Traditionally, the rehearsal dinner is hosted by the groom's parents 1-2 nights before
the wedding. The guest list usually includes, the bride and groom, the wedding party
along with their spouses, the immediate family of both bride and groom, and sometimes
out-of-town guests. Extended family and friends of the couple may also be invited.

The rehearsal dinner is typically help at a restaurant or a private home. This dinner can
be totally casual, semi-formal, or themed. Pick your outfit accordingly! A sweet dress is
a must!  Not too casual or too short!! (: Be sure that your personal style shows in your
outfit with your shoes, jewelry, and handbag! 

This is a great time to visit with all of your guests, have a few impromptu speeches, and
generally just hang out in a super relaxed atmosphere!

The actual rehearsal, held before the dinner, should include the wedding party and
immediate family. It's a real perk if everyone is on time for you! The rest of the guests
should arrive at the dinner.
{Metallic Daisy dress $268.00 and Swiss-dot Fontana dress $140.00}

Dr. Kimber Lee Wilkes, of The Ring Please, gave us this advice on planning your
ceremony! Dr. Wilkes is a non-denominational officiant available in Southern California.
Read on for some tips on creating the ceremony that best fits you!

The Ceremony has three areas to be considered; content, duration, and meaning.

Content
The content of your ceremony should speak the words that reflect you as a couple. The
guests should feel the the officiant knows the couple based on what is said which would
make the ceremony feel authentic. For the officiant, this would include spending some
time with you as well as getting to know your backgrounds and lifestyles.
Duration
The average ceremony lasts 20-30 minutes. This duration can vary depending on any
traditions that may be added, such as the unity candle, readings, rose exchange, or the
sand ceremony, just to name a few. Guests remain better engaged in ceremonies lasting
between 20 and 30 minutes.
Meaning
What type of ceremony would you like to have? Ceremonies can be simple or very
elaborate and involved. The tone can be serious and formal, or can involve some
levity. The meaning of your ceremony can sometimes be determined by the location.
For example,  beach or garden ceremony can be less formal than a church ceremony.

Thanks to Dr. Kimber Lee Wilkes, The Ring Please, for this great information that is
sometimes overlooked as part of the planning!

 
Ok, so now you’re engaged. Now what? Well, that is a very good question. I could help
you answer that, but I am going to leave it to the expert. With her bubbling personality,
trademark enthusiasm, fabulous style, and attention to detail; Jennifer Scheumann, of
It’s Your Day! Weddings and Events, is the one to call! Where do I start? What amount of
my budget goes where? What are the most important things to do first? Jennifer will
give you a clear and simple answer to these questions that won’t leave you feeling
like taking a road trip to Vegas!

 
Congratulations! You are about to embark on one of the most exciting times of your life,
planning your wedding! When you start to spread the word on your engagement, people
will automatically bombard you with the “What’s the date? “Where is it?” questions, so
it will be time to get started with the planning! Here are some helpful tips to get you on
your way…

First things first:

- Compile guest list: Start putting names on paper (or in a spreadsheet rather!) of your
preliminary guest list. This means you and your fiancé, and both of your families should
put together all the people you would like to invite. Tally this list to see what your total
invited guest count is looking like. Rough rule of thumb: 10 – 20% of your invited guests
will probably not be able to make it. Disclaimer: I have done weddings with 98% responses
of “yes,” so only you know your guest list and who will most likely make it! Be prepared to
have to make some cuts. The higher the guest count, the higher the cost.

• Determine the Budget (least fun part of the wedding planning – but an essential part!) Find
out who will be contributing to the wedding budget and how much. Get a total number that is
realistic for you to spend.

•Make a Budget Breakdown Based on your priorities, and the areas that are most
important to you, do a spreadsheet to allocate your budget and breakdown per each area.

Here is an estimate of the percentage that each area will contribute to the total budget:

• Coordination (Depending on level of service) 3% – 10%
• Photographer 8% – 10%
• Videographer 3% – 7%
• Ceremony (Rental Fee, Marriage License, Officiant) 1 – 5%
• Reception (Rental Fee + Catering Fees) 45% – 55%
• Entertainment (Ceremony & Reception) 3% - 13%
• Florist 4% – 10%
• Décor (Linens, Lighting, Chairs, etc.): 0 – 10%
• Stationery 3% – 5%
• Cake 2%
• Attire 3% – 6%
• Accessories 1% – 2%
• Transportation 1% – 2%
• Social Gatherings 1% – 4%
• Miscellaneous 5%

Decide on General Location and Approximate Date: Keep in mind that peak season
(April – October) Saturday evenings will be the most expensive at any venue. If you
are open to a Friday or Sunday or a lunch event, it will be less expensive. Also, try
to be flexible on the dates. If you fall in love with a location, you might have to work
around their availability.

• Book Your Wedding Coordinator : Booking your coordinator at the beginning of the
process will streamline the planning process and will save you a lot of time and energy!

• Start Researching and Touring Venues: Once you have your approximate guest count
and time of year, you can start researching some locations online and from referrals.
If you are interested in a location call or email the location to find the availability and
general pricing. Do not torture yourself by touring locations that are out of your budget.
When you find places that are in your budget, set up a tour of the venue. It is always
good to make an appointment so that you can meet with the contact and they can answer
your questions. Ask to see pictures of weddings, it will help you visualize. Once you have
your locations narrowed down, ask the site(s) to do a proposal for you so that you can see
the total cost you are looking at (e.g. site rental, food, bar, parking, labor, service charge,
tax, etc. etc.) You will want to have a realistic quote from the site based on your guest
count to determine if it is feasible in your budget. Once you have found the location and
determined the price will work, sign the contract and book your location and date!
Congratulations, this is a huge accomplishment! Rough rule of thumb: On average, 50%
of your budget will go to the reception location (rental fee + catering total.)

• Buy Your Dress

• Book Your Vendors: As soon as your date and location are set, you can begin to book
your vendors. It is important to do this as early as possible as many vendors book up
far in advance. Use your coordinator’s referrals, or if not working with a coordinator,
consider the vendor referral list from your venue or personal referrals from friends or
other vendors you have already hired.

• Once you have booked your location, date and all of your major vendors, you will
have successfully completed the preliminary portion of your wedding planning! Hooray!

Here are the top 12 Essential Kitchen Items. Be sure to add these to your registry so you
can get cookin'! 

To Recap, the Top 12 Essential Kitchen Items are:
1. Mixing Bowl                                                
2. Vegetable Peeler                                         
3. Four-Sided Grater
4. 10-12 inch Nonstick Frying Pan
5. Can Opener
6. Spatula
7. Pyrex Measuring Cups
8. 1-2 Quart Saucepan with Lid
9. A Good Knife
10. Colander
11. Nonstick Cookie Sheet
12. A Set of Measuring Spoons