How do you plan a wedding?

Congratulations - now the fun begins. There is nothing new or groundbreaking here, just some good info to help you plan your dream wedding. Here’s some good tips to plan am amazing wedding:

Plan a party, not a wedding.

Weddings are a celebration after all! Think of the day as a huge party with all your favourite people, with a beautiful wedding at the beginning. Have this mindset from the start.

Time to get organised.

You’ll need a diary and you’ll need to be prepared - There is plenty to do when planning a wedding. If organisation isn’t your thing, consider delegating the task or consider a wedding planner.

When?

Time to decide when you want to get married. Don’t panic, as we are only talking about the year at this stage! This will help you to plan and budget accordingly. Specific timing will be down to venues and your budget…….

You must (MUST!) set a budget. 

Everything will be down to your budget, and I do mean everything! According to The National Wedding Survey in Hitched (https://www.hitched.co.uk/wedding-planning/organising-and-planning/the-average-wedding-cost-in-the-uk-revealed/), the average cost for a wedding was £18,400 in 2022. 

The top 5 wedding costs were broken down to:

  • Wedding Venue 💒

  • Honeymoon 🏖

  • Wedding Food / Catering 🍽

  • Engagement Ring 💍

  • Wedding Drinks 🍾

You obviously don’t need to spend nearly £20k, but at least you now know the average. You’ll have to decide how much you want to save every month, or perhaps have a conversation with your relatives - Do they want to contribute perhaps? By planning your budget effectively, you’ll be able to plan your wedding accurately.

Don’t get sucked in the ‘We’re only paying the deposit! We have loads of time to pay it off’ - There is a good chance that something else will soak up that money along the way!

💡IDEA - Consider set up a separate bank account just for all the wedding costs - It really helped me when planning our wedding to keep costs under control.

The guest list.

Wedding guest lists can be tricky, especially if you have a large social network. Don’t go overboard and keep the guest list under wraps until you have confirmed your budget and venue (or it could get really awkward!) If you are trying to cull the numbers during the day, my dad’s advice was “Would you take them out to dinner?” - If the answer is a no, then consider inviting them to the evening only. 

Where to get married?

Near or far? Big or small? There are so many amazing wedding venues in Norfolk and Suffolk to choose from, it can be a bit overwhelming. There are some great resources available to help you though! Start with friends who have got married, and the web is a superb source of info. Also consider wedding magazines and wedding fairs. Make notes and make a list of potentials.

Wedding ceremony.

What is best for you and your partner? Do you want a church wedding (Church of England, Catholic or religious equivalent), or perhaps a civil ceremony or humanist ceremony? Time to decide.

Wedding venues.

Now that you’ve narrowed it down, it’s time to make some calls and book some viewing appointments. Your main goal is to get a feel for the venue, the staff and the vibe, and also to haggle on the price. Take someone with you, arm yourself with a pad, pen and questions that are important to you. Take your time and don’t feel pressured - It’s your wedding day and you can decide exactly how you want things!

Get the basics booked.

Discuss dates and times with a registrar or minister as well as your preferred venue(s) - Get these agreed and booked and then give notice to your local registry office.

Spread the word!

Now it’s time to shout the date from the rooftops!! Once you have secured your date at your venue(s), consider sending out ‘Save the date’ cards to your wedding guests that you are definitely inviting. You can get these printed at places like PhotoBox or you could send e-invites or even a video message. If you are sending printed cards, you can add in information about local accommodation, parking advice, local shops and any important info that your guest may need to know.

Wedding Insurance.

This is a no brainer. There are loads of options and it keeps you covered in case something bad happens. 

Wedding suppliers.

I’m a ‘supplier’ (I hope you like my work 🤞) and it’s time to start looking at them -Social media is a great option, giving you the opportunity to view their work and get inspiration for your day. Wedding fairs are great to see a big variety if you have no idea where to start, and asking friends for recommendations is a great idea too. Ask around, get quotes and try to get a good feel of what they do and who they are and be prepared to sort deposits to secure them for your day.

Word of warning ⚠️: If you ask for recommendations in Facebook groups, prepare to be BOMBARDED by people. Think 100’s of people…. It’s a bit crazy! 

The wedding dress.

Finding your dream dress can be stressful. Chances are you have never tried one on before and it could be one of the most expensive items of clothing you’ve ever bought.

Know your budget and do your research, but keep an open mind and try on different styles. Chances are you might fall in love with a dress that you might of not considered! Stick to your budget, and if someone else is paying, find out the upper limit. That way you can stay in this, or can budget for paying the difference. Also, don’t forget to factor in the accessories too, such as shoes and veil, as well as tailoring. It’s worth bringing heels to the appointment - The dress will look very different if you are wearing flats or flip-flops!

You’ll look amazing, and your partner will cry when they see you on the day, but if you can't walk in that dress, you're going to have problems! Make sure when you try dresses on that you can walk in them. If they have pockets, even better!

Make sure you are 100% sure before you say yes. If you are unsure, sleep on it.

Bridesmaids.

Not the film - (You must watch it if you haven’t, It’s gold!) Anyway, best choose them and get them on board! 

The best man.

Time to get your groom to choose a best man. He’ll need to organise a stag do and help keep your groom in check and organised.

Passport.

Big one! Check it’s in date for when you plan to go on honeymoon (Six months minimum). If it expires, sort the new one in your new name. Be aware that if you do decide to do that, it’ll only be valid from your wedding day onwards. More info here.

Book time off work!

Once dates are sorted, make sure you have the time booked off work! (Kinda important!)

Final note.

I really hope this info helps you planning your special day. Finding the venue is going to be the most time consuming part of your planning, but once you have this sorted, everything else will start to fall into place.