10 Essential Tips to Consider Before You Start Wedding Planning
Congratulations, you're engaged! Planning your dream wedding can be one of the most exciting times of your life, but it can also feel overwhelming without a solid plan in place. From setting a budget to picking your bridal party, there’s a lot to consider. These 10 essential tips will help guide you through the early stages of planning, ensuring your wedding day turns out just as you’ve imagined.
1. Set a Realistic Budget
Before diving into wedding planning, determine how much you’re willing to spend. Your budget will shape many decisions, from the venue to the attire and even the guest list. Be sure to account for all key areas, including catering, decor, and entertainment.
Tip: Have an open conversation with anyone contributing financially to the wedding to set clear expectations.
2. Create a Vision for Your Wedding
What kind of atmosphere do you want to create for your big day? Consider the style, theme, and overall vibe you’re going for. Whether it’s modern, rustic, or something else, having a vision in mind will help you make decisions as you plan.
Tip: Download Pinterest and start gathering inspiration for decor, dresses, venues, and more. This will give you a clear direction to follow.
3. Choose Your Priorities
There are many elements to a wedding, but not all of them are equally important. Discuss with your partner what matters most to you – whether it’s the venue, food, or photographer – and be ready to allocate more of your budget to those areas.
4. Talk to Friends & Family
Sharing your wedding plans with close friends and family early on is a great way to get input and ideas. Plus, it’s helpful to gauge their availability for important pre-wedding events like dress shopping, engagement parties and hen-do's.
5. Set a Rough Guest List
Making a preliminary guest list early on can help you choose an appropriately sized venue and keep you realistic about the size of your wedding. While the list may evolve, knowing your numbers early will make venue shopping easier.
6. Select Potential Wedding Dates
Flexibility is key when it comes to selecting your wedding date. Choose a few potential dates and check the availability of key guests and venues. Being open to more than one date can improve your chances of booking your dream venue.
7. Research Venues Early
Venues are one of the first big decisions you’ll make, and they can book up quickly! Start researching as soon as possible to avoid missing out on your top choices.
Tip: Visit venues in different seasons to get a sense of what they’ll look like on your wedding day.
8. Download Wedding Planning Apps
Stay organised with wedding planning apps and create a wedding email. Pinterest is great for inspiration, while tools like The Knot or Zola can help you manage checklists, guest lists, and even your budget. Staying organised is key to keeping stress at bay.
9. Determine the Wedding Party
Your bridal party will be an essential part of your wedding journey, from the planning process to the big day itself. Decide early who you want by your side and let them know so they can be part of your special events leading up to the wedding.
10. Set Boundaries for Opinions
While it’s great to seek advice from friends and family, it’s important to set boundaries to ensure that the wedding stays true to you and your partner’s vision. Gently remind others that while you value their input, the final decisions are yours.