How Do I Plan Wedding?
- The Wedding Fairy
- Jan 11, 2017
- 8 min read
Congratulations on getting engaged - How lucky are you - you've bagged your Prince- No more frog kissing for you.....!
Now you're thinking where do I start? It's surprisingly easy but you need to be organised.....So let's do this!
There are tonnes of places to start but this is where I did and found it pretty pain free.....
Step 1. Celebrate, Talk and Nail that Budget!
Change that status on Facebook, call all your friends and family, have a little party (if you want) and just enjoy yourselves - you'll only get engaged once - so revel in it! Do make sure you talk with your hubby or wife-to-be about what you want from the day - sharing now saves a lot of disagreements down the line! This is also the time to discuss and nail down your wedding budget - who's paying for what? Do you have a joint wedding fund account (if not - set one up), who's allowed to spend what on items (ie. what is your budget for the dress)
Not sure where to start with a Wedding Budget Planner - download a simple one here
Step 2. Get Inspired
Buy some magazines (Recommendations: Perfect Wedding, Brides), get that Pinterest board on the go (https://uk.pinterest.com) and see if there are any wedding fairs near you! Totally worth going to if you want reduced wedding dresses, to bargain with suppliers and just get all buzzy about your impending nuptials! (they can get busy so if you aren't into all the hustle and bustle - steer clear!)
Step 3. The Guest List
Work with your other half to compile the list. Get all your Family and Friends down on a piece of paper - then be ruthless! Does Aunt Betty who you see maybe once every few years really need to be there all day? Probably not....
Wedding Tip: Be ruthless - this is your day! Check out our ''How to plan the Guest List'' Guide here
Step 4: The Time of Year
Having become all starry-eyed with inspiration you've probably got your season for marriage in mind! Great stuff - this'll help with booking a venue! If you still aren't sure think about your photos. We all want sunshine on the day but would you prefer bright spring flowers or autumnal leaves - or maybe in a sprinkle of snow?
Get some inspiration with ''What time of year should I get married'' guide here
Step 5: The Venue!
This is the biggest decision you'll have to make - and make sure you do it right!
Don't just pick a wedding venue - feel it! You'll know as soon as you enter the venue if it’s for you - if its not - move on. It's just like buying a house, you'll know it’s the one for you straight away.
See our guide on ''How to choose your wedding venue'' here.
Step 6: The Registrar
Hugely important this step - make sure you secure your officiant. If you don't do this you might not get the date AND time you want to get married at. Remember - they have other weddings to get to on the same day as you so you might have to negotiate.
See our ''How long should my wedding day be'' guide for rough day timings.
Step 7: Insurance
The word insurance is just dull but unfortunately its something you do need to consider! Some venues are insistent and require it – especially National Trust as they’ll require a public liability cover. This means if one of your guests trips and knocks and heirloom off – you’re covered! Insurance doesn’t have to be overpriced as there are different types of cover – see what’s best for you by using comparison websites like MoneySuperMarket. Personal recommendation E&L - https://www.eandl.co.uk/wedding
Step 8: The Dress
Oh the Dress! That piece of gorgeous clothing you've dreamt about since you were tiny - It's got to be right but what is right for you? Make sure you have your budget and stick to it - haggle as much as you can - buying from one supplier means you can potentially get a discount on shoes and tiaras/ veils if all bought together.
See our ''What wedding dress is right for me'' guide here
Also see ''Tips and tricks on buying a wedding dress'' here
Step 9: Bridesmaid/ Pageboy and Flower Girl Outfits
This is where you can have some more fun - its girly time with your best friends - time to trudge the shops or online to find the outfits in the colours you are dreaming off!
You may have Pin-terested your colours and if you are super lucky you might find the perfect dresses and outfits for your key wedding party members at your perfect price!
But what if it changes? It's ok!
Don't panic, it's happened to the best of us - see our ''Wedding colours have changed'' guide here.
Step 10: The Wedding Photographer
For us, this has to be the most important choice for the day itself. This (and maybe a videographer - see below) are the 2 longest lasting memories of your day - you'll cherish these forever so make sure you set aside a fair amount of money to make sure get good quality photos. Have a look around at other wedding photos and see what style you like - there are many out there!
Not sure and need some help? See our ''What Wedding Photographer style should I choose'' guide.
