Ten Tips to Plan a Wedding

Newly Engaged? Congratulations!

Have you made a start on planning your upcoming wedding?  If not here are some tips to get you started.

1)      Celebrate your engagement! Go out for a meal or host a party with family and friends to let everyone know about your wedding plans.

2)      Decide on a budget as soon as possible, if parents are helping towards the cost find out how much they are willing to put towards the wedding.  Remember if they are helping towards the costs, parents might want to have a say in who comes and how the wedding takes place.  It’s your wedding but compromise may be needed here.

3)      Sit down with your partner alone and ask each other questions about what each of you want at the wedding.  Maybe you want a horse and carriage and he wants a Ferrari?  Without talking to each other you won’t know, believe me it can save on arguments and sulks later on in the planning stage.

4)      Chose a colour scheme.  Once you have this you can start looking at dresses, suits, flowers, cakes, stationary etc.

5)      Chose a venue.  Both of you need to look around the venues, whether they’re churches, hotels for a civil ceremony or elsewhere.  Once you have decided on the venue you can start working on dates and final numbers.

6)      Set a date!!!! Once you have done this you need to set your guest list as well.  Send out save the date cards or alert people early on to the date you are getting married so they can make sure they keep it free for you.

7)      Start looking for your outfits, as the bride you want to look your best, search the internet and bridal boutiques to find the perfect dress to fit both you and your budget.  Many places will allow you to put a deposit down and pay weekly or monthly to pay the dress off, you can often do the same with bridesmaids dresses.  Most grooms and groomsmen opt to hire their suits rather than buying, make sure he gets a say in what he wears, you don’t want him looking uncomfortable through all of your wedding photographs.

8)      If you are making your own stationary and favours start doing it early on and allow plenty of time and materials, get your bridesmaids and mother to help if possible, it will speed things up and you’ll have fun doing it.

9)      Send out your invites and start keeping track of RSVP’s, make sure you give your venue final totals and that your caterer is aware of them as well.  (Make sure that you include something for your vendors, you don’t want your photographer dropping half way through photographing your first dance).

10)   Let you bridal party help you and take some of the responsibility off your shoulders so you can enjoy the day!

I hope that I have helped you make a start, remember, whether you spend 500 or 10000 you’ll still have the perfect day.