Wedding advice from a mother's perspective
Looking for a stunning
engagement ring, a beautiful
necklace or earrings for your
special day?
Tuxedos, Gowns,
Bridesmaids Dresses
Cakes, Flowers,
Gifts,Venues,Favors
Wedding Services sites at Top100.biz
A simply captivating
idea: Dress up your
wedding cake with
jewelry. From crystal  
cake toppers, of the bride
and grooms initials, to
Swarovski beautiful
bejeweled creations.
Visit the incredible
designs by:
verydifferentcakes.com
Wedding Article:
Wedding advice from a
mother's perspective

Top Honeymoon Destinations
Diamonds are Forever
Member of Onewed.com - Wedding planning guide. Find local wedding photographers, wedding dresses, and so much more!

What do Star Jones and
Mariah Carey have in
common? answer below
bestbridalprices.com
Apparel:
Bride:
Wedding gowns/dresses, veil,
tiaras, shoes accessories and
more
Groom:
Tuxedos /Suits, shoes, bow ties
& ties,  shirts, and more.
Wedding Venues:
Hotels, Restaurants, Resorts,
Destinations, Golf clubs, Beaches,
Halls, Dedicated Facilities, Catering
Wedding Flowers:
Bouquets, boutonnières, posies,
corsages, church & venue flowers  
Wedding Stationery:
Wedding Invitations, Wedding
Replies, Reception Invitations &  
Invitation Add-Ons,  Envelope Seals,  
Wedding Programs, Reception Place
Cards,  Save-The-Date Cards,
Magnets and Thank You Notes
We Rank with Top Wedding Sites™

Designer Wedding Dress
Bride Couture™ offers a secure online shopping experience for high end designer bridal gowns. Up to 75% off retail prices. Unsurpassed quality and detail. Vera Wang, Reem Acra, Amsale and many more!

Wedding Links Online - the premier wedding links search engine. Thousands of wedding links available!
Designer Wedding Dresses ship FREE - 0% sales tax!
Wedding Cakes:
Honeymoon and Destination
Weddings
Las Vegas
Weddings
TOP TEN HONEYMOON             
      DESTINATIONS

1.  Italy for pure romance

2.   Hawaii for beaches & spectacular views

3.   Tahiti the spectacular Polynesian jewel

4.   Costa Rica is exciting and fascinating

5.   Mexico for superior fine sandy beaches

6.   France provides culture, scenery, &
gourmet food

7.   Maldives beckon if you love the beach &
it's sports

8.   Anguilla satisfies a refined palate

9.   Fiji the South Pacific gem of all colors

10. Greece where love of ancient & modern
blends
Honeymoon and Destination Weddings
Mariah Carey's
beautiful Vera Wang
wedding dress and
Star Jones' Reem Acra
wedding dress: both
trains were 27ft long
Best Man, Groomsmen:
Tuxedos /Suits etc
Bridesmaids, Flower Girl
dresses, accessories and more
Page Boy / Ring Bearer,
Mother and Father of the Bride,
Personalised Items: Bride T
Shirts, Robes, Wedding
Gifts++
Personalised Watches for
Ladies, Men and Children
Wedding Favors:
Favor Boxes & Bags
Favors: Mints, Candles+
Cameras, and more
Wedding Accessories:  
Church: Candles, -
Reception: Guest book,
Wedding Planners
D.J.'s
Wedding
Photographers
Videographers
Wedding Jewelry:
White Gold Bridal Sets
Yellow Gold Bridal Sets
Engagement rings, wedding
bands / rings, bridal jewelry,
special wedding day gift to
your bride, or groom
MIAMI WEDDING FAVORS
Wedding Accessories & Jewelry
Discount wedding accessories for the
modern bride.
Wide selection of wedding jewelry and
wedding favors.
Great prices on tiaras and bridesmaid
jewelry.
Our wedding accessory prices are hard to
beat.
www.miamiweddingfavors.com
Long Island Weddings - Long Island's community wedding resource with chat, articles, and more.
New York Weddings - Planning guide and community for weddings in New York.
African American Weddings - African American wedding planning community and resource.
Gifts:  Bride and Groom
Matron of Honor, Groom,  Best
Man, Groomsmen,
Bridesmaids, Flower Girl, Page
Boy / Ring Bearer, Mother and
Father of the Bride, Mother and
Father of the Groom
Grandparents
Take a Virtual Tour of Bellagio’s Wedding Facilities




One of the most important aspects of planning your wedding is making the right choice of venue. If you
know your neighbourhood then you will probably be aware of your ideal location and no doubt it is
based on personal experience, budget and friends and family recommendations. If however you need
help then let you fingers do the walking initially and check local venues on your computer. Research
web sites and read blogs.  Brides love to share their news and you will find reviews on the places which
were great and be forewarned of potential problems at others.  

Be Prepared:

Have your check list ready and know your preferences in advance.

When you first arrive at the venue there are several important points to ascertain.

Was the location of the venue easily accessible? No major road works, confusing slip roads or subject to
abnormally heavy traffic?

Was parking easy? Do you have to pay for parking for your wedding party? (one hotel which was on our
short list charged $5 per car and city locations can charge high parking fees). Is there a separate car
park for wedding guests? Do they offer a valet service and if so what are the charges?