See also ''Hints and tips when booking a Wedding Photographer''
Step 11: The Wedding Videographers
As with a photographer, a videographer can capture those snippets from your perfect day that you won't see yourself first hand and create a lasting memory you can watch over and over. It's up to you how long you have one on your big day - it all depends on your budget but we can't recommend having one enough! Imagine being able to relive the day whenever you wish.....dreamy!
See our guide to ''How to choose the best Wedding Videographer''
Step 12: The Hen and Stag Do's
More often than not you won't have been involved in this part - probably one of the best parts of the wedding journey! Have a talk to whoever is organising it and make them aware of anything you do or don’t want to do! Not all hen and stag do’s have to be seedy so why not break tradition and do something different? Want to give your organiser some inspiration?
Step 13: The Rings
One ring to rule them all...sorry wrong blog! It's time to consider what rings to buy- take your time and make sure you get a ring that sits perfectly with that gorgeous engagement ring – you don’t want to outshine it so make sure it sits flush next to it and keep the metal colour the same (unless of course you want to be different!). See ''the Wedding Ring inspiration'' guide here
Step 14: The Table Plan
Here's where you can get all Monica from Friends if you so wish! Know what table plan you need by speaking to your venue- are they round of square tables? Do you have to have a long Top Table? Need some extra help on how to seat them correctly? See how you'll seat your guests the traditional way in our ''Wedding table plan'' guide here
Step 15: Flowers
Step 16: The Suits
Knowing most guys they won't have considered their suit until late on in the wedding planning process and actually girls - it’s a good thing! This means you can nail your colour choices for the wedding before needing to worry about the suits! There's a few choices when it comes to suits - do you hire or do you buy? There's also the consideration on who pays for the suits! See our guide to ''Wedding Suits'' here
Step 17: Hair & Makeup
Step 18: The Smaller Details
Now is the time to start looking at the finer details of the wedding. What Wedding Favours should I give? (do I even have to?), Where should I buy my wine from? I need to organise the gifts for the Wedding party - what should I buy? How much should I spend?
It can be a bit of a mind-field but don't worry - check out our frequently asked questions section here
Step 19: Wedding Cake
Probably one of the best parts of wedding planning – cake tasting! Now if you’re a bit of a cake fan like me then you might test out a few shops just for some fun! Cakes aren’t cheap but there are a few ways you can get round this. Either buy a pre-made cake (check out M&S’s selection), get a loved one to make a cake as a wedding gift or have a cake created where not all the tiers are ‘cake’. A good cake maker can create the look of a cake tier using polystyrene!
Check out our cake inspiration and top tips article here
Step 20: Honeymoon / Mini Moon
Aside from getting married, the honeymoon is the best bit! Time to be alone, enjoy each other, rediscover why you fell in love and reignite the passion! But where to go and how much to spend is the big question? It’s not something we can answer here so hop over to our Honeymoon Inspiration page
Step 21: Wedding Night
If you aren’t going straight off on honey or mini-moon that night you might want to look at getting a honeymoon suite to yourselves at a local hotel. (Some venues have this as part of your venue package – you’ll need to check this). If not consider something local so you can get a taxi or get a lift there. After such a full on day you won’t want to travel far and will want to just snuggle down together for your first night of wedded bliss!
Step 22: First Dance
Unless you both kissed in the rain whilst a nearby music venue started to play a romantic song not many of us have ‘our song’. Sit down together and go through your music collection together – pick something that reflects you as a couple and how you feel about each other. Some couples don’t feel comfortable having a first dance – and that’s fine – there’s no pressure to do anything you don’t want to – even if it is tradition! If you want to really go for it, why not get some choreographed lessons from a local dance teacher? We’re not talking crazy Beyonce moves but you can learn how to hold you partner and where your feet are supposed to be so you don’t look clumsy – let’s face it, who dances like this normally?
Step 23: Music / DJ
Most couples don’t have the same taste in music so don’t worry if you don’t agree on the full playlist. There are various things you can do – either chose a DJ who is happy to take control, chose a DJ and give him a do/do not play list and let him take charge or simply provide a list of what you want. Remember your audience though! This might be your day but you want to fill that dance floor and give people a night to remember. Play songs from all the eras so suit all music tastes and ages!
See our thoughts on music and when and where you need it through you day
Step 24: Cars
How many venues have you got? One? Do you really need a fancy car – for the bride all the guests will be inside the venue and won’t see you arrive? However do remember your photographer will capture your entrance – so make sure you let him/her know if you don’t want to your transport in it at all. If you do fancy some transport – why not go for some luxury or something quirky?
Get some inspiration from our blog
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