Involve Family

How do you get your family more involved in the wedding planning?

 Start early on by getting your two families together (easier to do if they are geographically near each other). If you each have siblings, consider asking them to be a part of your bridal party. The same for nieces and nephews for ring bearer and flower girl. You could consider asking parents or siblings to participate in the ceremony with readings and the wedding procession, etc. We were recently at a wedding where the bride's father sang two solos and it had a special meaning to both of them and was very touching for the guests. Discuss with parents the style and size of a wedding you would like. Very important is to discuss budget early on. If you are expecting monetary help from parents, it's important to establish just how much they are each willing or able to contribute. Perhaps you can ask them if there is a particular area each would like to help with - like tracking down limos, photographers, musicians, or florists, etc. One item that can generate participation is making favors for the reception. Once you have established costs, and a location for the reception, you can figure out how many guests each side can invite, which will get both sets of parents involved in making name and address lists. If someone is proficient at calligraphy or has very neat handwriting, enlist them to address the invitations and make table name cards. If someone has a large house, they might want to host some of the activities, like perhaps an engagement party, groom's dinner, showers, etc. Asking for help and opinions is the easiest way to get them - but be prepared to compromise a bit if the end result isn't exactly as you would have done it yourself. And if parents aren't forthcoming with all the money you need, you may have to rethink and resize the affair you are planning.