Unbelievably excited but also dramatically overwhelmed? Knowing where to start when planning your wedding can be very confusing, and it's a daunting task.
We've put together some of the most important things to consider before starting your wedding planning journey. It's worth baring in mind that everyone prioritises things differently, so don't worry if you've started something else first!
1. Set a budget
Firstly, consider how much you would be happy to have spent in total from a post-wedding point of view - when you add up the numbers, it can really help you work out what you are and aren't comfortable with. Secondly, calculate the total amount of monetary contributions towards the wedding that you'll recieve, including any savings, donations from family, and how much you want to realistically put on credit cards or loans (if any at all). Never stretch yourself - whilst you want it to be the best day of your life, no-one wants to start married life stressed out with too much debt! Although setting your budget isn't the first thing you will want to do (we get it, looking at dresses is SO much more fun!), it's often best so that you can be realistic from the start. The last thing you want to do is get your heart get on something, only to find out it's way out of budget.
2. Create a guest list
This one seems fun to begin with, but once you get down to making those less obvious choices it can be difficult. It's important to establish at least a rough guest list to begin with as it will have a huge impact on the rest of your planning. A wedding with 30 guests, compared to 300 will be very different, having a big impact on both your budget and your choice of venues available. No one wants to find their dream venue, fall in love with it and then realise it doesn't have capacity for your guests!
We also recommend having a chat with family members early on - guest lists can be quite a controversial topic and have been known to cause some falling out.
3. Pinterest your heart away
This is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting parts of planning a wedding! Designing the look and feel of the wedding is the part everyone thinks about. You might already have a vision in your head or a Pinterest board set up!
Rustic and traditional weddings have proved popular in recent years with the emergence of a number of barn-stye venues around the country. However, we're also seeing sleek, elegant theming taking the spotlight. Do you want your wedding to be relaxed or formal? Do you want to do anything yourself, or would you prefer to get a team in to decorate for you? Creating the right theme with be important in getting your desired vibe. If you've got extra time on your hands (which most of us do at the moment!) you may even want to create a few different themes and take time to work out with your partner which you prefer before you start visiting venues and choosing vendors.
Theming covers so many elements of the wedding and will even impact aspects such as which photographer you decide to choose. You'll want your photographers style of pictures to reflect the style of your wedding, so it's an important decision to make together as you'll have the photos for the rest of your life.
Hopefully this will give you a good starting point when thinking about planning your big day. By making sure these 3 key tasks are in your first list you will save yourself some time in the future as they can lay an outline of everything that follows and make the whole planning process much less daunting. We're always on hand if you're still not sure where to start, or are looking for a helping hand to ensure everything is done correctly. With our experience in planning weddings we can make the process of planning your wedding a breeze and much more enjoyable!