Top Essentials when Planning your Wedding

Just got engaged?  Awesome!  And now you are both at the start of considering what you want for your wedding and getting down to planning… Scary, right?  But so exciting! So in this blog I will share with you the top essentials when planning your wedding …

 Planning your wedding may bring its own challenges – but you have to start somewhere!

The chatter is that smaller weddings are increasingly centre stage  – perhaps an intimate ceremony followed at a later time with a big bash (enter your Two Tier Wedding!)  Couples are reassessing what is really important to them.  Outdoor weddings in beautiful surroundings are gaining in popularity. As are winter weddings, especially with the pressure on those spring and summer dates.

Whatever, here are my 4 top essentials

Invest in a planner! 

How organised are you? Do you prefer paper copies of everything? or data bases and spreadsheets? And when thinking about planning your wedding, where do you start?

Much as I hate filing of any kind, having hard copies of invoices, somewhere to keep brochures, business cards, notes…. stuff!!! …. is all part of my comfort zone…. I’m not the most patient person with admin, so when I want to find something, I want it NOW – and having to click and scroll to search my computer files or my phone is simply irritating.  Give me a super quick reference that I can put my hand on, like a planner. (By the way, you can buy the most comprehensive planner from me!  Click HERE to browse through my catalogue)

So this is my first top tip.  However you like to be organised, get it set up in whatever way makes you happy. Then clear the decks and start the fun stuff!

The Date

Consider a general time or season – spring, summer, outdoor, rustic or classic … and then the actual date can be settled once you’ve had conversations with venues, church and vicar, or civil Registrar and/or celebrant.

The budget

Having a ball park figure in mind is a good starting point.

• What is your preferred maximum spend? have you got savings you can use? will you need to take out a loan? what repayments can you afford? Be careful about going for the cheapest option on anything – all too often you get what you pay for!
• What is the absolute maximum you can afford without being laden with debt for the rest of your married lives?

The essential essentials

For any wedding, there are essentials and non-essentials, and deciding what is most important for the two of you is key.  Everything else, budget allowing, is a bonus.

The essentials are no-brainers, right?  Yep – but you’d be surprised how many brides and couples forget one (or more) important detail.  Listing even the really obvious things is worth it – to keep track of viewings, meetings, orders, contracts …..

For Brides

Dress, veil (if you decide to have one) – or that elegant snappy suit!  Shoes, fabulous underwear (Gotta have fabulous underwear.  It’s the law)

For Grooms    Smart suit and crisp new shirt, shoes (I know – no-brainer, right? but think about the shoe colour, style … not your well worn comfy work shoes!)

The Rings  Check style, metal (do you or your partner react to certain metals?)

Bridesmaids and flowergirls

How many and who will depend on your budget – and who you like most! Keeping things simple can often avoid hissy fits and tears!

Groomsmen – best man, ushers

Flowers        Your flower budget will be about 10% of your overall wedding budget. 

Essentials: Bouquets for bride(s) and bridesmaids.  Buttonholes /boutonnieres for Groom(s) and Best man.

Non-essentials (but lovely to have)  Corsages for mothers of bride and groom and for special ladies like grandmothers.  Boutonnieres /buttonholes for groomsmen, fathers of bride and groom, grandfathers.

There are lots of other possibilities like hoops or baskets for flower girls and bridesmaids, and pew decorations.

Don’t forget your reception décor.

Transport    

Getting the bride to church/ceremony on time and then taking the happy couple to the reception.

The ceremony

Religious or secular. The vicar or minister will need to be one of the first people you contact! If you opt for a secular wedding, you will need to have a civil ceremony to make everything legal. But then you can have a celebrant for the main event and really make it your own with your own wedding vows. All these folk will get booked up fast so need to be top of your lists of must-contact

The guests     

Surround yourselves with people you love and who will cheer your happiness.  You absolutely do NOT have to invite people you don’t like or who are simply annoying! Spreadsheets are handy for tracking who has replied, dietary needs, accommodation and so on.

Invitations

Printed or email? Your choice.  If you decide on emails, you can always send out printed invites to elderly relatives and family who are not tech savvy. 

The reception

Buffet or sit down meal.  Add caterers to your list, tasting appointments, etc. Top tip – go easy on the late night buffet table at the reception. Lots of brides have commented that it’s a total waste of money as it’s not touched.

Champagne

– or sparkling wine for toasts. Ask your venue if you can bring your own (you are sure to get it cheaper!) They may charge corkage but it’s worth asking anyway.

Cake

Perhaps more traditional than essential. But still…… it’s cake!

Photographs

A professional photographer is ideal. But if money is tight, get friends and family to take pics, with just a few specially posed photos.

Wedding Insurance  

Absolutely essential in my view.  Make sure you read the small print and that you are covered for pandemics!

Non-essentials?  

Lovely to have if you can!  Favours, bridal party gifts, LOVE letters, dance floor …. The list goes on and on.  There is a huge choice of lovely shiny things ….. and you will be urged to buy buy buy! (I’ve written a blog on 7 things you can do without for your wedding …. Just saying!) Hitched makes the point that a smaller guest list could mean you have more of your budget to splash out on those non-essentials that can add your own unique touch to a wonderful day.

Whatever you decide, the most important thing to hold close is that you will be getting married to your best friend and the love of your life.  Nothing else matters!

Here’s the link to that blog I told you about: Seven things you don’t need at your wedding

By the way ……

Did you know that you can buy the most complete wedding planner from me? Everything you need to know, from the legal stuff to writing your wedding vows. Click HERE to browse through my catalogue

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