Your wedding day is one of the happiest and memorable days of your life so it isn’t surprising that people spend a lot of time planning their big day, some women even start planning their wedding before they’re even engaged! The wedding industry is worth millions of pounds in the UK alone and it is easy to get carried away with planning, but you need to have a clear vision of what you want to do and how much you can afford to spend so you don’t end up stressed, bankrupt and overwhelmed. Here are the basic starting points for planning your wedding, you may find it useful to get a large notebook and keep track of your plans and ideas as you go.
Decide on your Budget
This will be the main factor in determining what your wedding is like and how many guests and members of the wedding party you have. Try to use savings to pay for your wedding and do not be tempted to take out a loan to pay for your wedding as this will cost more in the long run. Remember, weekday weddings can be significantly less expensive than weekend and weddings on special days like Christmas or New Year’s Eve, so this will have a huge effect on your budget.
Write a note of what your total budget is, including any monetary gifts from family, and make sure you keep track of all costs as you go.
Choose a Time of Year
Wedding season is between May to September and can be a lot more expensive than other times of the year. You might want to choose a date that is special to you as a couple or a time of year that is more convenient, for example, you may want to have it during the Easter holidays if a lot of your family is going away in the summer.
Decide on the Type and Size of Wedding you Want
Would you rather have a church service than a reception elsewhere or a hotel that is licensed for civil services so you can have everything in one place? You also need to decide how many people you want to invite and whether or not you will allow people to bring a date or their children. This again will be largely dictated by your budget.
Find a Theme you Agree On
It may be a colour you both love or something more specific such as a shared passion. Your theme can be as obvious as you want it to be, for example, if you have a Disney themed wedding you can go all out and have a themed cake and ask guests to dress up or you can be very subtle and just name the tables after different Disney films and have the groomsmen wear Mickey Mouse cufflinks.
Pick a Location
If you are having a church wedding, you usually need to already live in the parish whereas registry office weddings tend to have fewer restrictions. You may even choose to have your wedding abroad, which can work out cheaper and you can roll your honeymoon into it, but it can exclude some guests, such as elderly relatives or those who cannot afford the plane tickets.
Scout Out Vendors
Some venues will give you a list of their preferred vendors. Try to go to plenty of wedding fairs and negotiate for good deals. Also, if you tell some vendors that you are planning a party, not specifically a wedding, you can avoid them bumping up their prices.
Sticking to a clear plan and staying within your budget means that you can have your perfect day with minimal stress and without spending more than you can afford to.
