Where to begin when planning a wedding
Knowing where to start when planning a wedding can be one of the hardest hurdles to cross but fear not it doesn’t have to be. You've told your family, you've shouted it from the roof tops and you've shown off your freshly manicured hands displaying a stunning ring symbolising your love for each other. Now to begin the formalities, leave the stress and worry behind you by following a few simple steps to get you going in the right direction.
1. Insurance –
If your partner hasn’t already got your engagement ring insured then this is a must. Either source individual insurance or name it on your home contents either way aside from the emotional disappointment of losing it you would not want this additional cost to creep up at an inconvenient time.
Explore wedding insurance policies. Take this cover as soon as possible to ensure everything you book is covered. There are a variety of coverage available. Once you have worked out the following you should be able to be more specific about your requirement. Speak with a wedding insurance broker or some major high street suppliers such as Debenhams and John Lewis offer competitive policies.
2. Invest in a folder or wedding organiser -
Keep a note of everything you see. Pictures from a magazine, estimate of costs, supplier recommendations you get from friends and family, even flyers you pick up at wedding fairs. It will make the process much easier if all your information is in one place.
3. Estimate the number of guests –
Whether you want a wedding for 50 or 500, it will make a massive difference to where you go from here. For example, you will be wasting your time looking at venues suitable for 50 if you plan on having 150. This will also get you thinking about a rough guest list. Although you don’t have to decide exactly who you want to invite at this stage making that decision is definitely one of the most difficult elements of planning so worth giving yourself as much notice as possible.
4. Decide on a time frame/date/budget
Deciding on a date may need to be done in conjunction with creating a budget, this will allow time for you to save for what you want. If you don’t need to consider time to save then great but it is still important that you have an idea in your mind of what you want to spend. It may also be worth opening a separate account at this point to only be used for wedding payments. This way you can keep track on what is being spent and it will not eat into your day to day living costs.
When selecting a date it may also be that you prefer a specific season. Or that you want to avoid another event such as a friend’s wedding. But before you approach any suppliers or venues you should have a time frame in mind so you can quickly check availability.
5. Start viewing venues
Once you have worked out roughly how many people you want to invite, what your budget is and when roughly you want to be married the fun can begin. You may have an idea in your mind of a venue already. Maybe somewhere you’ve dreamed of as a child or maybe somewhere you’ve simply driven past once before. Either way make an appointment and get in to view as soon as possible. It may be the first venue you see that you fall in love with or it may be slightly more complicated. You need to allow time to possibly view a selection of venues or even view the same venue more than once. It’s a big decision, so make sure it’s the right one.
6. Get planning
Once you’ve found your ideal venue you can consider style, décor and the type of wedding day you will enjoy.
Start looking at wedding dresses (bear in mind ordering, delivery and alterations can sometimes take around 6 months so don’t leave it to the last minute) decide on entertainment, look at rings, cakes, flowers, alternatives to traditional wedding décor if you so wish, speak to photographers/videographers (I recommend meeting with a few and ensure you have a good relationship with them as they will be the supplier you work most closely with on the day and will rely on to provide you with a good service in the end) and remember whatever you do, do it for you. Although a wedding day is aimed at your guests you have to enjoy it and it has to represent your personalities. If you like live music, have it. If you like chicken, eat it. If you want money not gifts, ask for it. Don’t feel like everything you do is to please others after all it’s you spending the money and it’s your wedding day.
If however, you think it is all getting too much or you’re simply too busy to fit planning a wedding in to your already crazy life then working together with a professional planner could be the answer to your prayers. Get what you want without the stresses of finding it. Attend the fun things like cake sampling, wine tasting and dress fittings. Leave the internet trawling, emailing and traipsing back and forward to the venue to someone else. Someone you trust and someone who you genuinely believe understands your wedding vision. Someone you will become friends with and have regular contact with to share your ideas and dreams. Someone who will be there for you. Contact me today on lisaevans@tayloredweddingplanner.com or 07757 657070 to find out how I can be that someone.
