If you are a bride and/or groom
Congratulations!
You must be very excited for the big day.
Again, thank you for visiting DJonFire.com, I hope this page will be of some help in planning your "Dream Wedding." I have compiled the following resources over the last several years, and hope you will find them as invaluable as I do, when assisting others in their planning. If you don't find everything you need for this very important endeavor, please email me and ask. I have worked in several different venues of the wedding industry and may be able to answer most of your questions. If I am not able to answer it, I will be able to point you in the right direction. As a side note, this stage of the game can be very stressful, that is why I have tried to make it as simple as possible by providing the following:
"The 3 Month Wedding Planner"
While I was living in Seattle, helping people plan their "DREAM" weddings, I found that having a planner to assist in the venture was vital to their success. In Seattle, people got engaged and remained engaged for a couple years, unless they were LDS, but then they were still engaged an average of 6 months. This planner was originally a 12 month planner, but since this is Utah and the average engagement is only a few months, I had to drastically condense it. This shortened timeline still works, as vendors here in Utah are prepared and used to such short engagements.
You might be thinking, my friend got married a few months ago, my sister got married recently, so her and my mom know what I need to do, but "TRUST ME" I have seen when accidents happen. Brides and grooms forget the small things and weddings start late and guests are kept waiting. One wedding last year, the ring bearer's father got a flat tire and did not have a spare. The wedding guests were not only waiting on him to get his son there, but had to wait for Les Schwab to fix the tire. It came down to someone running over there and picking the kid up, leaving the dad to pay the bill, and making the kid cry because he wanted his daddy, he cried all the way down the aisle. It got to the point that while waiting on the ring bearer, I had to get up in front of the crowd and do a little stand-up routine. Good thing I have some jokes to tell. Granted, this planner does not get that in depth, but it does help with other things that can make as big or bigger issues come wedding day.
No one wants to have their wedding ruined by the small things, so use this planner to assist you in making your "DREAM wedding, exactly that, the one you have been dreaming of since you were five.
"The Reception Planner" is a form that I use when I sit down with brides and grooms and help them plan the perfect reception. This version of the planner, includes ideas for you to use at your reception. I have included some wedding traditions from around the world.
Traditional LDS receptions had finger foods and a receiving line the entire night. LDS brides and grooms are changing ways, as it is now more and more common practice to have a reception where there is no receiving lines. Brides and grooms during the reception, walk around and visit with their guests, at their tables. This way they can converse with a few couples at once, and move through this process quicker.
I use this planner, so that all the vendors know when things will happen. I was a guest at a reception where the DJ decided it was time for the first dance, except the photographer was in the restroom. As the couple danced, no pictures captured this "SPECIAL" moment.
"Who Pays For What" & "Ways to Cut Price"
"Who Pays For What" is the most commonly asked question when it comes to weddings, actually the second most common question, the most important, "Will You Marry Me?" I am taking the chance here to say that that question has already been asked, as you are here today, planning a wedding. Here in Utah, weddings do not cost as much as other states, but the total budget still should not fall on one person or the parents of one. I have put together this list of who pays for what, in traditional weddings. You do not "HAVE" to follow this outline, but it can assist you and let you know who commonly pays for what.
Everyone wants to save money when they can, especially with an economy like it is today. "Ways To Cut Price" is here to offer you ideas where you can save. These ideas will not tell you to choose vendors who are not up to par with what you want. It will help you choose between what you WANT and what you NEED, that are IMPORTANT to the success of your big day. If you are from Utah, count your many blessings, weddings outside of Utah, cost on average $40,000 that is easliy 10 times what the average Utah bride will spend. Dresses alone cost easily $5-10,000 and I have seen wedding budgets (not rich and famous) of $70,000, the biggest being $150,000.
"Picking the RIGHT Tuxedo"
"Picking The Right Tuxedo" is here to assist the Groom in picking out the "RIGHT" tuxedo. Yes, the wedding day is mostly all about the wedding dress, but believe it or not a tuxedo should be coordinated with the Bride's wedding dress. The dress is one of the first things a bride will pick out, so what does this mean for the groom? This means that picking out the tuxedo should be put on the back burner, it is VERY IMPORTANT to get this done as soon as the dress is selected, so that your choices will is still be available. If your wedding day happens to be around Prom or Winter Ball season, pick it out quickly. I have seen many brides and grooms run into a lot of problems because the tuxedo was not picked out when it should have been. Also, one more tip to the groom - VERY IMPORTANT! MAKE SURE YOU DO YOUR FINAL FITTING, TUXEDOS WILL NOT FIT PERFECTLY THE FIRST TIME! THEY MIGHT NEED SOME ALTERATIONS, THOSE TAKE TIME!
"Wasatch Weather" - Would you like to know what the weather MIGHT be like on "YOUR" wedding day?
"Processional Lines" - This will be a future link.
"Where To Register" - This will be a future link.
"How To Register" - This will be a future link.