Choosing a New Jersey wedding photographer should be about quality and style plus some personality thrown in that all fits with your expectations, style and personalities while staying within your pre-planned budget.

• You’ll want quality more than quantity. Your photos and album should withstand time because you’ll be looking at them through the years, revisiting one of your most memorable moments together as husband and wife.
• Your New Jersey photographer’s style should reflect your own visions of how you want your wedding day documented.
• If your NJ wedding photographer’s personality clashes with yours, it will just take away from the enjoyment of the occasion. After you interview your potential New Jersey wedding photographer, you should walk away with a definite good feeling and not just about the photos you viewed.

These are just some of the many things you should consider before choosing your New Jersey wedding photographer. The following list of 15 questions will help you in evaluating each NJ wedding photographer you interview. Print this page and take it with you to every appointment, then compare your notes for each wedding photographer. Don’t be pressured into signing a contract before you have time to review your notes and their contracts. Making the right choices will ensure a wedding day with minimal stress. (more…)

You are engaged! Now the fun begins. You get to plan your dream wedding with your fiance and those that will be involved in the decision making process. Be sure you take plenty of time to discuss your ideas with your fiance and parents as to how you invision your very special dream wedding. Be sure to include your budget in those discussions and who will pay for what. It is best to take care of this in the beginning so you won’t have any misunderstandings later on in planning your NJ wedding. With your parents, make a tentative guest list so you will know what size of a wedding reception hall you will need. This also affects your budget planning.

Choosing a New Jersey wedding reception hall is largely based on personal taste and what your budget allows. A great way to get an idea of what New Jersey offers in the way of wedding reception choices is to attend bridal shows. Even if it might not be where you are interested, you may see some things they offer that you would like to request from your reception caterer. When you find NJ wedding reception halls that meet your preferences, schedule a private meeting with the wedding reception manager to discuss their packages and amenities. Don’t be shy to let them know what you need and want. If they want your business, they may be able to accommodate you. You won’t know if you don’t ask. Right? Yes.

To help you make the right decision for your very special NJ wedding reception, print the following list and take it with you to help you remember what you want to discuss with the wedding reception manager. Be sure to add additional question at the end and be sure to take notes during your meeting. (more…)

Congratulations! You’re engaged! What an exciting time it is for you and your families. It can also be stressful at times but with NewJerseyWeddingVendors.com guidance, the stress will be decreased to a minimum. Planning a NJ wedding for you and your fiancé will be the first of many major decision making events that you will experience together. At times you will need to compromise so that you both feel as much of a part of the event – remember, the day belongs to both of you.

Now it’s time to start planning the New Jersey wedding you’ve dreamed about since you were a young child. As the reality of it all sets in, you are now asking yourself “Where should I start?”

NewJerseyWeddingVendors.com will help you through the process in planning your NJ wedding. We want to help you take the stress out of one of the most important days of your lifetime. To start you off, we have provided the 15 Basic Steps of what you will need to do throughout the next nine or more months you have to plan your very special New Jersey wedding day.

Before we start, here are two bits of advice for planning your New Jersey wedding:

• Purchase a wedding planner in which you can keep notes, brochures, business cards, magazine articles, pictures, and budget details.
• When making your plans and choosing your New Jersey wedding vendors, always have a Plan B just in case Plan A doesn’t work out for you.

