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8A - Saturday, January 27, 2018 - Malvern Daily Record Reserve Our Banquet Room for your Malvern Country Club 473 Clubhouse Ln 501-337-1482 Contact Us for Details. $450 for members or $550 for non-members FULL SERVICE Special Day! r your Ma Malv lv v v ver e e e e n Country Club 47 47 47 47 4 473 3 3 3 3 Cl Cl Cl Cl Club ub ub ub ubho ho h h h use Ln C Co on ntact U U U U U U U U U U U Us s s s s s s s f f f f f f f f f f fo o o o o o o or r r r r r r Det t t ta a a a a ai i i i il l l l l ls s s s s s s. . [email protected] A great place to host Weddings, Receptions, Meetings, Banquets and more. Banquet room can seat up to 125 people. Most reasonable rates in the Hot Springs area. For More info contact Dennis Dubuque 501-262-4470 2018 Getting married is an ex- citing time in a couple’s life together. Wedding planning is the next logical step after the engagement announcement, and while couples often get swept up in planning their dream parties, it’s important to note that ultimately the cer- emony is the star of the day. Before booking a wedding reception venue or getting one’s heart set on a particular date, couples need to secure their ceremony sites as well as apply for a marriage li- cense. In some instances, cer- emonies are held at the same site as the wedding reception, while some couples choose to tie the knot in their church or synagogue. Each of these types of ceremonies will be governed by the schedule of the house of worship or civil site. Finding a venue Once couples choose a wedding date, it is a good idea for them to visit their ceremo- ny site of choice to check the calendar. It helps to have some flexibility in the wedding date in case the first choice is un- available. Although summer weddings used to be the most popular, today’s couples are tying the knot more often in September and October than other times of year. Even though a couple’s wedding is special and unique to them, ceremony locations handle hundreds of weddings. Couples must recognize that competition for certain ven- ues may be steep, so it helps to keep more than one venue in mind when planning a wed- ding. Getting a marriage li- cense While laws may vary from state to state within the Unit- ed States, getting a marriage license generally involves filling out the application and paying a fee at the county clerk’s office. Both applicants are typically required to bring identification, such as a driv- er’s license, passport or birth certificate. There may be a waiting period between sub- mitting the application and the license being issued. Cou- ples can pick up the license or have it mailed to them. Canadian requirements vary by province. For exam- ple, in Ontario, applicants need to be at least 16 years old to marry and must show two forms of government-sup- plied identification to apply. The license is valid for 90 days from when it is issued. A marriage license is not the same thing as a marriage certificate. The marriage cer- tificate typically becomes available after the ceremo- ny has taken place and the witnesses and officiant have signed off on the preceedings. Getting married is a mul- tistep process that begins with determining where the ceremony will take place and acquiring a marriage license. With these items in check, couples can focus on creating memorable wedding days. e steps involved in securing wedding venues, licenses Newly engaged couples may experience an array of emotions when they sit down to plan their weddings. Some couples cannot wait to jump into planning and want to catalog every aspect of the process, while others may proceed with caution because they don’t know what to ex- pect — particularly in regard to cost. Many couples find it dif- ficult to create their wedding budgets because they have no previous experience to draw on. The wedding planning advisor CostofWedding.com indicates the average wed- ding cost in the United States is $26,720, with most people spending between $20,000 and $34,000. Seventh Heav- en Event Catering states that, in Canada, the average wed- ding costs around $30,000. Such costs can vary greatly depending on couples’ pref- erences, including where they hope to tie the knot. By breaking down wed- ding expenses, couples can get a clearer picture of how much they may need to pay for their weddings and where they may need to cut costs. • Reception site: Accord- ing to The Knot, a premiere wedding planning resource, couples can expect their re- ceptions to eat up the larg- est chunk of their wedding budgets. Wedding reception venues may cost between $10,000 and $15,000. The average price for catering per person is roughly $70. Bar service may be around $2,000 for a three- to four-hour party. Some reception sites combine the room cost with the food and beverage costs, while oth- ers have à la carte fees. • Cake: Wedding cakes tend to be multitiered intri- cate designs, so they will cost more than birthday cakes. According to Statistics Brain, wedding dessert will come in around $390. • Music: The Knot says wedding bands cost around $3,500, which is more than twice as much as hiring a deejay ($1,200). Soloists or ceremony musicians may cost around $650. • Wedding planner: Many couples employ wedding planners to make planning their weddings easier. Wed- ding planners cost an average of $1,300, says Thumbtack, a company that matches pro- fessionals with people who require their services. • Transportation: Limou- sines and other transportation prices vary depending on the vehicle(s) couples choose. The Knot notes that budget- ing between $400 and $500 for transportation might be wise. • Wedding gown: Brides- to-be should expect their gowns to cost around $1,100 and the veil or headpiece to be roughly $120, according to the Association of Bridal Consultants. • Photography and Vid- eo: Preserving wedding day memories costs around $2,800 for