JUST GOT ENGAGED AND NEED HELP

Tiffy Posted: Apr 10, 2009 11:31 PM

JUST GOT ENGAGED AND NEED HELP

Hey guys I am new on here I just got engaged and I have no idea where to start can someone give me advise? I did not even get a hall yet any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanx

MrsDR2010 Posted: Apr 10, 2009 11:40 PM

Re: JUST GOT ENGAGED AND NEED HELP

Check out my hall Floral Terrace or the other hall that they own is Sandcastle.. Two completely different feels to them both gorgeous. The thing I love with those halls is that its one wedding at a time..and I feel like there were more halls that did multiple rather than 1...I know Flowerfield is also one wedding at a time as well and looks very nice from the pics....marina del ray great food so pretty and surf club great food and pretty.....I also thought Venetican Yacht Club was beautiful too

FutureMrsG Posted: Apr 11, 2009 12:03 AM

Re: JUST GOT ENGAGED AND NEED HELP

Congrats and Welcome!! The first thing I did when trying to choose a hall was to determine what elements were important to me- I knew that I needed a place that could accommodate over 250 guests, I wanted gardens/grounds, FH and I wanted a place that was more classic rather than very modern, and of course we wanted great food. I did a lot of online research and in the end we only looked at one hall Westbury manor. It had everything we wanted at a price that we could afford.

megan_gallagher Posted: Apr 11, 2009 12:30 AM

Re: JUST GOT ENGAGED AND NEED HELP

Congratulations!
I'd start off by looking at halls, FH and I made the mistake of putting it off for a while and we've now looked at 15 halls and contacted countless others, and we're rushing.

Set a budget, CALL or EMAIL halls and make sure they can fit your budget before going to any (that's where we made our mistake)
from there let everything else just happen.
Once you find a hall you can look into everything else.

JAAMS Posted: Apr 11, 2009 12:41 AM

Re: JUST GOT ENGAGED AND NEED HELP

ITA with the other girls. Find a RH first.
Figure out how about how many people you are going to have and about how much you want to spend per person. Then go through a number of RH's - the Reception Planning Guide here is great- or you could also google Long Island Wedding Venues. You'll eventually find a ton. Then call the places and make sure they can accomodate your number of people, if they are in your price range (some RH's do not do over the phone pricing), and if you have a specific date that you must have, ask if they still have that date open. Also, even if they list a maximum capacity or price online, still call to ask because I've founded that online does not always match reality.

AugustBridein09 Posted: Apr 11, 2009 01:58 AM

Re: JUST GOT ENGAGED AND NEED HELP

Start with reception halls........ then go onto Photo & Video....then DJ......those are always the most popular vendors.

MrsDR2010 Posted: Apr 11, 2009 02:42 AM

Re: JUST GOT ENGAGED AND NEED HELP

Yes, I do agree with the previous posters call them and ask prices before you go. Some of them will say they will not give prices over the phone....those are the ones I stayed away from because I felt like obviously you are calling for a reason and they are probably realllllllly pricy anyway....Why waste gas to go there if they can't atleast give you an idea....for me calling was a big thing because I had to make sure it was in my budget and went to a few when I came to NY for a weekend to look at halls (I live in FL). After u book ur hall everything else will fall into place and definately use LIW as a resource because it has helped me alot when picking my vendors for flowers, dj, photo/video, and still debating on limo but all my vendors were booked over the phone...never met with them just chose based on reviews on here

JenBill61210 Posted: Apr 11, 2009 06:49 AM

Re: JUST GOT ENGAGED AND NEED HELP

congrats! figure out first- your budget and your preliminary guestlist, (so you know much you can guarantee at a RH)... then make appt w/ RH's

sophisticat13 Posted: Apr 11, 2009 10:19 AM

Re: JUST GOT ENGAGED AND NEED HELP

Posted by JenBill61210

congrats! figure out first- your budget and your preliminary guestlist, (so you know much you can guarantee at a RH)... then make appt w/ RH's

Congrats and welcome!!!!!
I agree. The first thing we did was make a guest list, then shaved off about 20-25% to come up with a mininum we could guarantee. Then we chose some dates and started looking at RHs. To come up with a budget, figure that your reception is about half of the amount you will spend for the entire wedding.

springsandra Posted: Apr 11, 2009 10:26 AM

Re: JUST GOT ENGAGED AND NEED HELP

Congratulations on your engagement!!!

You've got a nice generous timeline for yourself, so don't worry at all (they'll be plenty of time to stress in 2010!) and just take it easy. My biggest advice is not to bother your FH with a zillion questions about what he wants and details about things that are a year away. Try to keep it as pleasant and fun a process as possible!

We got engaged in January and went with a 6 month engagement. We've had plenty of time to secure everything we needed without compromising a bit, and it's still 3 months away! Take your time making notes about places you like, get a picture in your head of what you want from the day, and slowly let it come together naturally.

Once you know about how many people you're thinking of having, you'll be able to pick out a venue. Talk to friends and family and see if they have any ideas, and make some phone calls to find out availability and price. Are you flexible about anything (like time of day?) -- that might help you have more options too.

If you have family and friends who can help, you're ahead of the game -- my bridal party is all out of state, as is my FH, and my mom isn't able to help me out much so this has been mostly on my shoulders. It's fun, overwhelming, and stressful, but mostly exciting!

Good luck!

Camroy Posted: Apr 11, 2009 10:27 AM

Re: JUST GOT ENGAGED AND NEED HELP

Excellent suggestions by previous posts. You can also print out the wedding checklist on here and the knot. There are lots of articles that suggest how to start out. It is very overwhelming, or can be. This site is great for feedback and to check out reviews. Lots of luck to you!!!!

Nina1010 Posted: Apr 11, 2009 02:11 PM

Re: JUST GOT ENGAGED AND NEED HELP

Welcome to the boards...no doubt they will prob become an addiction for you. Congrats on your engagement too.

If you're anything like me.... you prob registered at a dozen wedding websites...LOL If you haven't yet... One word of caution... you will get TONS of email from every vendor out there. I would suggest creating a new email account just for wedding stuff..

As for timeline... it usually comes down to money...unfortunately.. But, I think you'll be fine... You have a lot of time. Check with your religious house of worship and make sure your date is available (if you are having ceremony there)... it'll make it easier for you when you start RH shopping. If you have an idea of what you and your FI/FH like in a RH (ceremony options, outside CH, gardens, beach, water view, one event at a time, etc) you will make your search easier. Ask us questions.... someone will answer. If we can help, we will. Just get your list together....which will set the tone for your budget.

Best of Luck!

futureMrsJSL Posted: Apr 11, 2009 02:18 PM

Re: JUST GOT ENGAGED AND NEED HELP

Welcome and Congrats. I'd start off with creating a budget and finding out if there are any family members that plan on helping you out financially with the money aspect of the wedding, Then I would set a date and research RH's on the web. Call them up and see if they will give you a quote over the phone and if it seems good then go in for a visit. Also, if you are getting married at a church you should be getting information on that too. Good luck and happy planning!!!!