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Just enganged, have a few "dumb" questions...

LieceyLiecey
10 Comments
in African American Weddings

Hi ladies!
 I'm a newbie and I just got engaged last weekend. I've been lurking on the boards for a whole week and just decided to join the forum!

I have a few questions and I hope you all can help. We set our date for Sept 2013, this will allow us time to save as much as we can. So I was wondering , when should we start checking out venues? I've started calling a few places for price quotes but is it too soon? When should I start looking into other vendors (DJ, photographer, flowers, etc )? Also, my fiancee and I were both raised Christians but we do not go to church, how would we choose a minister to marry us?

Last question, can someone help me out with some of the acronyms used, would like to be "knot" savy lol, thank you!

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Re: Just enganged, have a few "dumb" questions...

  • kamira87kamira87
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Congrats an welcome. I'm not a big poster but when I do it's on this board. The ladies here are very friendly. To answer ur question I think most would say 18 months to a year that way u have time to shop around and secure ur picks before some else does. The acronyms I'm still learning myself lol. Sorry no help at all on that.
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  • mahoganieyesmahoganieyes
    Ninth Anniversary 2500 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    Okay some people called me crazy but we saved money for some vendors. Engaged Christmas 2008 and booked our reception and ceremony site by May 2009 for our September 2011 wedding.

    After we got engaged between that Jan-March we looked at over 10 locations, so I had a good idea by the 3rd location what I wanted. Even now after the wedding, my location choice still had better offerings than other locations in my area. I was able to get a 10% discount because we looked at a sister hotel of our reception site and that location was offering a better price, so in order for reception site to get out $$$ they had to give us a discount. We booked out ceremony site early because we still had the chance for a refund since it was booked over 2 years in advance, and that Jun 2009 that location was increasing pricing from $495 to $995. That new price would have been out our budget.

    The photographer we waited to book till Jan 2010. I find some of the best photographers in my area only does a limited amount of weddings and book over a year in advance. I called a few in December 2009 and already booked for my September 2011 wedding. No lie! Also, I found out most vendors increase prices in Jan for the new year. I guess they need to break even. I emailed my photographer in December 2009 and his rate was $150 engagement pics and $850 for wedddings, so my total was only $1k. Well with his popularity from over a year ago his starting rate is $1950. Yes..he was new in the area and just starting out and as word of mouth spread his business increased and so did pricing.

    We saved money because I did research. I checked out so many vendors for reception, ceremony and photography. You really have to do that or regret your choice a year later.

    Congratulations!


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  • brittanyjterrellbrittanyjterrell
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    It's good that you are on the ball with this stuff!

    You can book now or wait a while and check out as many venues as you can, depending on how popular the venue is where you live.. booking as soon as possible would be best! But you can possibly wait until September 2012 before making a commitment!

    Vendors such as photography, DJ, etc also depend on their popularity.. a lot of these vendors fill up FAST (especially for holiday weekends) but you can even book those a year in advance, I wouldn't go past 6 months with that!

    I'm not really too good on the acronyms but here are a few:

    FI- Fiance
    H- Husband
    SIL- Sister in Law, MIL - Mother In Law, etc etc
    AW- "Attention whore" , usually when you want to show something off- you have an "AW" moment (lol)

    Hope this helps!
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  • Soon2BSandSoon2BSand
    1000 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    I'd wait (to book that is).... enjoy being engaged, shop around, look at magazines, etc. I booked over a year in advance and hadn't really decided on the look etc for my wedding. I was so excited that I booked something I didn't reallllly want. Now 7 months out our venue has changed and we've waisted money. Try not to do too much planning (outside of the big stuff like the date) because you could potentially exhaust yourself and not want to be bothered with anything wedding related which is where I am now. Welcome and congratulations! PS. I'm the verbose and outspoken (sometimes overly opinionated) one of the board. I don't post as much but when I do I promse I always mean well. :)
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  • LieceyLiecey
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Ladies, THANK YOU so much for your input! I'm so excited but I don't want that excitement to cloud by better judgement. Part of me is ready to book a venue right now but I know plans may change so I am def going to take my time planning. I would love to hear from some more folks on the board. Keep them coming!
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  • missowensmissowens
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    First of all CONGRATS on your engagement!!!  Second, WELCOME to the board, we're glad to have you!  AND third, NO question is a dumb question. Please feel free to post your questions, concerns, and whatever else Laughing.  HAPPY PLANNING!
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  • prncszprncsz member
    1000 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    Congrats and welcome to the boards! For our August 2011 wedding, we were engaged in Feb 2010. I booked our venue May 2010 and ordered my dress June 2010. Everything else I didn't book until we entered 2011. I booked our venue because we wanted the place and someone was already pending our date. So it doesn't hurt to at least see what's out there and I ordered my dress because I knew it was the one and was offered a 3 day vacation by the bridal boutique.

    As a previous poster mentioned for now just take time to enjoy being engaged and kind of browse to get an idea of what type of wedding you want. Starting with that and a budget will put you on the right track. Also if you enter in your date into the knot they have a checklist to help you determine what you should be doing and when.

    pp-previous post
    MIL-Mother in Law
    DH-dear husband
    FI-fiance
    TK-the knot
    MUA-make-up artist
    E-pic-engagement pics
    B-pics-boudior pics
    NW-Not wedding related
    WR-Wedding Related
    Daisypath Anniversary tickers PersonalMilestone Photobucket
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  • island07b2bisland07b2b member
    Knottie Warrior 2500 Comments 100 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    Well I see you've gotten some great advice so I am just going to say welcome to the board and congrats on your engagement.  Enjoy every minute and happy planning! :)



    Love is the ultimate superpower.   
    It can make you weak and strong simultaneously.  



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  • MsAmeera25MsAmeera25 member
    Seventh Anniversary 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    Welcome so excited you're here!

     

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  • M1ssJM1ssJ member
    2500 Comments Fourth Anniversary 100 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    welcome. Plan ahead!!! I was engaged in APril 2010 and immediately began planning I took 3 months to figure out my area's quirks, slow season, bridal shows, vendors discount cycles, etc. We booked in the summer for our December 2012 wedding locking in the 2010 pricing. It helps to plan ahead because the discounts are amazing
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  • Ksk2012Ksk2012
    500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Hello!! Congrats! This is a very exciting time. So people have already said the info about the vendors.

    So my advice is...
    look at everything. Look at magazines, videos, go to bridal shows ( I went to a few and many of the vendors have day of show specials once you begin the booking process). Most are free or like $5.00. Look at new stuff on the wedding websites, I usually come on the knot daily ( this is the best board- keeping it really some of the other brides are a little bitchy- witchy).  I also visit weddingbee.com and such.

    Enjoy this time, watch all the wedding shows. Try not to go overboard with your FI about the wedding, they get burned out WAYYYYY before we do!!!

    Otherwise enjoy yourself.
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  • BaesmomBaesmom
    500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    So I am a September 2013 bride too. The first thing i did was book my vendor.  I knew where i wanted my reception to be and i didnt want anything else.  I actuallly had to wait for the date to become available to book there.  (we are now having the wedding/cocktail hr/reception in the same venue)
    The pp is right.. you will be amazed at some of the discounts that you can get by booking ahead.  Starting with a budget is the best idea. Everything else will fall into place.   Enjoy the planning! and when you start to feel overwhelmed, take a break. 
     
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