Getting married is exciting, but planning a wedding can also be stressful. Getting organised right from the start will help you to keep on top of it and ensure that your big day goes smoothly. Here are some of the things to start off with when you are planning a wedding…
The Date – Deciding on the date of the wedding is the first thing that you should do. Be realistic and make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to plan the wedding, as well as to budget for it as weddings can be very expensive!
Most people will plan a wedding for 18 months to 2 years in advance as this gives plenty of time to make all of the arrangements that are needed and to ensure that they can pay for things as they go along.
The Venue – Your wedding venue is important, and this is one of the first things that you will need to book once you have decided on the date. Wedding venues will be booked up years in advance, so it is important to make sure that you do this sooner rather than later.
Have a look at different places like this Kent barn wedding venue theploughatleigh.com/barn-wedding-venue-kent for example to get an idea of what you like.
The Guest List – Once you have set a date and decided on the venue, you can then start to write out a guest list and start sending out the invitations. This is another thing that it is important to do early as most people need a lot of notice – particularly if you are getting married in the summer as lots of people take holidays.
Set the budget before anything else
Before you book anything, agree on a total budget and decide roughly how it will be split between the venue, catering, clothes, photography and everything else. It is far easier to say no to an expensive extra when you can see exactly what it would push out. Starting married life paying off a wedding that ran over is a stress most couples would rather avoid, so build in a small contingency for the things nobody plans for.
Next, turn your plans into a checklist with a timeline, working backwards from the wedding day so each task has a date by which it needs to be done. Leave some slack between deadlines, because suppliers can be slow and things do go wrong. Once the date and venue are fixed, sending save the date cards early gives guests time to arrange travel, time off work and childcare. And remember that the small details matter much less on the day than you expect.
Drawing up the guest list
Once you have a date and a venue in mind, the guest list is the next big task, and it affects almost every other decision. Start by working out how many people you can realistically invite. Venue and reception capacity, the atmosphere you want, your budget per head and who is contributing to the cost all play a part.
Next, write a master list with everyone you might invite: both immediate families, close friends, extended family, colleagues and others, plus partners and children. Then sort it into groups and put the most important people at the top of each. Go through and mark every name yes, no or maybe; a simple traffic-light colour code makes this quicker. Do not feel guilty about cutting people you rarely see. Finally, check the shorter list against your venue size and budget and trim again if you need to. Settling the list early gives guests plenty of notice to plan travel and outfits.
Choosing a venue that suits the day
With the date, budget and guest numbers in place, the venue usually comes next. Start by agreeing as a couple the sort of wedding you both picture, whether that is a relaxed, intimate day in the country or something more formal, a summer celebration or a candlelit winter ceremony. Being ready to compromise early saves arguments later.
Decide whether you will marry in a church or have a civil ceremony, as that sets the area to search for a reception. Ideally the two should be no more than a 20 to 25 minute journey apart. When building a shortlist, remember to add catering costs, and a venue that provides its own catering can be the simplest option.
If you already have a date, check availability before visiting. Being flexible on the day or season widens the choice considerably. Think about guests too, so they are not left with expensive accommodation or taxi fares, and lean on wedding planners if you know what you want but need help finding it.