Getting married is a multi-step process that requires a lot of planning and quite a bit of patients as well. Before getting married, however, a proposal has to occur. While changing times have created situations where women will propose to a man, proposals are still mostly the domain of the man.
Asking the Father
While it may seem old fashioned, there are many women who dream of a traditional proposal, which means that their fiance to be will begin by asking for permission to marry her. Generally, this is something that you only need to do if the woman you want to marry has a close relationship with her father. If they don’t speak or she doesn’t speak fondly of him, skipping this step is just fine.
Buying the Ring
You can buy the engagement ring before or after asking for permission to marry the woman that you love. While you may want to try to find a stellar diamond engagement rings deal, don’t buy something that you know she won’t like, or that you’re not sure of, just so that you can save some money. This is something that you should splurge on and that should reflect the depth of your feelings for the woman that you love.
Planning the Proposal
Planning the perfect proposal begins with you knowing the woman that you want to marry very well. Most women talk about things that they find romantic, or comment on great stories of how one person proposed to another. Pay attention! You want to propose in a way that she will remember forever. Here are some different ways that you can propose romantically.
- Propose on a family holiday – include her family in a surprise proposal
- Propose on a picnic – beaches, lakes or wooded areas are often romantic
- Propose where you had your first date
- Propose while taking a romantic vacation
- Propose at home after making her dinner and creating a romantic atmosphere
This is just the tip of the ice burg. You will find that there are hundreds of ways to propose to a woman successfully. Talk to her friends and ask for ideas if you’re not sure what to do — but make sure they can keep a secret. Also, the Internet is going to be a great asset when searching for unique or romantic ways to propose.
The Engagement Party
Traditionally, the parents of the bride throw the engagement party for an engaged couple, but there are no set rules on this these days. You can throw your own engagement party or you can ask a friend to do it.
The engagement party should occur about three months after the engagement announcement. If you’re getting married sooner than a year then you may want to consider having the engagement party sooner than that.
If you want your engagement party to be unique and memorable, consider making your own invitations and decorations for the event. Of course, if you, your friends and your family aren’t crafty or handy, then this idea may not work. If, however, you’re a creative group, then you can create something that is uniquely your own.
You can invite anyone you want to your engagement party, but keep in mind that someone invited to this event will expect to be invited to your wedding. If you’re not interested in having someone at both places, then consider not inviting them at all.
The Rehearsal Dinner
The rehearsal dinner is traditionally given by the grooms parents. Again, this can change for a number of reasons, such as his parents are deceased, they can’t afford to pay or they just aren’t close.
The rehearsal dinner can take place anywhere and can be as formal or as casual as you would like it to be. Often, it’s the grooms parents who make the decision about the what, when and where part of the dinner, but usually only the wedding party and immediate family members — mom, dad and siblings — are included on the guest list.
The Wedding
A wedding can be incredibly stressful for everyone involved. The stress of a wedding can be reduced by hiring a wedding planner — if you can afford one. Maintaining a comprehensive list throughout the planning of the wedding can make the big day go that much smoother.
There are a number of things that a bride has to consider when planning her wedding.
Wedding Gown
This is something that you want to be perfect. Everything else can go wrong, but if you’re wearing the perfect dress you will still feel beautiful. Don’t settle for anything that you don’t love when dress shopping. It’s best to try on as many options as you can to ensure that you get the best fit and style for you.
Bridesmaids Dresses
Keeping it simple for your bridesmaids dresses serves two purposes. First of all, you don’t want them to outshine you. Secondly, keeping the costs down for your bridesmaids is considerate, to say the least.
Venue
There are many alternatives for a wedding venue. You can choose to have your wedding at a church and your reception at a hotel. You can have your wedding in a garden and your reception in a banquet hall. There are quite a lot of options to consider. If you want an outside wedding, consider the time of year and the typically weather for that time of the year. If you live in a rainy area, you must have a plan B in place in case of inclement weather.
Invitations
You and your groom should select the invitations together. While there are plenty of online print shops, you will want to consider visiting a wedding store and buying your invitations in person. You want to get a feel for the quality of the paper, how it looks in real life and so on before you make a purchase. Don’t’ forget, keep the tone and the look of the invitations in line with your type of wedding — formal, casual, fun, fancy, etc.
Flowers
Finding a local florist is the best choice for your flowers. Much like the invitations, you want to ensure that the flowers suit the type of wedding that you’re having. Some people love the idea of a fresh picked flower bouquet. If you’re choosing this option, make sure that the flowers that you want are in season at the time of your wedding.
Photographer
A photographer needs to be invisible for your wedding while still providing the best shots imaginable. Shop around and get recommendations for a good photographer. You must see a wedding portfolio from a photographer before hiring one. Wedding photos are not the same as family portraits, scenic photos and so on, so don’t hire someone without wedding experience.
The Cake
A good baker can be hard to find. You’ll want to schedule a tasting and a photo viewing of your different options. Keep in mind the expected guest count and order accordingly.
The DJ/Band
A DJ or a band usually keeps the reception moving. Keep that in mind when you hire someone. A person with a squeaky voice, a cheesy sound and so on will be remembered by you and your guests. Also, cost is probably going to be a factor so shop around. Lastly, make sure that the group or DJ can provide their own equipment as well.
Food
If you’re having a meal at your reception, make sure that you have enough for everyone. You should always plan for 10 to 20 more people than have actually sent their RSVP to ensure that there is enough food. If you’re having the reception at a hotel, then the kitchen can usually prepare something for unexpected guests, but be prepared to pay for it.
Gifts
You need to consider the gifts that you’re going to give to your bridesmaids and to the groomsmen. Usually the maid of honor and the best man get something different than the rest of the group. It’s always nice to give a gift that will mean something to the person you’re giving it to.
There is so much that goes into an engagement and a wedding and the more people you want to include the more planning there will be. By planning ahead and being as organized as possible, you can limit the issues that occur. Take advantage of the help offered to you by others, use a wedding planner if you can and buy a book if you cant, so that you’re wedding will the event that you’ve always dreamed it would be.