15 Basic Steps: Planning Your NJ Wedding Day and Choosing Your NJ Wedding Vendors:

1. Discuss with your fiancé the type of ceremony and the setting for your NJ wedding day. This may influence the date you will choose for your special day.
   • If you and your fiancé are of different religions, who will marry you? What will be the requirements of the officiate for one of you if you choose to be married in the tradition of one religion?
   • Will you be able to use the church or temple if you are not regular attendees or not area residents?
   • Will you have a civil ceremony?
   • Do you want a themed wedding? New Jersey offers a variety of settings for your special day. In addition to the traditional setting of houses of worship, New Jersey couples have been married on beaches for a NJ Shore Wedding, tennis courts, golf courses, mountain tops, river boats, barns, orchards, museums, amusement parks, gardens, and planetariums.
   • It is advisable to check out your choices to see how do-able they are considering the New Jersey weather possibilities, who will be attending the ceremony such as elderly family members and young children, and how it fits with the attire you will choose.
2. Make a tentative guest list and discuss where you would like to have your New Jersey wedding reception. Your final choice may depend largely on where you choose to have your wedding ceremony and what is available since many New Jersey reception halls book up quickly.
   • Do you want your NJ wedding in the afternoon or evening?
   • Will it be on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?
   • Will you have the ceremony and the reception at the same location?
   • How far from the ceremony site will your guests have to travel to the reception?
   • How much time will it leave for scenic New Jersey wedding photos in between the ceremony and the reception?
3. Choose several dates for your wedding. (The earlier you take care of steps #1 and #2, the better your chance of getting your first choices.)
   • Since you will have to coordinate your ceremony with your reception if they are to be held in separate places, you might not be able to reserve your first choice.
   • When are the best dates for the type of weather you hope for on that day?
4. Meet with the parents and decide upon a budget, who will pay for what, and from there you will have a better idea what your options are when shopping for New Jersey wedding vendors.
5. Carefully decide together on wedding party members and color scheme for the wedding attire and reception.
   • Be considerate of the bridesmaids when choosing the style and color for their dresses – some colors might not be attractive on some of your friends.
   • The number of bridesmaids does not have to match the number of groomsmen.
   • Bride and bridesmaids shop for bridal gown and dresses first.
   • Groom and groomsmen shop for tuxes and accessories to match the bridesmaids’ dresses.
6. With some ideas about your NJ wedding ceremony and the type of reception you would like, search NewJerseyWeddingVendors.com, attend New Jersey bridal showcases, ask friends for referrals for
   • reception sites
   • floristsntertainment
   • photographers and videographers
   • limousine services
7. Contact New Jersey wedding vendors and make appointments to meet.
   • Ask many questions and for a copy of their contract.
   • Have them “pencil you in” if there is a chance you may choose them and to contact you if someone else chooses the same date.
   • Meet with them again, review the contract and ask more questions, and pay the deposit.
   • If you have any special requests, put it in writing and give a copy to the vendor at that time.
8. Register at Bridal Registries keeping in mind that not everyone will be able to purchase the expensive end of the items you choose.
   • Register at several stores with a range of price levels.
   • Register online, too, for convenience in shopping and delivery.
   • Check the return policy before you register.
9. Plan your honeymoon together with a reputable New Jersey travel agent.
   • Some honeymoon packages allow you to register so that guests can contribute to your honeymoon fund as a wedding present.
   • Local travel agents can often include specials in your package that you might not find when booking online.
   • Keep in mind, when you book online through a discount service the travel agency might be in another state. If you have problems, you may not be able to get hold of them quickly.
10. Choose the style of your invitations from the many choices New Jersey wedding vendors have to offer.
    • Order your invitations when you have your final guest list number.
    • Remember to order extras to allow for additional add-ons and errors.
    • Don’t forget the reception and RSVP cards
    • Pay a little extra and have the return address on the envelope and/or addressed.
11. Reserve, in advance, a local New Jersey restaurant for the rehearsal dinner so that you can be sure to have it coordinate with the rehearsal time and location.
    • You might want to include out-of-town family members and close friends.
    • Be sure to plan this with the groom’s parents first since they are the ones responsible for the bill.
12. Contact local New Jersey hotels for the best prices on blocks of rooms to be held for out of town guests.
    • Reserve blocks of rooms at two or three different hotels so guests may choose for their personal preferences and price range.
    • Ask hotels to provide price and direction cards to be included in the invitations.
    • Arrange a time for you to drop off welcome baskets for your registered guests.
13. Find a full service local New Jersey beauty salon that offers bridal party packages where the bride and her bridesmaids, along with the mothers, can have their makeup, hair, and nails done the morning of the wedding day.
    • Have a hair and makeup trial done prior to your wedding day so the stylists will know exactly what you want.
    • Take pictures so there won’t be any guess work or misunderstandings – also, if your stylists aren’t available for some unexpected reason on your wedding day.
    • Make appointments for you, your bridesmaids, and mothers for your wedding day.
14. Decide where you will want to live after you are married.
    • Will one of you move in with the other?
    • Which pieces of furniture will you keep or get rid of?
    • Do you want to commute – who will commute the farthest?
    • Will you rent or buy?
    • Do you want a house with a yard, a condo, or a townhouse?
    • Do you either of you have a pet? That might be a deciding factor in some cases.
15. Shop for each other’s wedding rings together and wedding gifts separately.This list of 15 basic steps to planning your New Jersey wedding will grow into many subtopics down to the minutest details that will help to make your day run smoothly so that everyone will remember it as the most amazing and joyous event.