Congratulations! You’re engaged and ready to marry the love of your life. It’s all incredibly exciting and then suddenly – you realise you have to plan it! Over the years, I’ve spoken to many couples about how overwhelming wedding planning can be. Where should we get married? Will I upset my family if I don’t invite Aunty X? How much should we spend? Which supplier should we hire first? Where do we even start?
I’ve been in the wedding industry a long time and have helped thousands of couples, so I’ve learnt a lot about the planning process. It can seem like an impossible task at times, but planning your wedding can be a lovely, enjoyable experience, especially when you’re armed with expert tips and handy bits of advice! Here are my top tips for ensuring that you enjoy a stress free wedding planning.
Start With Your Budget
Once you have set your budget, it will determine a lot about your wedding day, such as the kind of venue you could have and how many people you can invite. From here, you can start to plan all of the other fun things that will make your wedding unique.
Be True To Yourself & What’s Important To You As A Couple
Read that again and perhaps a few more times. If you have always dreamed of having a certain aspect to your wedding, whether it’s a string quartet, fireworks or a particular location – then do it! If you need to, make savings elsewhere. Never feel that you must have a particular element in your wedding day – just because it’s the norm or what other couples are doing. It’s your day, do things your way!
Trust Your Instinct
I often speak to couples who get caught up in what someone in their family or friendship group thinks. It’s always well-meaning and comes from a place of love, but the day is about you and your partner and not about them. Always have the wedding you truly want! Trusting your instinct also applies to the wedding suppliers you hire. If something doesn’t seem right – don’t be afraid to ask questions, do more research or walk away. You will always be able to find someone else who will make you feel confident and comfortable with the service they are providing.
Hire Suppliers Who Understand (And Love) Your Vision
When choosing wedding suppliers be guided by their work and style as to whether they are right for you. You’ll usually get a feel of their work from their website and Instagram, but you’ll get an even better understanding of them, their business and ideas if you have a conversation with them. Whether that’s virtually or in-person, no good wedding supplier will turn down the opportunity to talk through plans for your day and how they can enhance them. Selecting a supplier that compliments your own ideas means you get to work on something exceptional together. If they aren’t excited, they aren’t right for you and your wedding.
Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff
The quicker you make decisions, the simpler your wedding planning process will be, making it easier and more fun. This should be about happiness, not stress. There are so many big and small decisions you’ll have to make, so as a couple, go with your gut. Don’t get bogged down with the detail. Choose what is best for you, make the decision and stick with it.
What Does Perfection Look Like? When It’s Perfectly You
No matter how planned your day is, something unexpected will happen and that’s ok. For example, it might rain and you’ve been expecting sun. It’s so important to embrace that concept of ‘what will be will be’. Sometimes it’s the unplanned hiccups that make the best memories. Things could happen that are out of your control and how you react to those things will determine your enjoyment of your day. Decide that whatever happens you are going to have a great wedding day – no matter what – and you will.
And Finally…
Stress really doesn’t have to be part of planning your dream wedding. When you start planning, communicate as a couple your priorities for your day. Communication is key, to your families, friends and most importantly to each other. Once you have a budget, venue and theme in mind, other decisions come much easier. Next, make sure you do your research before hiring or signing contracts. If you are considering asking a friend or family member to tackle one of the wedding jobs, ensure that they are fully happy and confident to do the task. Schedule wedding-planning breaks to avoid the overwhelm. A romantic date night will remind you what truly matters and the bigger picture.
Finally, relax and enjoy! Make wonderful memories. Don’t worry about things you can’t control…. such as the weather! Focus on the reason why you’re celebrating – your marriage to your partner and the start of the rest of your lives together happily ever after.
Author Credit: Amy Nelson, Wedding Day Dance UK
Amy is a Wedding Dance Consultant and has been helping couples with their first dance since 2008. If you would like some wedding dance lessons ahead of your big day, get in touch and she will get you dance floor ready in preparation for your wedding day.
