Finding Your Wedding Style
All wedding couples are beautiful. When you feel beautiful, you have a natural glow that makes you shine from the inside out. But how will you decide on a wedding style that truly reflects who you both are? Will it be formal, semi-formal, or informal? And how do you know the difference? How will you keep that style consistent throughout the entire event? Not to worry—here are some pointers on deciding a wedding style.
What to Wear
One of the universal questions is: What are we going to wear? A large part of the answer depends upon your personal styles. Determining this will lead you in the right direction for the vision and planning of your wedding overall.
- Formal: Typically formal wedding style begs for wedding gowns and/or tuxedos. If you have a more relaxed sense of style and would rather the wedding party be more dressed up and prefer the guests be elegant but not too formal (we call this semi-formal), the wedding couple may choose a long bridal gown and/or tuxedos, and invite the guests to wear cocktail attire.
- Semi-Formal: You set the table with awesome dinnerware and serve on platters or a side-table buffet, forgo the music but place a candle or two and a few bud vases here and there. Dessert is served with the ceremony as coffee and tea options are laid out.
- Informal: It’s easier to order pizza or Chinese and serve beer & wine than to fuss. It’s all about the company anyway.
Determining Your Personal Style
So many people struggle with finding their perfect style. But if you ask yourselves these few simple questions, deciding may be easy:
- Formal: When you entertain, ambiance is as high on the priority list as the food you serve. You arrange vases filled with beautiful flowers, light candles, curate a playlist of music, set the table with several courses in mind, and serve a menu of delicacies.
- Semi-Formal: You set the table with awesome dinnerware and serve on platters or a side-table buffet, forgo the music but place a candle or two and a few bud vases here and there. Dessert is served with the ceremony as coffee and tea options are laid out.
- Informal: It’s easier to order pizza or Chinese and serve beer & wine than to fuss. It’s all about the company anyway.
Setting a Budget
Now that you’ve determined your personal style, how do you set a budget? The best way to figure that out is to get a little knowledge about how much things actually cost. All tastes, whether refined or relaxed, can be reflected in a myriad of price ranges. Creativity is key.
Determining Guest Count
Determining your guest count is immensely important when trying to determine a budget. Imagine 75 of your nearest and dearest. Now factor in your personal styles (formal, semi-formal, etc.) and consider feeding them. How much would you pay per person at your favorite restaurant? Now add incidentals such as tip and multiply by 75. Did you come up with $750 or $7500 or more? Factor in invitations, entertainment, flowers, cocktails, and the venue.
Choosing a Venue
Some venues may rent for as little as $500 for the space and some as high as $25K. This seems like a lot to deal with, right? And I haven’t even mentioned a myriad of other details. Reconsidering a wedding planner now? Well, friends, that costs money too!
Put together a guest list and reflect carefully on whom you really want to celebrate with you on this auspicious day. A wedding invitation is an honor. Unless your budget allows you to include obligatory invitations, this is not the time to just add people for the sake of it. You can always invite those various business connections or friends you haven’t spoken with in years out to dinner or to your home at a later date. Or even send a wedding announcement so they know you’ve gotten married. This is a great way to let people know, and most people appreciate the information without the pressure of having to give a gift.
Wardrobe and Venue Coordination
You can either move on to wardrobe and wear your heart’s desired outfit no matter which venue you ultimately choose, or choose the venue first and let that guide your wardrobe choice. I prefer the former.
If you wear a suit: all white, bespoke of custom fabric, or a tuxedo, I suggest you choose one of the very best quality you can afford. This is the time to go all out for yourself (even if you are renting). I stand behind what I wrote in the very first paragraph of this article:
“When you feel beautiful, you have a natural glow that makes you shine from the inside out.” And you shall feel even more beautiful if you are wearing great quality. And in the majority of cases, the suit you wear will be able to be worn again and again. Therefore, pro-rate the practicality if you must, then go and glow!
The most common argument against splurging on a wedding gown is: “But you wear it only once!” Ladies and gentlemen may I retort: Oh, but what a once! Imagine this: you are going to get up the morning of…beautify leisurely…luxuriate in sentiment as you get ready. Now project yourself to this moment, gingerly (or excitedly) stepping into the gown of…your dreams? Or a default? There are plenty of options out there and the price need not be an obstacle. Trust that there are gown designers that not only create beautiful garments but are budget-friendly, as well. And if money is truly no object, then start making appointments immediately at bridal salons because unless you purchase a sample off the rack, it can take up to four months to order!
