Introduction

[quote="asiass"]Hey Ladies..I am new to the site and wanted to introduce myself..My name is Asia and I am from Ny living in Ga. I am newly engaged and getting married in 7/08 at the justice of the peace.Planning my reception/ceremony for 5/09...I am overjoyed as yall may know...So can anyone give me advice on what I should be doing if anything being my wedding is a ways off..Any responses are appreciated..Happy New Year..
[/quote]

Hello and welcome. It's never to soon to start planning. Before you know it 5/09 will be. The earlier you start to plan the better.

Welcome asiass. Great to have you on board.

Welcome asiass! Since you have a date you can begin scouting out locations and think of colors and/or themes. We're here to help! Happy planning!

Welcome asiass! you will stay "very" busy between now with planning! these ladies will give you so many great ideas, you will be just fine!! we even have one sister that will coordinate your colors for you! LOL (aka Bumble!!)

Welcome Asiass,
Congrats on your engagement.. :)

Hello. Welcome to the site and you will find all kind of info on this site. Congrats on your wedding.

Welcome Asiass and congratulations on your upcoming wedding. This site is the place to be!!!! What are your colors? Do you have any themes? Where are you having your reception? Formal or informal?

Hello and welcome to the sisterhood Asia. As a wedding planner, I would say that it's never too early to start planning your magical day. However, be that you've got time on your hands ( a very precious commodity when it comes to weddings), I would say that you and your FH should first decide on a minimum and a maximum overall budget for your May, 09 wedding. Then, start looking at reception halls. This is very important. Be smart, ask all the right questions and if you're in doubt, shoot me an e-mail and I will give you a few pointers on what to ask, but the most important question of all would be "How many other weddings will you guys be hosting on my wedding day?". It's very important. You want to pick the place that will only host your wedding on that day because you want attention to details. If you're having a wedding planner help you with all of it or part of it, she will be instrumental in weeding out those places that would be a complete waste of your time.

Let's see, what else should you be doing? Oh, while it's great to look for a reception hall, don't let the coordinator pressure you into booking too soon. They will tell you that they require at least a booking of 15 months in advance. This is bull. That's not true. It's just a ploy. Most do require that you book 12 months in advance though. Do your homework on reception site and the type of food you see yourself serving and I would like you to think of booking your reception site by the end of April, 2008.

You should also be thinking of the Ceremony location, if you're not affiliated with a church. Oh, I just thought of something, why not use the date of your civil ceremony as your official engagement day. You guys could have a dinner for both sets of parents and officially launch your big planning on that day. You'll take pictures, you'll eat and be merry. You know it's a civil ceremony, but to everyone else, it's an engagement party. What do you think?

You and your FH could start creating a premature guest list and their addresses and phone numbers. Knowing how many guests you want at your wedding will simplify your choice of a reception hall.

Ok, my newbie sister ~ let's wrap up~
1. Envision your wedding and draw up a budget (minimum and maximum)
2. Assemble your planning team ~ consider hiring a wedding coordinatior/planner ~ this will also be part of your budget
3. Pick a wedding date and time
4. Select your theme and colors
5. Start drawing up a premature guest list
6. Look for ceremony and reception sites but do not book until late April or Early May, 09

That's it for now sister, since you do have about 16 or 17 months to go. That should get you started and keep you busy until April, 09.

Happy Planning!!!

oooooooooooooppppppppppppppppppssssssssssssssssssss!!! For #6, I meant late April, early May, 08. Sorry!!!

Welcome to the site, Asia! What part of GA do you live in?

Welcome asiass!! Ginoue has given you excellent advice. I would suggest starting with an estimate of how many guests you would like to have, then take a REALISTIC look at what your total budget is. Once you know how many people and how much you are working with, then look at reception venues. Once you decide on where to hold reception, everything else will begin to fall in place.

WELCOME and CONGRATS!!!

What part of GA are you in?