Congratulations On Your Forthcoming Wedding!
Your loved one proposed and you said Yes! But, after the initial excitement, do not be surprised to find yourself slightly overwhelmed by the reality of actually planning a wedding! To help keep you on track we have put together this article to help you find some order required for your planning. After all, most couples will be doing this for the very first time and while facing unknown territory it can create overwhelmingness, stress and anxiety especially when you find yourself spending every spare moment on your planning. Brace yourself, It can be almost like taking on a second job!
STEP 1: Take a deep breathe, sit down with your beloved and work out what you both want for your big day.
Start figuring out the most essential elements of the planning by establishing your:
- wedding budget
- guest numbers
- wedding style or theme
Wedding budget
We all know that talking about money is awkward, but you’re going to have to get used to it. You’ll need to talk budgets with your network of suppliers, the venue(s), your partner and your families so it’s time to get comfortable about it.
The venue is where you will be spending the most so if you are worried about your budget it is useful to get an idea of your confirmed save the dates early as soon as possible.
Guest numbers
Work out how many people you each have to invite. Don’t forget to think about whether children will be included, how many friends your parents will want to invite and what your policy will be on plus ones for single guests.
If you make rules, you must stick to them and ensure the same rules apply to everyone.
Once you’ve made an initial list, if the number is bigger than you thought then it’s worth deciding who are absolute must-haves (your A list) and who, if you had to, could be left off (your B list).
Your Wedding Style / theme
There are countless themes and styles and it’s easy to be swayed by other people, but it’s essential to decide what ‘kind’ of wedding you want to have early on, as this will influence the venue you book and that’s the next thing on your to do list.
STEP 2:
After you have agree your budget and contingency choose your:
- wedding date and location
- wedding party
- start your guest list
- send out early bird save the dates (optional)
Suppliers services
There’s a lot to do in the first few months of wedding planning but if you’ve got the venue, date, guest list and budget sorted then you will be off to a flying start.
A planning task timeline is a useful way to break down the remaining planning duties into manageable chunks. Allowing you to spread the tasks throughout the months rather than cramming everything into one month.
You may come across online countdown lists with different timeline deadlines. View this full version of a wedding countdown sheet here
We suggest to use the first view months to lock in popular suppliers/venues who are unable to do more than one wedding a day i.e: caterer, venue stylist, wedding planner, photographer, videographer. There will be hundreds of brides looking at the same time as you so it is wise to book these services as soon as possible.
There is a lot to think about during the planning stages but by using a methodical approach will help you tackle each aspect and hopefully ensure you remain relaxed along the way. I would always advise to stay calm and know your journey from day one.
Happy planning!
