Wedding Ideas
Step By Step Guide To Planning A Wedding
Wedding Planning Stage:
Gathering Ideas
- Make a list of suitable dates
- Decide on the type and style of wedding
- Contact a number of hotels
- Request wedding brochures and price lists
- Attend local wedding fairs
- Determine approximate guest numbers
- Collect pictures of dress designs you like
- Discuss honeymoon options with your fiance
- Contact Church / Registry Office to check available dates
- Gather photographs of hairstyles
- Appoint Bridesmaids
- Decide on the Groom / Groomsmen wedding attire and discuss with the Groom
- Discuss who pays for what
- Announce your engagement
- Throw an engagement party
- Make a list of any engagement gifts you receive and send thank you cards
Wedding Planning Stage: A Year In Advance
- Book the Church / Registry Office
- Discuss if pre-marriage course is required
- Book the Hotel
- Discuss menu options
- Think about style of Invitations
- Check with your clergyman to determine any pre-marital requirements
- Contact Photographers to check prices and availability
- Order wedding dress and accessories
- Discuss music / entertainment
Wedding Planning Stage: Nine To Twelve Months Before
- Decide on type of wedding cake you want and place the order
- Place an announcement of your engagement in the newspaper
- Book a photographer and video-grapher
- Book musicians, soloists and review music selection for ceremony/reception
- Book dancing lessons
- Draw up a detailed guest list (family and friends of bride & Groom)
- Arrange dress fittings
- Plan the honeymoon
- Discuss transport requirement
- Register your gift list in one or more shops
- Wedding Planning Stage: Six to Nine Months
- Discuss stationery requirements (invitations, service sheets etc) and theme
- Order wedding stationery or purchase materials if you decide to DIY
- Select and order bridesmaids dresses and schedule fittings
- Arrange car hire
- Book florist and discuss colour scheme and availability of chosen flowers
- Select wedding suits for the groom and male attendants
- Order favours for guests
Wedding Planning Stage: Four to Six Months
- Check legal requirements - marriage licences etc
- Book appointment for vaccinations if travelling abroad
- Select and order wedding rings
- Finalise the guest list
- Purchase gifts for wedding attendants
- Purchase accessories (garter, ring pillow, candles, guest book etc.)
- Decide on those extra special finishing touches and confirm availability (doves, balloons, harpist etc)
- Book a calligrapher to address invitations etc.
- Check you have complete address list
- Finalise honeymoon
- Apply for a visa or passport, if necessary( book tickets in passport name)
- Confirm all orders placed to date
- Book appointment with hairdresser to discuss style
Two to Three Months
- Place wedding announcements in local newspaper
- Reserve accommodations for travelling attendants and guests
- Confirm men's wedding suits
- Start addressing invitations
- Post first batch of invitations eight weeks before the wedding
- Arrange a meeting with the florist to co-ordinate colours and confirm availability
- Confirm date and time of wedding rehearsals with all concerned
- Arrange a meeting with photographer to discuss requirements in detail
- Book an appointment with hairdresser for trial and wedding day
- Book appointment with makeup artist for trial and wedding day
- Shop for going away outfit and wedding night lingerie
Four to Six Weeks
- Post final batch of Invitations six weeks before wedding
- Mail thank-you notes for gifts received
- Have your final wedding dress fitting.
- Confirm all legal issues have been attended to
- Arrange final dress fittings for bridesmaids and other attendants
- Purchase gifts for your future spouse, bridesmaids, attendants etc
- Order bouquet of flowers for Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom
One Week Before
- Post thank you notes for gifts received
- Pack case for wedding day and night
- Pack suitcase for honeymoon
- Label envelopes with name of recipient, amount included and who will attend to the matter
- Make sure you have all legal documents and wedding rings in a safe place
- Wrap gifts for bridesmaids, groom and attendants
- Write a thank you note to both sets of parents
- Book a manicure
Two Days To Go
- Attend wedding rehearsal and dinner
- Distribute gifts to the wedding attendants
- Issue envelopes to designated people
- Pick up hired suits
- Make a list of things you need to do the day before and on the wedding day
The Day Before
- Have a manicure
- Choose a responsible person to return suit rentals and collect deposits due
- Give rings and legal documentation to a trustworthy person for safekeeping until required prior to the wedding ceremony
- Relax and have a good nights sleep
- Contact hotel and confirm arrangements; menu, time of arrival etc
The Wedding Day
- Have a good breakfast, and try to relax
- Have your hair and make-up done in good time
- Don't drink too many fluids and remember to use the bathroom before you put on your dress
- Put on your wedding dress an hour before you are due to leave for the church
Remember to have a wonderful day!