Is the entrance attractive, clean and well tended?

Are there good exterior locations for photography?

Once you are happy with the location and actual facilities then the following A - Z list is a suggestion of
key questions.

a. Is the venue to serve a double purpose: the place where you exchange vows and the reception
location? Do they offer this service and if so where? Do they have a gazebo or dedicated lawn area and
if so how do they manage in inclement weather?

b. Is there a separate entrance for the wedding party? (if it's a hotel it can be busy arriving at the main
reception door)

c. Is there a room provided for the bride to dress in? And a separate room for the bridegroom/rest of
wedding party?

d. Where will you greet your guests? As always first impressions are important make sure that this area is
dressed for the occasion and that it's not like the waiting room at the local bus station.

e. Do you want to serve cocktails, welcome hors oeuvres and or soft drinks to guests when they arrive? If
so how do they prefer to provide this service? Ask for suggestions.
Is this part of the 'package' / cost per head or is this additional?

f.  What type of bar are you offering and how will it be managed? Most venues offer a choice of bar. An
open bar can be expensive and may lead to headaches if guests drink too much. If you prefer not to
offer an open bar then you could limit the alcohol to the welcome cocktail, champagne toast and / or
table wine.

g. Where are the location of the rest rooms? And are they reserved just for your party?

h. Where will the gift table and wedding cake table be located?

i. Do they offer a choice of service: silver service, buffet, sit down or a mixture? i.e. buffet starter and the
main course served or vice versa.

i. Do they offer chef's stations? If so are these an additional charge? (this includes a manned table for
chocolate fountain etc).

k.. Can you change/alter/add menus to personal preferences?

l. Will they cater for vegetarian and special needs diets?

m. Will they provide a children's meal for a reduced charge? Are the under two's free?

n. Is it possible to provide your own candies/after dinner sweets/cookies/desserts  (if desired)? These
could be in the form of favors.

o. Check details in relation to the toast to the bridal couple. Is the champagne included in the 'per
head' charge? Can you supply your own and pay a serving fee/corkage? (not usually allowed but may
be worth asking depending on choice of champagne/table wines and your budget).

p. Is there a dance floor and if so is it an additional charge? At some venues the dance floor is part and
parcel of the wedding package but several venues actually have it stored and it is an extra service to
have it laid.

q. Do they supply centerpieces for the tables? If so ask to see them. If you are not happy with them can
you supply your own? Do they allow candles? (fire insurances sometimes restrict them or you can use a
certain type).

r. How do they decorate the main table for the bride and groom?

s. Do they have a set way of setting up the room or can you decide on a different configuration, table
size etc?

t. Do they offer a choice of colors for tablecloths, napkins etc?

v. Does your package include chair covers and if so ask to see them, If this is extra what is the charge
per chair? (You can sometimes buy these for less than the hire charge)

w. When can your vendors gain access to the venue, for cake delivery and set up (if purchased
separately to the wedding venue? and also for your MC, photographer, videographer etc. For everything
to run smoothly they need time to set up and familiarise themselves with their location for a while before
the reception/wedding begins.

x. Check the location, rules and regulations regarding type of lighting, electrical sockets, noise levels
etc. for your DJ.


y. . Is the cake cutting and distributing included or an extra charge?

z. Do they allow confetti, balloons, bubbles, rice etc?

and..... A couple of very important questions:

Will yours be the only wedding on that day? If not is yours the only wedding in that particular room/part
of the hotel etc?

Do they book back to back weddings? This is never a good idea you do not want to feel hurried or that
your wedding is on a conveyor belt.

If the wedding runs late for whatever reason what are the over run charges and do they charge per
quarter hour or hourly?



When you first decide to visit a particular venue it is advisable to go incognito. A  clean, safe
environment and happy courteous employees will provide a good indication that your wedding will be
well cared and catered for.

Carefully read their terms and conditions, safety, insurance and liability papers.

Several hotels provide a complimentary room for the bridal night for the bride and groom and also offer
a discount on the rack room rate for your out of town guests. Additionally, especially if you have chosen
a destination wedding, you should enquire if they leave a 'welcome pack' in the room for your guests.
You may wish to consider this and provide one if this is not an option.

And finally please ask what exactly you purchase for the price and ask to see a list of what they classify
as 'extras'. The last thing that you or your family want is to have an unwelcome surprise when the final
bill is presented. If you ask and question and the reply is 'that of course they can do that' then ask if this
will be an additional charge. Do not assume that because they have answered in the affirmative that it
is a free service. Make sure that you are fully cognizant of any and all charges, legality and safety
aspects of the venue.

Make sure that you have listed everything that is important to you and to the overall success of your
special day. Cross your 't's and dot your 'i's, double check it all again and give yourself plenty of time for
any hiccups and have a lovely day.



If you feel that the foregoing list would be of assistance then please feel free to print it. If you join our
mailing list we an also update you on any new advice, information and current trends.


If you have any advice to add to our list we would love to hear from you.

Please email us:
Wedding Venues:
Hotels, Restaurants, Resorts,
Destinations, Golf clubs, Beaches, Halls,
Dedicated Facilities, Caterers
Wedding Venues
an A to Z list