Hello lovely readers and welcome back! I’m so excited to share the First 5 Steps To Planning Your Dream Wedding. Planning a wedding is a very overwhelming time, so I’ve created this wedding planning guide as a starting point.
As a newly engaged couple this is such an exciting time yet full of lots of emotions. Take a moment to celebrate with lots of bubbly – of course. Enjoy the here and now, because you will never get this time back again! Relive your engagement story over and over again because this moment will soon pass and next thing you know you’ll be sky deep in wedding admin, moodboards, magazines and pinning like crazy on Pinterest.
The start of the wedding planning process can become a very stressful and overwhelming time. You might be asking what are the first steps of how to plan a wedding? What should we do first? Or perhaps you are 10 steps ahead and already thinking about inviting everyone… Hold that thought, grab a cuppa, or glass of bubbles, and take a read the first steps to planning your wedding!
GUEST LIST
First things first that dreaded guest list. Knowing the (approximate) size of your wedding guest list is crucial before starting any other wedding planning task.
Start to create a draft and be really selective of who you want to celebrate this moment with you. We truly believe in listening to your gut, always remember this is your wedding. Decide if you would like to invite any evening guests and start brainstorming this list.
I would typically advise that 5-8% of your wedding guests will decline due to other commitments. Create a secondary list of guests to invite so you are prepared when you receive the RSVPs.
WEDDING BUDGET
The most important task is confirming and sticking to your wedding budget. Be realistic from the very start! I’d recommend looking into opening a Savings Account and a separate Current Account to pay all of your wedding suppliers. Once you have confirmed your wedding budget, you will be able to work out what kind of wedding is possible within your budget. Where possible, I always advise my wedding planning couples to factor in a contingency budget of 5-10%.
You may also need to have a serious conversation with family members if any contributions are expected.
WEDDING TIMING
You’ll need to decide when you would like to marry. The wedding season starts in April and ends in September which means the majority of weddings take place during these months. This means that good wedding suppliers get booked up very quickly. Sometimes years in advance especially Wedding Planners, Wedding Photographers and Videographers and Caterers. Decide when is the best time for you both, do you have any big work commitments due or around a certain time of the year that you may need to consider?
Another timing element to consider is how much time can you both allocate to wedding planning? Do you have hours upon hours available, because trust me you will need this! In the U.K it takes on average 250 hours to plan a wedding, that’s nearly the equivalent of another Full-Time job – especially if you are planning to have a short engagement.
WEDDING VENUE & LOCATION
Now this is where the fun commences…
You might already know your dream wedding venue, so you are ready to send a few enquiries to confirm availability. Some venues can be booked up to 3-years in advance, so if you have your heart set on a dream wedding venue you may need to be more flexible with the timing and date of your wedding. Are you happy to wait 2 years for your dream date or do you want to say I Do sooner? Work out what’s more important to you both as a couple.
Wedding professionals such as Wedding Planners know the market very well and can save a significant amount of time and heartache in searching for your dream wedding venue. It might be worth considering the different options available.
WEDDING PLANNING SERVICES
It’s time to have a serious conversation and confirm how much resource and time you have available for planning your dream wedding. If it feels the impossible, then it might be worth looking into the services of a Wedding Planner. An experienced wedding planner will help save you hours upon hours, guide you through the wedding planning process and offer help and support where needed.
Wedding Planners offer a range of services from Full Wedding Planning, Partial Wedding Planning & Design and Wedding Management also known as On-The-Day-Coordination.
The Events Designers have been lucky enough to support and guide couples through the wedding planning process over the years and love bringing wedding dreams and visions to reality. I pride myself on ensuring the wedding planning process is enjoyable and a happy time full of celebrations.After all what’s the point in an amazing wedding day if the journey has been miserable! We truly believe it’s about the whole experience. If you feel you need the support of a Wedding Planner please get in touch to confirm our availability for future weddings.
Good luck with your wedding planning!
With Love,
Wedding Planning Stationery and Planners: Future Mrs Planner ● Champagne Celebrations Photography: Nkima Photography ● RSVPs Stationery: Nats Paper Studio ● Venue: Hedsor House ● Venue Photography: Roberta Facchini Photography ● Romantic Couple Photography: Winsome And Wright ● Wedding Planning Photography: Nkima Photography