Hands up who got to celebrate the New Year with some new sparkle on their finger? If you said yes to forever over the festive season, you are probably still reeling from all the excitement. By now you would have called your parents, your best friends and no doubt celebrated with many a cocktail (or at least I would have if I were you).
However, today’s Monday, for a lot of you it’s back to work, back to life and time to start thinking about your big day. I know that when you first start wedding planning, the task can seem a little daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. But where do you actually start?
Working in the wedding industry, many of my friends have asked me that question when they first get engaged and I always suggest the same 3 things, which I will share with you today.
Set A Date
This is the fun part. Setting a date that works around your work schedule or that means something to you is always a good start. Also, once you have a date or month that you want to marry in, you can also work out how much planning time your have. However, it’s really important to remember that you may need to be flexible if you pick an exact date as opposed to a month, as your date may need to change subject to your venue availability.
Decide On Your Budget
Once you have decided on when you want to say ‘I do’ it’s a good idea to set a budget. When planning a wedding there are heaps of little things that seem to get added to the list of things to pay for. By setting out a budget at the beginning, you can realistically decide where and on what you hope to spend the bulk of your money on. Sit down and work out what aspects of your day are most important to you (I would suggest a Top 5 list) and allocate money to those first. Once you know what you really want and need for you to be happy with your day, anything extra is just icing on the cake.
Pick A Location
Are you dreaming of a destination wedding? Do you want to wed at a venue with a view? Or are you someone who would prefer your family church? These are all questions you need to ask yourself as they will come into play when viewing and choosing your venue and creating a guest list. If you are someone getting married in your home town, changes are you will have a bigger wedding. While if you wish for a sunset ceremony on a cliff top in Greece, you will have a smaller guest list (you might even elope!). Whatever your choice may be, making it right in the beginning makes planning everything so much easier.
Today, in honour of 2016, a year I am just too excited to start living, and in celebration of your wonderful decision to tie the knot, I have created a Wedding Planning Checklist & Timeline e-book which I would love to give you. All you need to do is sign up to my newsletter for brides and it will be delivered directly to your inbox!
So here’s to you, 2016 and this exciting new chapter.
