The Bride and Groom plan to get married within the next year and have a church wedding followed by a reception. A wedding is a project that has a fixed date and therefore fixing the wedding date was the 1st order of business.

1.1.1 Fix Date

The process used for fixing a wedding date is dependent on the Bride and Groom priorities. The fixing of the date is generally dependent on the availability of their chosen church, reception venue and band. The earlier the planning commences the better the chance of satisfying all of the main priorities.

1.1.1.1 Book Church & Priest

The Bride and Groom decide on a day of the week that they would like to be married. Saturday weddings are popular mainly because it tends to suit the majority of guests and for this reason they tend to be more difficult to arrange and can be more expensive. They meet with the parish priest or their preferred celebrant at least 6 months prior to the dates they have in mind to establish his and the church availability. They note all the suitable dates the church and the priest are available.

1.1.1.2 Book Reception Venue

The options for the number of suitable venues are reduced based on personal preferences of the Bride and Groom. Some couple may have a preference for a castle while others may prioritise a venue with a view to minimizing the amount of travel guests have to undertake. Couples have held their receptions in a marquee in the ground of their homes’. The ambiance and the atmosphere surrounding such a setting can add to the occasion. There is a considerable amount of extra planning required for the marquee option. For example, organising caterers, permits, electricity power supply, parking and toilet facilities. Catering companies normally can supply waiting staff, bar service, catering equipment, furniture, crockery, linen etc.

The Bride and Groom research potential reception venues to determine average prices and services on offer. They visit a selected number of venues based on location, services on offer, price and advice from friends. They establish the potential reception venues available dates. The Bride and Groom would normally have an approximate number of guests as this may impact on the choice of venues. The table below is a sample for illustrative purposes that may assist with selection. Criteria used in selecting a venue are:

Criteria	Unit Measure	Venue 1	Venue 2	Venue 3	Venue 4
Distance from the Church	Kilometres	15	30	25	40
Bride & Groom experience of food	Marks out of 100	90	80	90	100
Bride & Groom experience of decor	Marks out of 100	80	80	90	90
Family & Friends experience	Marks out of 100	80	80	80	90
Price Main Meal	€ per head	€ 28.00	€ 25.00	€ 32.00	€ 38.00
Price Wine Reception	€ per head	€ 7.00	€ 7.00	€ 7.00	€ 8.00
Price Evening Food	€ per head	€ 6.00	€ 7.00	€ 6.00	€ 8.00
Guest capacity Minimum & Maximum	Min.No/ Max. No	50/300	50/250	50/400	50/500
Special overnight rates for guests	Discount	€ 20	€ 15	€ 20	€ 30
Limitations for music	Finishing Time	2.00am	1.00am	1.00am	2.00am
Bar closing time	Finishing Time	1.30am	1.0am	12.30am	1.30am
Performance space band	Sq Mtrs	25	30	40	40
Sound Limiters	Yes/No	No	No	No	Yes
Baby changing & feeding facilities.	Yes/No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Guest/Band changing facilities	Yes/No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Secure place for gifts	Yes/No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Areas for photographs	Yes/No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Guests parking	Yes/No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Wheelchair accessible	Yes/No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Floral table centrepiece	Yes/No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Red Carpet	Yes/No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cake Stand	Yes/No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Other decorations included	Yes/No	No	No	No	No
Extra charges	Yes/No	No	No	No	No
Corkage charge for wine	Rate € per bottle	€ 0.00	€ 0.00	€ 0.00	€ 5.00
Deposit Amount	Amount €	10%	10%	15%	20%
Cancellation policy	Amount € loss	Deposit	Deposit	Deposit	Deposit

Taking everything into consideration they decide on a Venue.

1.1.1.3 Musicians Availability

The Bride and Groom may have a preference for a particular band or maybe a band that can perform a mixture of material to cater for all age groups that would include traditional, rock, pop, country and soul music. They may require the band to accompany singers from among the guests, and entice people on to the dance floor. In general, couples want a band with the experience to perform the appropriate material at the appropriate time at the right price.

When there is no one preferential band, the Bride and Groom start searching based on initial preferences, and recommendations from family and friends. They note email addresses and phone no’s of potential bands for further enquiries.

Preparing a list of questions as outlined below to ask bands in advance, helps narrow down the number of bands fitting requirements. They email or phone each band for answers to the questions and gather any other relevant information. The table below is a sample for illustrative purposes that may assist with selection. Criteria used in selecting a band are:

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