainment, transportation, lodging for out of town guests, clothing and accessories, and don't forget wedding rings. Further down the line you need a license to wed and the officiate.
This is why web sites such as The Knot exist. It's a great source of information. Ideas are endless and advice is free. Surf the wedding web sites and see what they have to say. The Northern California edition of Brides magazine acknowledges the recession and how it is affecting weddings. The Spring/Summer edition has a three-part article on negotiating great prices with wedding venues and vendors. They claim it's a "Bride's Market" but advise fairness to the venues and vendors. Cutting corners too deep may result in less quality and service.
My best advice is to set a budget and let everyone involved know what it is. Wedding professionals can offer creative ways to make your dollars stretch. There will be compromise involved but that is true even in the best of times.
Planning a wedding together is the first challenge of marriage. Tackling the guest list, finding out about the intricacies of the family tree and why Uncle George needs to be kept away from the bar are all part of melding two distinct families together.
Visit Weddings in Marin for wedding service providers who are located in Marin and know Marin.