10 TIPS FOR WEDDING PLANING | advice to help you navigate the planning process

If you’re finding this, then it’s likely safe to assume you've recently gotten engaged. In which case, congratulations! 

Some people spend their entire lives dreaming about the perfect wedding day. Others don’t give it a single thought until the time comes. Regardless of whichever category you fall into, you’ve probably found that the process of actually making a start on the planning process is quite daunting.

Planning any big event can be overwhelming, a wedding is no different. 

Everyone thinks about the wedding day, but so few think about the process leading up to it. In my opinion, the planning process should be equally as enjoyable as the actual day. With that being said, here is a few bits of advice that might help to ensure the overall experience is a positive one. Here are our top tips that might help you navigate the process. 

CREATE A VISION

Take a moment to sit in silence - either by yourself or with your partner. Find somewhere comfortable to sit, close your eyes and try to envision what a wedding day looks like for you. When you close your eyes what do you see? Perhaps it’s a specific scene from one of your favourite movies that featured a wedding? That’s a good start, so ask yourself; what was it you liked about it? Was it the atmosphere? Was it the band or decor they had? 

Now start to include yourself. Mentally ask yourself questions like; Am I outdoors? Am I in my home country or am I abroad? What time of year is it? Who can I see around me?

Once you’ve decided these things, you can start to expand your vision. How many people do you see? Is it a small, intimate moment with just close friends and family or do you see a big crowd of people? What colours do you see? Are they in the building or are they on your guests' clothes? 

Some of these questions might seem basic but I guarantee if you start small and build out the picture gradually you’ll start to get an idea of some of the things you might like for your big day. 

Next, communicate what you saw with your partner. See if what you envisioned is similar. If they are then you have a great starting point. If they’re wildly different then try uncovering why. Do they see less people than you did? If so, try compromising until you’re both on a similar page. After all, it’ll be very difficult to continue planning when neither of you can agree on what you want. You’ll end up planning two different weddings! 

Don’t forget, you can always use tools like Pinterest to get inspiration and help convey your vision to your partner. 

SET A BUDGET

Once you and your partner have a rough idea on the type of wedding you’d like, you can start to look at your finances. Weddings can be expensive so be prepared for this! If you can, set a budget that allows for a little extra wiggle room. You’ll thank me later when unexpected costs come up - things you’d never in a million years think could cost as much as they do! 

It’s always better to agree on a budget early on in the planning process, that way you can adjust your expectations accordingly. If your budget is only £8,000 then you may have to accept you won’t be releasing doves without a bit of compromise in other areas. Even if you find there are compromises to be made, that doesn’t mean you can’t still have a beautiful wedding! 

GET YOURSELF A CHECKLIST

Like I said, planning any big event can be overwhelming - especially if you have no idea what you’re doing! Some important aspects can easily get overlooked if you aren’t organising properly. You can hire external help, or if you’re dead set on the DIY method and want to be involved in every aspect, you can purchase a checklist template from sites like Etsy or Amazon. 

These templates might not be specific for your wedding (you might find that you don’t need to hire a band because you’ve decided on a DJ for the reception), but generally they are a good jumping off point. Plus, you’ll probably find that most can be altered to fit you and your needs. 

Keeping a detailed checklist that outlines all the tasks that need to be completed, as well as the deadlines they need to be completed by, can help to ensure nothing is overlooked or forgotten about. After all, there’s nothing worse than making it to the day of the wedding and realising you forgot to pay the invoice for the flowers so they’re not arriving. 

I swear, the main reason brides typically tend to stress out so close to the day of the wedding is because they haven't kept a detailed checklist. Do yourself a favour and get one! I know some people are what they call “organised messy” but I guarantee you’ll feel a whole lot more relaxed if you can see things getting ticked off on paper.  

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Once you’ve settled on a vision and a budget you’re both happy with, you can start ticking some items off the checklist. This is either the really exciting bit or the really daunting bit… 

Don’t worry about scheduling viewings and making the calendar work for you at this moment. Right now just focus on lots of googling. Most checklists will suggest finding your venue first so start there. Make a little list of all the things that would make the venue a good fit for you - things like location and capacity. Try to get as much information as you can at this stage but remember you’ll get a much better feel for the place when you go to visit it. You can ask all your questions then too!  

