Expert Advice from wedding guru, Sharon Naylor
Question:
My fiance and I are trying to plan a ceremony in Cape May, NJ on the beach. We are trying to plan everything by October 3rd of this year(less than 3 months away). It is very stressful and we have very little help, and to add our family doesn't seem excited. We sprung the news on them only a week ago. We live in upstate NY and are planning the reception locally about a week after. The ceremony on the beach would just be immediate family and close friends, 25 people max. We are finding it difficult to get all the plans set in such short time, and always figure out who can help with plans and decorations on the beach. We can only have the beach reserved for half hour time slots, and I am not sure if we can do multiple time slots so we have enough time for the ceremony and pictures. Should we try and get someone to plan the small ceremony or just try and plan each part of the ceremony seperate. Also, we are on a budget going down there, but it is a perfect location because that is where we met. Thanks for any help or advice you have to give.
Answer:
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! It sounds delightful, and you can definitely pull it off in just a few months. :) I highly, highly suggest that you hire a wedding coordinator to help you figure out the time requirements for your beach space, and that person would coordinate the decorations and setup, which might include her team or she can organize the task of asking your friends and family to volunteer. With such a short planning time, wedding coordinators are *well* worth the investment to keep you organized and stress-free, time everything realistically, and also be there to round up your bridal party for pictures and speed your photographer along, keeping you on schedule. There are a ton of great wedding coordinators in the Cape May area, and some even work with local hotels if you'll stay there for the night. Ask some Cape May wedding couples here on WeddingMapper who they used, and do some research on www.bridalassn.com to find licensed coordinators through the Association of Bridal Consultants.
Coordinators are very happy to customize your package, perhaps even working with you on just the timeline for your day and organizing your helper crew, and their prices are really affordable...worth every penny for taking the pressure off of you.
And most NJ coordinators are very used to the rules and regulations of Cape May weddings since that's one of the most popular spots for beach weddings. So you'll get help with your license application and paperwork too! Lots and lots of details that a pro can help you with in no time at all. And a 3-month prep time is a piece of cake to them!
Good luck! Let me know if I can help you with anything else.
Sharon's Latest Book
Buy It Now »
Visit her website for more information about her books and articles.
