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Gino Spano

The world of wedding planning can be a scary one to venture into; after all you’re dealing with the most important day of people’s lives.

Whether you’re the maid of honour looking to be a great resource and helper, or a bride-to-be who wants every detail of her big day to be perfect, here are a few key steps to planning a great wedding.

What’s Your Vision?

Any wedding planning should start with the vision. How do you want your day to look, feel, and sound? Will it be a formal affair or have a more casual feel? Will there be a specific theme? There’s a lot to think about here but it’s important to lay the groundwork before you move on to planning specific elements.

Establish a Budget

This next step is a crucial one. Everyone has a budget and it’s important to establish yours so that you can decide what’s feasible at every stage in the planning process. This also helps set up reasonable expectations for what your day is going to look like.

Work on the Guest List

Now that you know how much you’re working with budget-wise, it’s time to work on the guest list. You’ll know by now if you can afford to invite everyone you know, or just close friends and relatives, or somewhere in between.

Invitations and Print Material

With the guest list complete, you can now send out your save-the-dates, invitations, and other necessary print material. It’s good to plan all the print products now so you can tie them together with the same theme or look. This can also include print materials for the ceremony and reception like menus and programs.

Plan the Ceremony

Now comes the ceremony; we like to keep this as a separate step from planning the reception, to prevent feeling overwhelmed by all the details. Some important questions around the ceremony are: Church or venue? Celebrant or minister? On site or off site? Many venues give great deals when you have the ceremony and reception in the same place.

Plan the Reception

It’s reception time! There are lots of things to think about here like how your theme will tie into the reception, what will you do for food and drinks, seating arrangements, speeches (if any), and of course choosing the venue itself.

Choose Your Music and Photographer

What would a wedding be without music? Here is where you can inject some of your own personality or opt to save some extra dollars. You can hire your favourite local band, or use your own iTunes playlist.

And when it comes to choosing a photographer, make sure you look at plenty of their previous work to ensure you’re happy with their style before hiring them.

Choose Flowers and Decor

The amount of flowers and decor at your wedding will likely be determined by budget and personal taste, so it’s important to consider this when choosing a theme and location. Venues with lots of windows, light, and plants or trees might require less decoration, saving you money in the long run.

Attire

It’s time to decide on your wedding attire. Do you have a wedding party? If so, how do you want them to dress? Will all of the bridal party wear the same thing? How formal do you want the men to look? Make sure everyone feels special and comfortable so they can celebrate in style.

All the Rest

You might think everything is said and done, but have you considered keeping room in your budget for things like transportation, wedding favours, and hotel accommodations? Additionally, it’s always wise to leave room for little extras which always pop-up near the end of wedding planning.

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Gino Spano

Starting with roots in a kitchen at 14 years old, he worked his way up the ranks and by the young age of 17 was responsible for daily events of 50 to 600 people. Gino continued to use his talents to work in catering, banquet and restaurant kitchens across the GTA. His love for Italian, French and Asian cuisine paired with his wide variety of knowledge brought him success in his new venture at Seventh Heaven in 2001. Over the past 12 years, he has cooked many meals for social events, corporate events and government officials. His love for new challenges brought him into corporate sales where he and the Seventh Heaven team won Best Catered Event for Canadian Linen’s “The Great White North” – Facility Grand Opening in 2009.
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