How hard is it to plan a wedding?
Getting engaged and the wedding planning process is a time to celebrate your love and commitment. But as exciting and meaningful as it is, it can also be very stressful. Most people think planning a wedding is easy because all they have to do is find suppliers and then deal with a few details.
In reality, it can take a lot of time, energy, and budgeting to plan a wedding. Plus, with today’s current challenges and the age of social media, it can be easy to become confused and overwhelmed by all of the information and wedding inspiration out there.
However, before you become daunted and put off by the number of tasks you think you need to achieve to pull off the wedding of the century, explore our list of simple yet effective guidelines to help you plan your perfect wedding.
Helping you to sit back, relax, and try to savour and enjoy this special time instead of stressing.
Ultimate wedding planning guide
Whether you have a wedding planner to throw a huge party or you want to organise small and intimate wedding favours on your own, discover our tried and tested to-do list to achieve your own wedding vision in a stress-free manner.
Evaluate your Wedding Budget
The main reason for keeping a realistic wedding budget at the top is that this is the most crucial step that allows the rest of the steps to fall into place smoothly.
You can make a checklist for all the ideas you and your fiancé like, and then do your research into what the average cost is and set a specific budget for each item. This will then allow you to evaluate everything on the list and see if you and your fiancé can really afford them. Plus, it also helps you keep track whenever you are over or under budget.
Choose your wedding season or month
Have a chat with your partner about when you would both like to get married. This may also help you decide on the location and the style of your big day, as well as give you both an idea of when to book time off work.
It may also be the case that some of both your closest friends and/or family can only make it to the wedding at certain times of the year.
Start planning the guest list
Though you might feel it is a bit early to pen down all the names of the wedding guests, this is a crucial part of the wedding planning journey and budget and will also prove to be a big help in the next few steps.
Give yourself an ample amount of time to remember which names to add to the list and have a rough estimate ready.
Inform your wedding party
A wedding is a time to celebrate your love and commitment with your nearest and dearest around you. So we suggest that you ask your closest friends to be your bridesmaids, groomsmen, grooms ladies, or bridesmen early. They should be provided with enough time to plan their schedule around your big day.
Look for your perfect wedding venue
After having a few factors narrowed down, including the time of the year you wish to be married, the number of guests you want at your wedding, and a rough budget, you can start your search for the perfect venue.
This will also be the time you will start to make final decisions on the look and feel of your wedding, as the venue will supply a backdrop for the overall mood you wish to set on your big day. It’s also important to look at factors such as the venue amenities, location, parking, whether they do catering and so on, and we suggest it would be best to have the venue booked around 12-18 months before the actual wedding date.
Start booking all the wedding vendors
From your budget, you should have agreed on a wish list of what you want to include at your wedding. It is important to research all of your potential suppliers, from florists to wedding photographers, hairdressers, caterers, wedding cars, and more.
Remember, cheaper is not always better. We suggest looking at previous work for clients, reviews on websites, testimonials from other couples, and seeking any recommendations from friends or family members.
Once you have narrowed your search down, you can weigh up the pros and cons for each supplier and agree on suppliers which fit with the budget, style, and feel of your wedding day. Then, simply book your photographer, videographer, florist, or salon timings, and by the end, all you need to do before your wedding is possibly a few taster sessions and to confirm and check in with them one final time.
Save-the-Date
Whether it be on a card, in an email, or a link to your wedding website, send the final date to your loved ones as soon as possible so they can plan their visit accordingly.
The Save the Date card should include your and your partner’s names, the venue (or location at the very least), dates, times, and also notice that a formal invitation is to follow. At this point, make sure the theme for your wedding invitation matches the save-the-date.
Say yes to the wedding and bridesmaid dresses
Wedding attire can be one of the most important aspects of a wedding day. If you don’t feel good in what you are wearing, it can put a damper on anyone’s day.
Before choosing your wedding dress or tuxedo, it is important to have already decided on the mood or the feel of your wedding day. You don’t want your dress style to clash with your wedding style.
We also suggest trying on a few different shapes, styles, colours, and materials whilst also staying true to yourself by considering what fashion you lean toward daily. When making your final decision, you should feel confident and beautiful. As long as it feels right and you feel like the best version of you, then go for it.
Make a seating plan
Work with your partner or planner about the seating arrangements. Make sure you have your family, relatives, friends, and acquaintances sorted out. This will not only make the event more organised but also help caterers tend to the guests easily.
Send the wedding invitations
You are probably six to eight weeks away from your wedding day. Now is the ideal time to send the invitations.
The wedding invite should include:
- The name of the couple
- The request to come to the wedding, including any plus–ones
- The location of the ceremony
- The date and time – if it’s an evening-only invite, make this very clear
- Wedding reception information, if this is different to the ceremony
- Dress code
- RSVP details, including the deadline – this is usually at least 4 weeks before the wedding.
Couples may also have opted to sign up with a wedding gift list service, which they might want to include on the invite.
One last confirmation
Keep in close contact with all the wedding suppliers you have booked. Confirm with them all the necessary information and resolve any issues which may crop up, as well as payments for any dues that need paying.
Enjoy your dream wedding day
At last, your big day is here, after months, maybe even years of planning, the day has finally arrived. Start your day by having a refreshing breakfast, raise a toast with your bridal party, get pampered, have a little fun, and let the little details go. You’re about to marry the love of your life – enjoy every minute of it.
Looking for your ideal reception venue? Get in touch with our experts today to experience the unmatched atmosphere at Victoria Warehouse.
You can also follow our weddings Instagram: @weddings_vw for inspiration!
