Wedding Fever!

Planning your wedding can be a minefield – take it from a recent bride who has been there, got the dress, cake and the ring! Here are some tips and tricks to steer you through wedding planning!

Start planning early
Whether you have got two years or six months until your big day the time to start planning is now!

Sit down with your other half and discuss how you want your wedding day to be and how much you can afford to make your dream day a reality.

Once you’ve agreed on a date, send out your invitations, so that family and friends know the date.

Don’t be swayed
This may sound simple, but with so much choice on wedding blogs and in magazines, not to mention family and friends making suggestions, it’s easy to veer off track and end up wondering where the wedding you were planning went.

It’s YOUR wedding, make sure it’s as original as you two and represents your personalities. If you don’t want bridesmaids, don’t have them. If the thought of a big, formal wedding scares you, stay small and be happy.

Stay true to who you are. What works for a friend or celebrity may not work for you.

Stick to budget
With the average UK wedding now costing £25,000, it’s important to set a budget at the beginning and stick to it. Although you may not think it possible, there are a few ways to keep costs down.

A wedding in January or November can cost half than the same wedding planned for July or August. Venues and wedding suppliers are in less demand during winter months so take advantage!
If a quote is more than you’d hoped for, negotiation is still an option. Compromise with them and work towards the original budget you had in mind – all it takes is an honest conversation, it’s worth trying!

Trust your suppliers
Once you have invested in your suppliers, it’s important to let go and trust them to work their magic on the big day. Have a pre-wedding meeting with your photographer, videographer, caterer, florist and venue co-ordinator to ensure that they know what you want.

It will help them to understand your vision but don’t forget it is their job; they are the professionals!

Try and enjoy every moment
Speak to any recent bride or groom, and they will tell you one thing – enjoy yourself! In the final few weeks when there’s so much going on, it’s so easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed out, but it does fly by and before you know it the big day has come and gone – and then you’ll be wishing you could do it all over again!

On the day, if you can, try to escape for a few minutes with your husband or wife and just treasure the moment of being married and hearing your nearest and dearest all having a fantastic time in the distance! Someone suggested it to me, and it was one of my most favourite memories from my wedding day!

By Shelley Welti