video and photog- raphy services, based on data from Statistics Brain. The smaller details, such as accessories, gifts, officiant fees, stationery, spa services, and favors can quickly add up as well. Couples should be sure to leave some wiggle room in their budgets for inci- dental expenses that may pop up. Wedding costs: What to expect Ensuring an event goes on with minimal hiccups takes patience and thorough plan- ning. This is especially true for weddings, when many el- ements must merge together for a memorable day. Today’s couples have a bevy of new resources at their disposal to facilitate wedding planning. The internet makes vetting vendors and reading reviews that much easier, but wed- ding-related apps also can simplify wedding planning. The following are some top picks as culled by Wedding Shoppe, Inc., The Knot and Lifehacker. • Wedding Spot: Couples can search for their ideal wed- ding venue based on location, budget, styles, and capacity. The website enables users to plan their ideal weddings and get cost estimates based on guest list and options. Users also can access discounts and exclusive deals. • Wedding LookBook: This app enables couples to browse through thousands of dresses, accessories, jewelry, and much more. The app will help customers find products in their area. • Shutterfly: This photo, invitation and image-sharing tool can be an inexpensive place to create save-the-date stationery, invitations, and photo memory books. • Appy Couple: This app and website helps couples manage their budgets, time- lines, wedding parties, and seating charts, while also al- lowing them to share photos. There is a free version and ba- sic packages that allow access to more features. • iWedding Deluxe: In addition to managing time- lines, to-do lists and vendors, this app offers inspiration ideas for gowns, manages and tracks gifts, and offers first dance suggestions from iTunes. However, it is only available to iPhone users. • AllSeated: This tool can help couples figure out seat- ing arrangements by creating 3D floor plans of the event, and couples can pull contacts from email and social net- works to establish a guest list. If floor plans are unavailable in their database, they can be drawn. • The Knot’s Marketplace: With the click of a button, couples can search for wed- ding vendors in all different categories, read reviews, and directly connect with those businesses. • HitchSwitch: Brides or grooms who may be changing their names can do so in one convenient place. Three dif- ferent packages cater to vari- ous name-changing needs. • Vistaprint: These sta- tionery specialists offer an array of services, from cards to invitations to personalized envelopes. Once a design is chosen, Vistaprint will offer add-on suggestions for co- ordinating items, helping to create a cohesive look for the festivities. Wedding tools make planning easier Once couples become engaged and share the good news with their friends and families, the next step is to begin planning their wed- dings. While couples must make a myriad of decisions during the wedding planning process, perhaps none is more significant than where to tie the knot. According to The Knot 2016 Real Weddings Study, the average cost of a wed- ding for couples who married in 2016 was $35,329. That’s a sizable amount, and a big portion of that was spent on the wedding venue. The Real Weddings Study found that couples spent an average of $16,107 on their wedding venues in 2016. That figure easily dwarfs the next big- gest expense ($6,163 for the engagement ring) for couples tying the knot. Because the wedding venue comes with such a po- tentially high sticker price, couples should give ample consideration to a host of fac- tors before choosing where to get married. Size Until they can agree on a guest list, couples might want to delay even looking for venues. However, some couples might want to first look at some venues so they can determine just how many guests they can afford to in- vite. Whether they’re hosting small affairs or large parties, couples should choose venues that can comfortably accom- modate all of their guests. If possible, look for venues with multiple reception areas, which might allow for some wiggle room if the guest list grows or dwindles during the planning process. Availability Some couples might have an ideal time of year they hope to get married. Some even know the exact date they hope to get married. While that can help with the plan- ning, it can also limit couples with regard to their venue op- tions. Some venues may be booked for as much as a year or more in advance during peak wedding season. The Real Weddings Study found that the most popular months to get married in 2016 were October and September. Cou- ples who hope to follow in the footsteps of many 2016 brides and grooms may need to book their wedding venues well in advance. Those who can be more flexible regarding their wedding dates may find it easier to book their dream venues. Insurance Ask about the venue’s in- surance policies, including the policies the venue has to protect itself. In addition, ask if the venue requires couples to have their own wedding lia- bility insurance for protection in the event of injury, proper- ty damage or incidents related to alcohol. Couples may also want to make the investment in cancellation/postponement insurance, and some venues may even require it. Financials It’s easy for couples to be focused on the bottom line when choosing wedding ven- ues, but it’s also important that they get a complete grasp of the financials before choos- ing a wedding venue. Ask about the amount of the initial deposit and if that deposit is refundable. In addition, ask when the deposit is due and when each subsequent pay- ment is due until the balance is paid in full. This can make budgeting easier and planning less stressful. Factors to consider before choosing a venue
