Planning your wedding day can be a roller coaster of emotion. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the multitude of options and choices for each stage of the wedding day. Knowing where to start can be quite a challenge but with a little research and some careful planning, the big day will go flawlessly.
Where to start?
A big part of the puzzle is knowing what your budget is. It’s very easy to get carried away with all of the amazing addons but with an extra £50 here and £75 there, set budgets can be very quickly blown out of the water. A good starting point is setting a realistic budget and sticking with it no matter what. Alternatively, have a strict budget in mind but allow for a realistic buffer just in-case any last minute changes are needed. Whether operating on a shoe string budget or going all out for a wedding of the year award, planning is key to ensure that everyone has a day to remember for ever.
The check list
The wedding check list can vary depending on budget and the complexity of the wedding. Although not exhaustive, the following list gives a good idea of what is involved and the main points to be considered.
- Budget
- Explore ceremony and reception venue options
- Book Church or Registry Office
- Book reception venue
- ‘Save the date’ cards
- Choosing the ‘Best Man’ and Bridesmaids
- Planning the style, character of theme of the wedding
- Music for the church, sit-down meal and evening reception
- Set up a wedding gift webpage with retailers
- Purchase wedding rings
- Wedding and Bridesmaids dresses
- Wedding suits for Groom, Bestman and Ushers
- Investigate wedding photographers and videographers
- Flowers for the wedding party, church and reception if desired
- Catering
- Reception DJ and/or band
- Hair and makeup for the Bride and bridesmaids
- Find 3 hotels (at different price points) for out-of-town guests.
- Book Bridal Suite at a Hotel
- Plan and book Honeymoon
What if things go wrong?
With something as big and complex as a wedding day, it’s common for something to not go as planned. Often, it’s something that no one else will notice, something that can be worked around or something that can be laughed off. If anything, it’s these things that can seem like a disaster on the day that make for fond memories further down the line.
Your wedding day should be all about you and your partner having the best day of your lives and not trying to achieve 105% on some imaginary score-board for a judging panel. If you have the best day ever and are married at the end of it, then it has been a success.