Please make sure to also look up reviews! You want to make sure you’re picking reliable and reputable vendors. It’s important that you find companies that understand your vision and are known for delivering a quality service. 

PICK THE VENUE FIRST, DATE LATER

Most people think that before you can do anything you need to settle on a date. Although this isn’t terrible advice, I’d actually advise you to be flexible with your date. Have an idea of a month or a season you’d like, and it doesn’t hurt to have a few specific dates in mind but I recommend not getting attached to any of them (unless it holds some kind of significant value - for example the day you met). The reason for this is because you might find a venue that ticks all the boxes but then you find out they don’t have the availability on the day you’d like. I guarantee you’ll end up feeling less crushed if you go in with an open mind. They might not have the weekend you were originally hoping for but they might have the weekend after or before available which will work just as well.   

DON’T BE AFRAID TO DELEGATE TASKS

Whether or not you’ve decided to go down the route of having a bridal party, getting some help is always a good idea. Planning a wedding is a full time job in itself, but it only gets harder when you try juggling it with another full time job. Most people don’t have the luxury to take time off work to focus on wedding planning, so whether you choose to hire external help or you ask a close friend to take on a task to two, you’ll find that life gets a lot less stressful when you ask for help. 

If you’re asking friends and family for help make sure they are people that you can trust to follow instructions and not stray too far from your vision.  

TRY TO STAY FLEXIBLE

Life happens and even with a clear cut checklist there’s likely going to be something that appears out of nowhere that’ll require your attention. 

Try not to freak out!

Please remember that if you’re purchasing a pre-made checklist they should be used as a guide only. Whichever you decide will never be exactly what you need - however close it might appear. 

KEEP IT PERSONAL 

Your wedding should be a special moment, it should be a memory you keep forever. We want to make sure it’s an unforgettable day for the right reasons…  

Truth is, too often we see couples arranging a spectacle that is clearly designed to wow their guests. As much as we love a big wedding, we also want to remind you that your wedding day is supposed to be a day to celebrate the love between you and your partner. We see far too many people get lost in the extravagance of the day and forget to have a good time and enjoy the day. 

I know it can be really difficult - especially if someone else is paying - but please try to keep the day as personal as possible. Don’t be afraid to put your foot down! If you don’t like seafood then don’t offer a seafood buffet! 

Regardless of how “proper” it might be considered, if you and your partner bonded over your love of pizza, who’s to say you can’t serve that to your guests. Bottom line is, remember that your guests are choosing to join you in celebrating your happiness, so your happiness on the day is key. Your guests already love you as you are, they wouldn’t show up otherwise, so if fancy isn’t your style then don’t make it fancy. The key to making your guests feel comfortable is for you yourself to feel comfortable. 

START EARLY 

Please, please, please start as early as you possibly can! You might be surprised at how much notice some vendors require. Plus, more often than not it’s a case of booking earlier and getting a better price.

DON’T MAKE LIFE HARDER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE

When you’re busy dotting all the I’s and crossing all the T’s of a wedding, the last thing you need is all your guests asking you the same questions over and over again. In fact I’m convinced that’s the reason brides get so overwhelmed - because they feel like they’re going round in circles!

Something we’ve found that can be really helpful is creating a website specific to your wedding and making sure it has all the information your guests could possibly need all in one place and really easy to find. You can attach the web link or QR code to your invitations and it can even act as a portal for your guests to RSVP and submit their meal choices if you’re having a sit down meal. 

Printed out RSVP cards might seem pretty but I guarantee, half your guests will forget to mail them back to you, and the other half will text you their answers instead.

If by some miracle your relatives are organised enough to actually send them back to you on time, you now need to figure out some kind of organisation system to keep on top of it all. Our advice is to save yourself the hassle. 

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THAT’S IT! 

Our top tips for newly engaged couples looking to begin the wedding planning process. 

We hope this advice has been helpful, but if even after all this you still find yourself struggling, why not reach out and see how we can assist you. It’s what we do after all. 

NEED HELP PLANNING & ORGANISING YOUR WEDDING? See how we can help here.