Planning a wedding can be both exciting (yay!) and overwhelming (help!). In these moments, it’s important to remember a few wedding tips from both friends and family who have been there before, as well as leading industry experts.
Start by paring down your guest list. This is essential because vendors will ask for your final list as they begin consultations and bookings.
1. Start Early
Whether it’s through a spreadsheet, design template, or online tool like WeddingHappy and AllSeated, create a system for organizing your thoughts, budgets, and numbers. And don’t be afraid to delegate; you may have family members or friends who want to help in ways that fit their strengths.
Select your wedding date as soon as possible to ensure venues, vendors, and other key wedding-related services are available. Decide on your wedding registry early, too; if you and your fiance don’t plan to exchange gifts, consider creative registries or charitable donations.
2. Set a Budget
Before you start organising everything, it’s important to know how much you have to work with. Take into account your combined income and any wedding-specific savings you’ve made.
Once you have a number to work with, sit down and list out all the things you would like to have at your wedding. Then start re-ordering them in order of importance to you and your partner.
Ideally, you’ll get down to three non-negotiables. Don’t be afraid to let go of some items on the “nice to have” list, as long as you invest more in those things that truly matter to you and your partner.
3. Create a List
There are so many little things that pop up on a wedding day, so creating a comprehensive timeline for your big day can be helpful. Make sure you share it with MCs, photographers and key family members to help everyone stay on the same page.
A quality event planner can help you create a budget breakdown and prioritize tasks like hiring vendors and preparing for the wedding day. They also often have handy tools for things like building colorful floor plans and seating charts.
When interviewing potential wedding planners, it’s worth asking them how they work with clients to execute their vision. If they are unable to explain their process, it may not be the right fit.
4. Hire the Right Vendors
Vendors are a big part of your day, and you need to choose ones who will support what you envision for the wedding. This includes choosing vendors who understand and support a diverse range of wedding styles, traditions, and cultures. It’s a good idea to check out their website galleries and bio to see the kinds of weddings they’ve photographed, planned, or created in the past.
It’s also a great idea to meet your top vendors face to face, especially if you’re hiring someone important like a photographer or videographer. This will help you get a sense of their personality and communication style.
5. Get Organized
Once the invitations have been sent out, it’s time to start planning! This is a great opportunity for you and your partner to brainstorm ideas and let your imaginations run wild.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family and friends if needed! Just be sure to give them a clear idea of what is expected of them.
Create a wedding day schedule and pass it along to all vendors, the MC, and key family members. This ensures everyone is on the same page and prevents any surprises.
6. Get Creative
It’s important to take the time to get creative with all the details that make your wedding unique crewlogout. However, you should always keep the number of DIY projects in check — too much can be overwhelming.
Use apps and tools to help you stay organized. These can include checklists, spreadsheets, word documents, and more.
Ask family members and friends for help. Delegating some tasks that you can’t handle on your own, like setting up or dispersing checks to vendors, will help relieve stress and leave you more time to enjoy the planning process.
7. Schedule Time to Relax
Throughout the planning process, it’s easy to forget why you’re doing all of this in the first place. When your nerves kick in, remember that the day is all about you and your partner.
The day of the wedding, leave yourself plenty of time to get ready and give yourself a buffer in case things go wrong. It will also help if you and your vendors are on the same page about what needs to happen when.
Consider having a relaxation kit on hand with your favourite things to help you calm your mind and prepare for your big day.
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