First and foremost, being newly engaged is a fabulous feeling – make sure you enjoy just ‘being engaged.’ It demands importance as it is a significant life event in its own right!

How to Avoid Wedding-Admin Stress

The excitement of planning a wedding will soon kick in but can often lead to unnecessary stress as things become overwhelming.

To keep you on the straight and narrow early on, here are my top five things to think about first when starting to plan your wedding.

How to Choose the Perfect Time of Year for You

Each season is beautiful for different reasons. You might have always imagined getting married in the spring when you can pretty much have your pick of the most gorgeous bulb flowers, or is a ‘cosy-romantic’ feel with outdoor fire pits a must-have?

Consider what time sunrise and sunset is throughout the seasons, as this could also steer you in a particular direction.

The time of year needs to be factored into your wedding plans as this will have an impact on searching for the perfect venue and the design and styling concept.

 

Mastering Your Wedding Budget

Nobody likes thinking about the cost of things, but unfortunately, a conversation needs to be had with regards to the budget, as this will provide you with the planning foundations.

As a starting point, work out your priorities and non-negotiables.

Once you have an overall figure in mind, it’s worth portioning it out. For example, if you are both foodies then this needs to be factored into your budget.

I recommend you allow a buffer margin for unexpected costs, just in case. For my overview of potential hidden costs, click here.

 

Tips and Considerations for Crafting the Perfect Wedding Guest List

Before you start searching for the perfect venue, it’s worth drafting a guest list to gauge the size of your wedding. It’s easy to say, ‘I think we’ll invite about 80 people,’ but once you start writing down names it can quickly become apparent that the figure of 80 excludes close friends and it’s more like 120.

In drafting a guest list, travel arrangements, accommodation and disabled access can be a few things that crop up.

It is always better to think about these things early on as opposed to later down the line. Also, what are your thoughts on having children attend your wedding?

  

Harnessing Pinterest for Ultimate Wedding Mood Boards

It’s great fun starting to envisage what your wedding day will look like. For swoon-worthy, dreamy ideas, Pinterest is your go-to.

You can create mood boards for bridal dresses, accessories, aisle décor, tablescapes, bouquets, flower arches, welcome signs, table plans, cakes etc. The sky really is the limit in terms of inspiration.

These images will be useful for consultation meetings with suppliers and for reviewing over time; your design and style often evolves as you continue to plan and refine your wedding plans. 

 

The True Time Investment: How Long Does Wedding Planning Take?

With an average wedding taking 250 hours to plan and organise, you may not have the time yourself, or you want support and guidance through the planning journey. I am the practical solution for busy lives!

There are numerous benefits to hiring a wedding planner; I reduce your stress levels, I share design and style ideas, coordinate with all suppliers, oversee the logistics and meticulously plan your day to provide an unforgettable celebration which exceeds expectations.

Plus, absolutely anyone can use a wedding planner. I offer various planning services from 60-minute power planning hours, on-the-day coordination and full wedding planning.

 

The Value of a Dedicated Wedding Planner

If this sounds appealing, you can visit my planning services page to see what I offer, or if you would like to arrange a call to discuss things further, please get in touch.