Your wedding is one of the most important events in your life. The planning, coupled with the pressure of doing and making everything, right can be very stressful. After all, booking a place for 100 people isn’t going to be as easy as booking dinner for two.
Planning months (or even years) ahead of your wedding is the most important thing you should remember. This gives you enough time if there are any changes or unexpected events.
Here are the important things you should note when planning your wedding.
Agree on a budget and stick to it
Almost all the factors of the wedding will depend on your budget. From the wedding dress, the wedding ring, even the bridesmaids’ dresses.
First, come up with an ideal amount with your partner — how much are you willing to spend? Pitch your ideas about the theme, the venue, the caterer and so on. Then research on prices. From that, you can probably come up with a rough estimate of how much you’ll be spending. The Knot’s Real Weddings Study found the average cost of a wedding in 2018 was $33,931. You can use their wedding budget guide to give you an idea about wedding costs.
If the total exceeds your ideal budget, start chopping off the expensive elements. Is there a cheaper caterer? Would you consider wearing a secondhand dress?
Once you’ve decided on these things, set the wedding budget aside. Add a little extra as a contingency fund. It helps also if you deposit your wedding budget in a separate bank account to curb any temptation.
Be smart about your wedding date
Give yourself and your guests enough time to prepare for the wedding. The process of setting your wedding date involves quite a bit of research and discussion with your friends and family.
Here are factors to consider when setting your wedding date:
- Season and weather
- Holidays
- Major events
- Your (and your guests’) work schedules
- Other weddings
- Venue availability
Reserve the right venue in advance
Generally, you should be booking your wedding venue for at least a year in advance. Wedding season is usually late spring to early fall, with June as the peak month.
Here are factors to consider when picking your wedding venue:
- Location
- Capacity
- Parking availability
- Season
- Theme
The ideal time to hold a beach wedding in Malibu, for example, is during summer. Indoor venues are usually good to book all year long, like the options offered at Thegrandhallkc.com.
Venues take up a big chunk of your budget so it’s better to settle this the earliest.
Get help from your family and bridal party
When you don’t have a wedding planner, organizing your wedding will get difficult. You can ask your friends and family’s help in other wedding tasks like choosing your wedding dress or decorating the reception venue.
Make sure the people you’ll call for help are actually willing to do so. Set up expectations upfront and don’t abuse their willingness to help. Lastly, be kind enough to pay them for their work, even if they don’t ask you to.
Make sure plan Bs are in place
Several months before the wedding day, make sure you have your plan Bs in place. It’s good to ask your venue provider if they provide contingency plans for the weddings they book. Weather, for one, has become unpredictable over the years, and this can cause disruptions in an outdoor wedding. Weeks before the wedding, regularly check weather forecasts. If you’re planning to have an outdoor wedding, set up tents just in case.
Planning your wedding can be stressful if you find yourself unprepared and cramming every single detail. Take a breath and remind yourself what the occasion is really about — marrying the love of your life.
