Now that you have a beautiful ring on your finger, you have to roll your sleeves up for the next part: the wedding planning.
Don’t worry; it’s not as daunting as most reality shows portray it to be. With a reliable wedding planner by your side and your own razor-sharp bride/groom instincts, you can pull off a beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime event with no problems, no issues. To help you get started, here are a few important wedding planning tips.
Start Early
Never procrastinate your wedding planning. Once you’ve settled on the wedding date, start planning and don’t wait until three months before the event. Sure, many people can pull off a wedding in less than a hundred days but don’t take the risk and start planning, bit by bit. The earlier you start, the easier and less stressful it will be for everyone involved.
Moreover, planning early helps you secure all the elements you want. The best wedding venues have to be booked several months (some even years!) ahead. Some trendy bridal flowers are seasonal, so the flower vendors have to be contacted and booked early, too. If you want a famous and trusted wedding photographer, caterer, or wedding dress designer, then you have to call, talk, and book early, too.
In short, start early — at least a year before the date.
Prepare the Budget
Don’t spend anything until you and your partner have settled on a realistic wedding budget. Before you put down a down payment for a venue or book a photographer, sit down with your partner and determine how much you two are willing to spend on the event.
Take note, too, that you’d have to factor in all the little extras, like dress alterations, furniture upgrades, etc. The date of the wedding also affects the price. Some vendors offer seasonal rates that could impact the overall bill dramatically.
For instance, some planners charge a premium for a peak weekend within the peak season, so do most wedding venues. And if neither the planner nor the venue offers seasonal rates, the transportation for your guests could have unexpected charges during a busy, peak date.
Flights and hotel rooms also change, so if you have guests who will be flying in and staying for a few nights, consider them when you’re planning your budget.
Get Someone to Help You
Many brides and grooms can plan a wedding by themselves, but a bit of help will ensure that everything turns out well. For example, a wedding planner will be the one to fuss over any issue on the day itself, so you don’t have to worry about anything but being the main character of that special day. ; You can hand off all the time-consuming responsibilities to them, such as scheduling appointments, discussing with vendors, and booking the band.
More importantly, wedding planners have tons of insider knowledge. They have been doing business with florists, DJs, stationery designers, stylists, makeup artists, and others for years. If you have a particular vision for your event (rainbow lilies, glass conservatories, pop culture-themed weddings), a wedding planner can recommend the best vendor.
If your wedding involves tricky problems (no bridesmaids, fussy guests, and more), they have ingenious solutions because they have probably handled them before. Plus, they know how to stretch your budget expertly so that you can get more for less.
If there are three things that make up a successful wedding plan, it’s early planning, a clear budget, and professional help. These three will help you achieve your dream wedding, which you will always look back at with a happy heart.