WEDDING REVIEWS
READ ALL REVIEWS
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We selected the Summerhill after visiting many hotels in south Dublin/North Wicklow. We picked the Summerhill for a few reasons, small intimate venue, very attentive management who took an interest in us from day 1, one wedding a day, virtually a private venue, small hotel feel, traditional decor, great value and flexibility re arrangements /menu/wine. While not far freom Dublin and M50, it gave us a very country feel and all our guests were impressed by the location, the way the hotel looked great on the day, and the meal was outstanding. No attention to detail was spared and we had a magnificent day to remember. Holding a cilvil ceremony on site made it a simper, to host a one venue event, which made it easier, especially for older guests. We can highly recommend it for yuor wedding, ask for Orla to look after you!
Sean & Jill October 2011. -
Dear Orla, just a quick email to again thank you and your staff for what really
was the best day of our lives and as all our guests commented the best wedding celebration
ever. Good luck for the future. Kind regards Paul and Joy McElwaine August 2011 - Maura and Michael We had our wedding reception in the Summerhill House Hotel in November 2010. From the moment we booked this hotel, the staff were a pleasure to deal with, in particular Shane, Daniel and Orla. The hotel went above and beyond to help us have the most perfect day. Every detail was taken care of, from the cosy fires and candles to the chocolate fountain. We could not have wished for a better day, from the moment we stepped into the hotel to the moment we left nothing was too much trouble. We would absolutely recommend this hotel as a wedding venue.
A huge thank you to all staff for making our wedding wonderful. - We had our wedding here (Civil Ceremony in the Hotel and reception afterwards) and I cannot praise this venue highly enough. From the moment we first spoke to staff when we decided to pick the Summerhill, the staff could not have been more helpful, pleasant, easy to deal with and made our big day absolute perfection.
While the restaurant was a bit cramped, we did have almost 200 guests so we knew this would happen, but none of our guests complained. Previous negative reviews of the hotel rooms (on this site) proved groundless as everybody stated how pleased they were with their room.
The food on the day itself was magnificent, the service was top class, while there was a bit of a mix-up over one of our wine selections, this was rectified with a massive apology and a better wine in the end! Anything we asked for, we got, any potential headache was removed (apart from guests hangovers). Reception was bedlam due to the guests arriving but staff dealt with them patiently and courteously and indeed one of our party left her mobile after we left and the receptionist called to our house to return it. A singsong in the residents bar afterwards was allowed, encouraged and accomodated, putting the seal on a memorable day/night.
In short, if you are thinking of having your wedding here, don't think any longer, book it.
We will remember our wedding day/night with nothing but thanks and appreciation to The Summerhill House. Thanks. - Our Wedding the best weekend ever: We had our wedding at the Summerhill House on sat. 25th September 2010. From the time we booked the hotel, 18 months earlier, until we left, on the Monday morning following the wedding, the staff of the hotel bent over backwards to make sure everything we wanted for our special weekend was perfect. The service was excellent, everyone who came to the wedding(150 people!) was very well looked after. I would recommend Summerhill House to anyone, either as a wedding venue, or simply as a country getaway destination. 10 out of 10!
- A suberb Wedding Venue: An absolutely stunning location, amazing venue and myself, my husband and all of our family and friends from all over the UK and Ireland, were extremely impressed. There were two very minor things we could have picked on but the Overall experience and dedication of the staff, just could not justify me saying anything bad about this hotel or staff. I am gobsmacked at the bad reviews for this hotel. The staff really did completely go out of their way to make us happy. Nothing was too big or small. They were very relaxed and calm and sometimes to the point where we thought, it won't get done but it was better than expected and I think this calmness added to the overall day. I felt like I got married in my own country mansion. Staff were informal yet professionally formal - hard to explain but I felt so at home on my wedding day. Food was raved about by our guests. We physically married in the hotel and it was set up beautifully. I would recommend the Four C's for after the ceremony - Canapes, Cocktails, Champagne and Chocolate fountain - it was spectacular sipping Champagne in the garden with the sun shining down. Reception was a BLAST! Great size room and dance floor. I just want to get married in this hotel again!!!! So many happy memories. Thank you.
- Went to a wedding in the Summerhill last week and both of us were truly impressed with the hotel and wedding reception that they laid on. It was a great wedding anyway and although the weather was brutal and had a devestating effect on the numbers that made it, the snow did provide a picture perfect background in the Dublin Mountains. The homely effect of the open fires downstairs, friendly staff, lovely big bedrooms with a super view, fantastic food and a great athmosphere all added to a very enjoyable and good value stay in the Summerhill House Hotel.
