Monterey Wedding Planning - Where to Start?
Congratulations on your recent engagement or decision to celebrate your marriage with a renewal of vows! When it comes to figuring out exactly what to do with planning your wedding, it can cause quite a bit of confusion and stress. Where do you start?
• Decide on a date for the ceremony. Is there a particular time of year that you enjoy? Depending on how many guests you plan on inviting, how many of them will be able to come based on the date? Are you flexible to have a wedding on a weekday when there will be more availability for venues, restaurants and hotels? Sending out an informal "save the date" will give you a great idea of who can be there before you put down any deposits on venues, reception sites and with companies such as Weddings In Monterey.
• How many guests do you want to invite? After you got engaged, did you discuss having a simple elopement ceremony or a larger gathering with all of your friends and family? Or does it make more sense, emotionally and financially, to have a ceremony with just your closest friends and family? Some people have been opting to have a smaller ceremony (50 or less guests) and then having a larger, more informal, wedding celebration party a few weeks after they return home.
• Where do you want the ceremony to take place? Since you have found our page, it appears that you are at least considering somewhere in Monterey County. What type of location appeals to you most? In our area, we have many choices including beaches, parks, special event venues, historical landmarks, private ranches, cliffs, private residences, churches, redwood forests and more. Just about every location has some type of site fee and a different set of rules. At Weddings in Monterey we can help you navigate to find the perfect spot. Check out our Wedding Venues page for more information.
• Vendors. Who you select as your vendor team will be one of the most important decisions that you make. Personally, we feel that hiring locals is a great way to go. They know the venues / locations, we have all mostly worked with each other, and if there are any issues that come up (e.g. DJ forgets a cable or photographer left an important lens at home), situations can be handled quickly. It's also important to note that some cities in Monterey County require any vendor to have a business license for their city (even if they are "out and about"). We are an open book -- if you are trying to decide between multiple vendors, just let us know and we will give you our honest opinion. If you book with Weddings in Monterey, we provide you with our vendor list which we have been cultivating for the past 10 years based on our experience working with individuals, teams, and companies.
If you are interested in meeting to discuss in details your plans for your Monterey or Carmel area wedding, contact us about our Explorers Consulting Package. You can also view our different wedding packages including the officiant, photographer, flowers and more.
• Decide on a date for the ceremony. Is there a particular time of year that you enjoy? Depending on how many guests you plan on inviting, how many of them will be able to come based on the date? Are you flexible to have a wedding on a weekday when there will be more availability for venues, restaurants and hotels? Sending out an informal "save the date" will give you a great idea of who can be there before you put down any deposits on venues, reception sites and with companies such as Weddings In Monterey.
• How many guests do you want to invite? After you got engaged, did you discuss having a simple elopement ceremony or a larger gathering with all of your friends and family? Or does it make more sense, emotionally and financially, to have a ceremony with just your closest friends and family? Some people have been opting to have a smaller ceremony (50 or less guests) and then having a larger, more informal, wedding celebration party a few weeks after they return home.
• Where do you want the ceremony to take place? Since you have found our page, it appears that you are at least considering somewhere in Monterey County. What type of location appeals to you most? In our area, we have many choices including beaches, parks, special event venues, historical landmarks, private ranches, cliffs, private residences, churches, redwood forests and more. Just about every location has some type of site fee and a different set of rules. At Weddings in Monterey we can help you navigate to find the perfect spot. Check out our Wedding Venues page for more information.
• Vendors. Who you select as your vendor team will be one of the most important decisions that you make. Personally, we feel that hiring locals is a great way to go. They know the venues / locations, we have all mostly worked with each other, and if there are any issues that come up (e.g. DJ forgets a cable or photographer left an important lens at home), situations can be handled quickly. It's also important to note that some cities in Monterey County require any vendor to have a business license for their city (even if they are "out and about"). We are an open book -- if you are trying to decide between multiple vendors, just let us know and we will give you our honest opinion. If you book with Weddings in Monterey, we provide you with our vendor list which we have been cultivating for the past 10 years based on our experience working with individuals, teams, and companies.
If you are interested in meeting to discuss in details your plans for your Monterey or Carmel area wedding, contact us about our Explorers Consulting Package. You can also view our different wedding packages including the officiant, photographer, flowers and more.