Cape Fear Wedding: Getting organized

Cape Fear Wedding is your complete wedding planner.

Checklists, timetables and other planning aids

Get your free Cape Fear Wedding planning handbook

Questions and opinions: a discussion forum for brides

How to reach Cape Fear Wedding

Professional association for vendors and wedding professionals

Helpful articles about planning your wedding

Facts, figures and how-to information you'll need

The Cape Fear Wedding Show; how to get the most out of wedding shows

A searchable directory of wedding professionals and merchants

Free classified ads for brides and grooms

Picture pages: featured weddings, fashions and fresh ideas

Your Wedding Day Weather: personalized reports and forecasts

Reception
Locations

Brides

Getting organized
Suggestions on using all the resources available to help you plan

Return to resources index | Attendants' responsibilites | Avoiding stress

Get your sourcebook:	Cape Fear Wedding is here to help you. Cape Fear Wedding is the greater Wilmington area's premier wedding planner. If you don't have the book yet, follow the link to the left to find out how to get your free copy.
Use the online planner:	Please write in your book! This planning handbook is meant for your use. Mark it up, use the timetables, planning pages and checklists, make notes. Or, go to the online edition of the planner. We have printer-friendly versions of all the planning pages, which you can download and print as many copies as you need.
Browse the articles:	Read the articles And, of course, whether in print or on line, the articles are full of helpful advice about the thousand-and-one details you'll need to decide on in the course of your preparations. This web site has additional material not found in the printed book, so use it as a supplemental resource along with your Cape Fear Wedding handbook. Also, unlike some planning publications, we try hard to make our articles objective. They are meant to help you, not to plug a particular advertiser's services. Their messages are in their ads, not in our articles.
Go to your account:	Log in to our database of wedding professionals Both the print and online editions are sourcebooks of wedding services. The advertisers here are experts in their field. They will give you great ideas and take on a big part of the work and worry. To help you find and deal directly with wedding professionals in every field, Cape Fear Wedding has created a dynamic referral system for the bridal couples of Southeastern North Carolina.
Register online now:	Sign up free, on line It's free to register, and signing up entitles you to discounts, special offers and information about the products and services you need. You can update your personal profile at any time and check out the latest additions to our database of vendors. You'll also have direct links to the vendors' own websites and email addresses.
Scan the timetable:	File and use the literature you get You'll receive brochures and other information by mail and email. Organize this material into a series of folders, a notebook or an expandable file according to categories. As each category comes up on your timetable, re-read the literature from each file, as well as the articles in Cape Fear Wedding pertaining to that product or service. This will help you be prepared with appropriate questions.
Information on shows:	Attend bridal shows An excellent way to get to know Wilmington's wedding professionals, evaluate their work, and gather ideas is to attend one or more of the bridal shows held every year. We offer tips on how to get the most out of the shows you choose to attend, as well as a schedule of upcoming shows. We especially recommend our own Cape Fear Wedding Show, held in mid-Autumn every year in downtown Wilmington, which features a bridal fashion show, complimentary refreshments in the Bride & Groom's lounge, musical entertainment, and of course exhibits by 80-plus wedding vendors.
	Talk to vendors Some vendors may telephone you, asking if you have contracted yet for their type of service. If you like what they have to say, make an appointment to see or discuss their work. These callers should be friendly, yet businesslike and never intimidating. Make notes about these phone conversations and file them with your other planning information. It's easy to forget details when you have so much to think about! For your convenience, your Cape Fear Wedding timetable has spaces for you to write in the names, phone numbers and other pertinent data about the vendors you select.
	Finally, don't panic! It may seem overwhelming at first, but if you go about your planning systematically, set a schedule for yourself, and make full use of the planning tools we offer, you'll get everything done on time with a minimum of problems. Enjoy the process, let us know if we can make Cape Fear Wedding more useful to you in any way, and have a wonderful wedding day.

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