Guide in Planning your Wedding

It’s been almost 4 years since my husband and I finally tied the knot, however, I’m still getting a lot of inquiries on how to plan the perfect celebration without stress.

Honestly, planning your wedding can be one of the most stressful yet most fun periods of your life. I know, I’ve experienced that before. There are so many decisions to make that it can feel difficult to know where to begin which is why I’ve put together some wedding top tips to make the whole planning process go that little bit smoother.

1. Plan your budget
Determine how much you have to spend. You need to be in control of you budget and know where the money is coming from (savings, a load, mum and dad …) as all the little things soon add up.

2. Your Guest List
Get a grip on the approximate number of guests you’ll invite before settling on a venue. This will ensure there’s ample space for your crew. As a rule of thumb, allow for 25 to 30 square feet per guest. That may seem like a lot, but it’s not if you count the space you’ll need for the tables, bustling waiters, the band, and the dance floor.

3. Choose your date
Know ahead of time if your wedding date falls on the same day as a trade conference, charity walk, or other local event that could affect traffic and hotel room availability.

4. Find Your Venue
Choosing the right venue will most certainly take time, but it is one of the most important wedding planning decisions you’ll make. Things you need to consider are: –

• Do you want everything to be in one place – ceremony, reception, evening do etc?
• Does the venue need to be close to the place the ceremony will take place?
• Does the venue need to have accommodation or have nearby accommodation?
• How big does the venue need to be?
• What is your budget?
• Entertainment facilities – stage, dance floor …
• What type of venue? – Historical, sporting, restaurant, pub …
• How easy are transport links, how easy will it be for your guest to get there?

5. Reserve your date and venues.
Once you have decided on the venue for your ceremony and reception, and reserve your date.

6. Save the date
Now that you have a date, tell everyone to save it! For destination weddings or weddings around a holiday, consider sending out Save-the-Date cards or emails. Or create your own wedding website, and let your invitees know about it.

7. Hire the photographer and the videographer.
The photographs are the second thing that you will have to remember the day. ou should be given due consideration on what style of photography you want – traditional, contemporary or a blend of both, consider what you want to be included in your wedding photography package from you photographer.

8. Wedding Dress and Suits
This will be one of the most fun and exciting parts of the whole wedding preparation for the bride. No matter who you are, there are a multitude of dresses to be found on the high street or on-line, remember when using on-line retailers check out they are legitimate before parting with any of your hard earned cash or credit card details. For the men you need to consider whether you will be hiring suits or just wearing smart suites if hiring with they be traditional morning suits or more contemporary again shop around as all towns (an all out of town retail parks) have a multitude of grooms wear rental specialists

9. Wedding Rings
Think about – do you want silver, gold or platinum – do you want traditional or contemporary – do you want matching rings. Enjoy choosing you rings and use a reputable jeweller to ensure quality.

Already feeling overwhelmed? You may also consider hiring a Wedding Coordinator/planner. Hiring a wedding planner will help you get everything you want for your wedding without having to do much of the work. A wedding planner will plan and organize your wedding, but they will do it all the way that you want. Wedding planners are responsible for contacting vendors, ordering wedding items, keeping on budget, checking the wedding supplies and just about every other part of a wedding that needs to be planned. This means that a couple could continue to go about their daily activities without having their wedding cause any distractions.

Anyway, these are just some guide on how to plan your wedding. Just remember, the engagement period should be full of excitement and a time for couples to really bond with one another and their families. Don’t stress out your self in planning your wedding. Always take time to eat healthy foods, exercise, sleep well and practice stress busters like yoga, meditation or these other techniques. Making time for just a few minutes of stress reduction each day can go a long way now—and during your marriage, too!