It Started with a Kiss & Now it's Come to This!

So you're engaged?  Congratulations!  Now that the engagement parties and congratulatory toasts  are out of the way, time to focus in on the reality of an engagement – stress!  Luckily, it doesn't have to be stressful.  Use these five discovery questions to help pave the way to your Happily Ever After!

Who do you want to surround you on your big day?  Maybe you dream of a small intimate gathering while your fiancé can’t bear the thought of Great Grandma not there. How will you work around this idea and still be affordable?  Remember, for every person who attends, there is a per person cost involved.  Consider having a small intimate wedding away and a large reception back home to announce the wedding and celebrate with all your family and friends.  Consider a themed reception bringing in elements of the destination you wed at.  Imagine, while your guests feast on an authentic  Jamaican Jerk BBQ you can have reggae music playing in the background while a slide show of your pictures play on table top digital photo frames or the Jumbotron! Ya Mon!

What do you want your big day to look like: simple and chic or elegant and couture?  The option is yours!  Involve BOTH of your personalities into the design of the wedding for a one of a kind feel and one that creates fun memories.  Are you sentimental?  Incorporate your Mother’s dress or even your Great Grandmother’s ring.  Untraditional?  How about a rock & roll themed wedding complete with Brett Michaels at your reception instead of a DJ!

Where would you like to wed? Beach, Backyard or Aboard a Cruise ship? You can marry anywhere you like; however, some places are easier than others.  Consider my backyard wedding in September.  The mosquitoes were so bad, the photography session took longer and the retouching of all the red bites on the wedding party was incredible.  However, compare that to a cruise ship, not only are there not any bugs, you can also relax in knowing while you say “I do”, there is a complete team in the other room setting up your reception dinner and you don’t have to lift a finger!

When??  Timing is everything.  Consider shoulder seasons for best value.  Don’t expect a deal on red roses in February or even in the Caribbean as they are not native to the area. Same goes for venues.  Not everyone wants to play Roulette with Mother Nature in spring or fall in the Midwest; however, these can be amazing times to travel to more exotic locales for a fraction of the cost during other times of the year. 

Why are we doing all of this?  Because two people fell in love, that’s why!  This really isn't about what Mother wants or Daddy hopes for or even what your sister did.  This is about the uniqueness of you and your fiancé.  Don’t get so hung up on the details of planning a wedding that you forget about the WHY.  

Jennifer Maki, Destination Diva at Divine Destinations specializes in making Wedding and Honeymoon dreams come true!  Still overwhelmed with all the options?  Give her a call at 218-348-2825 and schedule a complimentary planning session to see what option is perfect for you.  Life is hard.  Planning a wedding or Honeymoon should not be.  Trust your big day to the experts; you'll be glad you did!