Newly Engaged? Here Are 5 Wedding Planning Tips to Get you Started
Hello! To say I’m excited to be writing my first blog post for you is an understatement! If you are a couple looking for a fresh take on the wedding planning experience then this is the place for you.
You won’t find any wedding etiquette or outdated planning to-do lists here. This blog is the place where I aim to share helpful advice and style inspiration for couples looking to make their wedding experience uniquely their own.
ARE YOU FEELING OVERWHELMED BY WEDDING PLANNING?
So you’ve just got engaged and now the initial celebrations are over its time to start thinking about the actual wedding. How exciting, you finally get to plan your dream wedding and it’s completely...overwhelming.
Don’t worry, this is completely natural! At the beginning planning a wedding can feel like one endless to-do list. On top of which, you suddenly have to deal with so many unknown entities such as:
How do I find out about all the wedding venues in the location I’ve chosen?
What budget will I need for the wedding we’re envisioning?
Wedding flowers can cost how much?
There is such a thing as wedding insurance?
Unless like me, you are a Wedding Planner you are not going to have all the answers to these questions. To not feel fully in control can be intimidating. However, if you are prepared to commit some of your time to research and exploration you can start to get to grips with the wedding planning fundamentals.
Doing this with your partner after dinner with a glass of wine, or in bed with a coffee on a Sunday morning, can not only be fun, it is a great way to get excited about the whole wedding experience.
So grab your partner, your gadget of choice, a glass of whatever you fancy and get your planning started with these 5 helpful tips:
1 - Set your wedding budget
For most of us this isn’t the most fun part of wedding planning, but deciding on your budget at the start is really important for productive planning from here on in. I recommend that you set a realistic, affordable sum. Stressing about the bills is not conducive to fun wedding planning!
If you don’t know how much things should cost consider working with a wedding planner or set aside some time to research. Check out wedding blogs, talk to suppliers and consider budget planning tools.
In the world of social media there is a visual feast of wedding inspiration out there, but please keep in mind those epic floral displays require investment (wholesale costs of flowers + design, labour and transport) so expect to pay fees that cover the time, workforce, and skill for specialist services like these. If this isn’t within your means, it’s time to re-align your vision.
2 - Agree on your wedding priorities
Having an epic day that you and your guests will talk about for years to come is probably your top priority. But you need to delve a bit deeper and think about what specifically will make it that kind of day for you. Whether it’s amazing music, phenomenal food or a stunning aesthetic, decide on what the priorities are.
At this point it is also a good idea to identify things that aren’t important to you. For example maybe you’ve never understood the whole wedding cake thing, that is fine, there is no rule that says you have to have one.
You will want to allocate more of your budget to the priority areas.
3 - Compile an initial wedding guest list
Now is a good time to compile your initial guest list. Having an idea of approximate numbers will help you when it comes to finding your venue options and finalising your budget.
If you want to invite 250 people you are going to need a decent budget and a sizeable space. All venues should list their seated and standing capacity on their websites or in their brochures.
4 - Discuss when and where
It’s time to talk wedding location and date. The venue is the first major element you will need to book and so deciding on your location is key at this point. Do you want to get married near where you live, where you grew up, or do you want a destination wedding?
Once you have an idea on location start thinking about dates, do you have a special day in mind or are you quite flexible? Wedding venues can get booked years in advance so if you have your heart set on a particular date it’s a good idea to let the venue know when you first get in contact.
5 - Define your style
Choosing a style for your wedding can feel like a challenging task. There are so many blogs and publications with pages and pages of wedding inspiration, not to mention heaps of articles on wedding trends.
Pinterest is a great tool, but it can also add to the confusion if the result of a pinning session is a hotchpotch of different styles and colours. A wedding stylist can help you make sense of this jumble and help you define your personal style.
Another great way to establish your wedding style is to step back from all this and instead be inspired by something uniquely personal to you. This could be your favourite piece of art hanging in your house, a vintage patterned dress your Mum gave you, the place you got engaged, the style of your favourite film etc.
And there you go, you should now have some solid foundations for starting your wedding planning!
If you’ve decided working with a wedding professional might be the best route for your then check out our wedding planning services. And why not book in for an initial consultation? They are complimentary and this is your chance to find out what it’s like to work with a planner.