Jim Nelson Photography

Stephanie and Quinn having fun in the photo booth at their wedding at Castle Farms on October 26, 2013.

On the Thursday before Memorial Day I got a phone call from Chip wanting to know if I was available for a remarry-ceremony at the Grand Hotel on Memorial Day; I was.  It was an evening ceremony with Monica, Chip, Reverend Tom Marx, Marty Haines, and myself.  Monica said it was their eighth remarry.  When they got married eight years ago Monica planned a big wedding.  They then decided to remarry each year after that and Chip did the planning.  They have been remarried from the top of the Empire State Building to San Francisco to name a couple of the eight locations with the Grand Hotel being one of their top ten spots.  After the ceremony Monica was looking forward to next year, twenty-five more remarries, and an intimate carriage ride around Mackinac Island.

I was surfing the web for information that brides would find useful in planning their day and I found these tips on The Knot web site.

Guests Come First
Get a grip on the approximate number of guests you’ll invite before settling on a venue. This will ensure there’s ample space for your crew. As a rule of thumb, allow for 25 to 30 square feet per guest. That may seem like a lot, but it’s not if you count the space you’ll need for the tables, bustling waiters, the band, and the dance floor.

Investigate Wedding Blackout Dates
Know ahead of time if your wedding date falls on the same day as a trade conference, charity walk, or other local event that could affect traffic and hotel room availability.

Check Your Credit
Take advantage of the high cost of weddings and sign up for a credit card with a rewards program. Whether it gives you airline miles or great shopping deals, consolidating all wedding-related purchases to this card will help you accumulate thousands of rewards points (which could be used for your honeymoon).

Get Organizationally Focused
In a three-ring binder, compile all your correspondences with vendors, notes you make during meetings, and photos or tear sheets from magazines you want vendors to see. Set up a special email address dedicated to your wedding, and store important vendor numbers in your cell phone.

Release Rooms
As soon as you have picked a date, start to look for hotels in a wide variety of price points. Many hotels allow you to reserve rooms for guests under a special wedding block and a reduced rate. You can then release any unbooked rooms a month prior to your wedding. If the hotels you contact insist upon contracts with cancellation penalties, just say no — you don’t want to be responsible for rooms you can’t fill.

Call the Fashion Police
Don’t go dress shopping on your own — all the gowns will start to look the same after a while and it will be harder to recall which style you really loved. But be careful about who you do bring. If your mom or sibling can’t make the trip, ask a friend who is truly honest. This is the time when you really need to know which dress looks best.

Be Realistic With Your Time
When it comes down to the last month of your planning (and when you’re particularly harried) look at your mile long to-do list and cut three things. Yes, cut three things. Not crucial things that you just don’t feel like doing, such as picking a processional song or confirming final details with all of your vendors. Eliminate only the over-the-top tasks like hand-painting “Just Married” signs, or baking cookies for all of the welcome bags. Make a pledge to not think about them ever again.