Deciding On The Wedding Date
Before setting the wedding date,
decide upon what sort of ceremony you wish to have
and check that the church, synagogue or licensed civil venue
and reception venue are available on the day.
Early summer up until September
is usually the most popular time of the year to get married,
so if you're planning to have your wedding during these months,
you may need to arrange things about a year in advance.
Booking in advance is important as most hotels and licensed venues
can only cater for one wedding per day,
an alternative if you know someone who has a large enough garden.
Here in Southern California
the beach, the mountains, and the desert
are among the options available as wedding locales.
Try contacting several caterers and venues in your area
and compare their facilities and prices.
If possible, have a meal at the places you have chosen
to sample the cuisine and to get an idea of the standards
and service.
Some of the hotels and civil venues
will offer a 'package deal', to include the wedding cake and stand,
a toastmaster, flowers and a changing room for the bridal party.
Organizing The Wedding Service
Whether your marriage is to take place in a church
or a beach or a mountain or park or elsewhere,
there are certain preliminaries that you must go
through when arranging the ceremony.
The following is only intended as a very basic guide;
any detailed queries that you may have should be addressed
to your minister or wedding officiant.
Normally the service will take place at the bride's family
church,
For Catholic weddings, your local priest can want the
necessary dispensation if either you or your partner is not Catholic.
You will also need to discuss your choice of vows, music,
and the overall type of service.
Each faith has its own way of
administering second marriages:
The Catholic Church is strict -
not only does it categorically rohibit divorcees
to remarry in church while the 'ex' is still alive,
but a church blessing is also impossible.
Many of the non-conformist churches take a more
tolerant approach to second marriages,
and if you are a divorcee keen to wed in church
it is worth making a few inquiries
before making an announcement.
Of course you may also wish to have a non traditional wedding
where you write your own vows.
These can be some of the most beautiful
and heartfelt wedding ceremonies of all.