A huge thank you to all my couples for your wonderful reviews! You’ve made it possible for me to be included again this year in The Knot’s Best of Weddings 2021 and for the first time in The Knot Hall of Fame! I love doing weddings and I strive to provide my couples with my very best service. I look forward to the weddings for the coming year and I hope that inquiring couples feel confident in placing their trust in me for their own ceremonies.
Thank you to all my wonderful couples for their kind words in reviews! You’ve made The Knot Best of Weddings possible for me for the third time! I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of your special days, and I look forward to the coming years, doing my absolute best to help make the wedding days of new couples a cherished memory!
I have to admit, when I decided to write this series on planning your wedding, I thought I could just pick and choose from a list, hitting the more interesting stuff first or be random about it. I’ve done a couple of posts on the topic now, and I realize it would be best if I went down the list, starting with the first things to do a year to a year and a half before your wedding day. I will be using a wedding planning checklist that I found online and modified a bit, which you can download below and print.
Now, I’m not a wedding planner, I’m a wedding officiant, but I know a lot of people in the business that I can call on to answer questions and even guest post on this blog so that you’re getting the best advice possible.
Let’s start with item number one on the list, Announce your engagement and set the date.
As the checklist says, “You have to start somewhere, and this is it! Have an engagement photo taken, then call your local newspaper to run your engagement announcement. You may want to jump ahead and have a professional photographer take the picture unless you know someone who can do a decent job.”
These days, newspapers are a bit less of a “go to” when it comes to news and announcements, at least where a printed paper is concerned. However, most, if not all newspapers have an online version that many people subscribe to, so find your local newspaper’s online site and schedule your announcement there. You may also want to check in your area for other small news sheets, local civic websites or even an announcement segment on your local TV or radio station.
Dr. Stephan J. Smith is an ordained, non-denominational wedding officiant who has been marrying loving couples in Livingston, Genesee, Oakland and surrounding Michigan Counties for more than 10 years. With a calming and caring demeanor, Dr. Smith strives to make his weddings unique and beautiful. His custom ceremonies, attention to detail and the perfect balance of mood creates an environment of serenity and bliss that you’ll treasure for all time. You can contact him for questions and availability by email or phone using the “Contact Dr. Smith” tab above.
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
