Expert advice for planning your perfect wedding

By Mark C. Paquette

First and foremost, enjoy the process of planning your special day. Hours and hours of time will go into touring venues, hiring professionals, and making the hundreds of decisions that typically go into such an event. Remember what’s important and why you’re planning a wedding – the love you share.

Yes – you can call it a wedding. Many couples are concerned the word “wedding” is reserved for use by a male and female couple, but the word has no gender-specific rule about its use. You are welcome to call your event something else as well, like a civil union, commitment ceremony, etc. Regardless of the descriptor you choose, the professionals you work with should attempt to match
your terminology.

Go in with a realistic budget. The average 100-person wedding/civil union in Colorado will cost about $27,000. Define the aspects that are most important to you, allocate your budget properly, and determine which areas may be cut if necessary.

Hire a planner. While many folks feel a planner is an additional expense, a planner can save you a lot of time, and money, by helping narrow down your choices and guiding decisions that are appropriate for your budget (which they usually allocate and manage for you). If you love the thought of planning the details yourself, at least hire a professional day-of coordinator for the
big day.

Make decisions quickly. This isn’t to say you should sign a contract without thinking the terms through, but many times, couples over-interview or delay decision making thinking they’ll find “something better,” only to find their first choice was right, but already booked to another client.

Mark C. Paquette is the founder of coloradogayweddings.com and the lead planner for Mark Christopher Weddings & Events, Inc. Mark holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration as well as wedding and event planning certificate.