Weddings by Edward Reagoso,
General Manager – The Wilshire Grand Hotel, West Orange, NJ
www.thewilshiregrandhotel.com
In an effort
to help the many lucky (yes, I said lucky) people considering have a wedding celebration, I think the two most important elements of a successful wedding
are the executing of a planning process and knowing your budget. There are a plethora of vendors eager to assist the future
bride & groom but planning for a wedding taking place in eighteen months
vs. a wedding in six months are two very different timelines, each with its own
peculiar anomalies. Rather than
writing an article from a typical “buyer beware” perspective, I am writing from
my years of hotel career experience, as well as my own personal experience.
Today so
much wedding information is available on the internet it’s intoxicating but
it’s a great place to start and ultimately, even end up. Rather than be guided and have others
suggest what you want or need for your day, make a list, two columns. Do this with your future spouse and
list the things you want and the things you need to have for your wedding. Once you two have agreed on these basic
and sometimes costly details, you now have a general idea on how you want your
day to go. How much do you want to
spend? Do you need a wedding planner? Will you have a live band? How many invitations? Will the service be at a church, synagogue,
or would you like to have the service at the location you’ve decided on for
your reception? Include even small
details on this list so your sweetheart feels that all your hopes and wishes
are out in the open and clear.
Don’t worry. This list will change as you move forward. Be a bit flexible with each other, but
it’s your day and for the purpose of the first list the sky is the limit. You will probably come back to reality
when the list becomes a bit pie-in-the-sky, but depending on your budget, maybe
not. Share your wishes with each
other now so there are no surprises later. Surprises during the wedding process are never good in my
opinion.
Oh, and don’t
do what I did! I gave my wife less
than two months’ notice of the date I wanted. It was over a Labor Day Monday when the hotel I was managing
at the time was very slow. Being in the business, it is not often I get time
off or have slow business periods. It is somewhat typical that one in my
industry chooses a holiday for their wedding. We did it and we pulled it off, mostly because my wife is a terrifically
forgiving. On the bright
side we had a great time with our family and friends at a price much less than
one might have paid for another weekend that season. This falls under the bonus of having your wedding on what we
call a low demand period. That
wasn’t a goal. It was a nice side benefit however and many of these holiday
periods remain a buyers’ market today simply because hotels and catering houses
will reduce pricing to hold events during their slower periods. On the down side, I am sometimes
reminded how I did not give my wife enough time to properly plan a wedding…p.s.
She’s right! wedding ( I guess this is a good time to mention the day I gave
her the date, she had been
diagnosed with Lyme disease, and UPS went on strike two days after she ordered
her dress.)
I suggest
anyone planning a wedding develop a timeline. Some great examples are found for
free online, but don’t forget, these timelines are suggestions. You can tailor
these timelines to fit your needs.
Start
considering things such as budget, family, friends, music, food and a celebration
worthy of your goals. Use sites
such as MarthaStewartWeddings.com, Frugalbride.com, and TheKnot.com,
which I personally feel is one of the best because it includes everything that
one must consider including some fun extras such as developing your own
inexpensive wedding website!
These sites each offer great wedding planning guides and more and can be
truly helpful during the process.
I will offer
just a few basic do’s and don’ts but I will start with Don’ts:
- Don’t plan
your wedding without your future spouse
- Don’t plan
for what others want
- Don’t
forget to buy each other a wedding gift
- Don’t
forget to reserve a block of rooms for family, friends and out of town guests
Do’s:
- Do begin
the planning process immediately regardless of the window of time
- Do create
your own time schedule for tasks that must be done
- Do shop
around
- Do enjoy
the day when it finally comes, it goes really fast!
While shopping,
be on the lookout for full service facilities that offer more than just a place
for your ceremony and reception. There’s nothing like being shuffled out of a catering center and
off property when the party’s over! I suggest choosing a venue with ample free
parking, plenty of banquet space, experienced chefs, and sales staff who will
be with you throughout the process.
Choose a place that features a restaurant and bar, where family and
friends can congregate and continue festivities pre and post reception. There’s a good chance many family
members and friends will choose to stay overnight rather than drive home, so
when you choose a hotel don’t forget the goody bags for those staying
over! Be sure that the
friends and family staying over after the celebration are offered a hearty
breakfast prior to their departure whether it’s a hotel feature or an added on
breakfast or brunch.
Why not
consider choosing The Wilshire Grand Hotel in West Orange, New Jersey. We feature more than 22,000
square feet of upscale and meticulous banquet space, years of culinary
experience, ample free parking for your guests with valet service, 89 Superior
Guestrooms including Honeymoon Suites, Complimentary Full Buffet Breakfast with
our own fresh baked muffins & breads and much more, Free WiFi at the
fastest speeds around, 42 inch Panasonic HD and Satellite TV with more than 55
High Definition channels, Fitness Center, Fresh lobby popcorn and homemade
cookies daily. We also feature
Zagat Rated Primavera Restaurant, Bar, & Room Service available for pre and
post wedding parties.
And if you are in the decision making process, see
our in house partners all under our roof!
Jason
Craig Entertainment for music from DJ’s to 17 piece bands, photography, and
videography
www.jasoncraig.com
American Yoga Academy & Studio often chosen for wedding party relaxation
therapy www.americanyogaacademy.com
Swirled Bakery for specialized cookies and theme
www.swirledbakery.com
Anthony Ferraz Floral
For superb design and execution
anthonyferraz.com
