Tackle the biggest (and most stressful!) parts of wedding planning with these top tips…
Budgeting and timings
The first big problem couples face when they start wedding planning is deciding on their budget. Whether you want a laid-back party or a super-glamorous affair, carefully considered budgeting is essential – knowing how long things really take and how much they actually cost!
You’ve spent pretty much all the time you’ve been with your other half thinking about what your wedding would be like, from the type of dress you’ll wear to the flowers in your bouquet. But how often did you consider how much this dream day would cost? Weddings don’t come cheap, and there are plenty of costs we bet you would have never even thought of. Getting insurance, paying for the registrar, the cost of the marriage certificates, generators and extra outdoor cooking facilities for marquee weddings. It’s these costs that can really add up, and turn your wedding from a dream into a financial nightmare.
What’s your priority?
What you need to do is to prioritise what is important to you from the start. Once you’ve decided, allocate budgets accordingly. Make sure you do your research – guessing venue hire is £5,000 won’t do you any good. Many venues charge triple that! Ensure that you can realistically afford the final balance and work out how you’ll make savings to cater for it. No wedding is worth getting into huge amounts of debt for, so don’t overstretch yourselves. Here are the top four suppliers you mustn’t be without…
Insurance
The number one priority. An absolute must, and it doesn’t cost the earth!
The venue
The venue will dictate your budget, theme and even your dress, so choose wisely.
The photographer
The memories of your day will be captured in your photos, so don’t scrimp here!
The dress
Not only is it the biggest talking point, it can also be a large expense and take many months to choose, deliver and fit.
The guest list
The dreaded guest list… Guaranteed to be the biggest headache of your wedding planning. Not only is it the one area that may cause rifts between you and family members, it will also take a huge bite out of your budget. So how are you meant to decide who makes the final cut? If you were invited to someone else’s wedding day, should you invite them to yours? What about great aunt camilla who you haven’t seen for 20 years? And one of the biggest problems, of course, do you want to invite children?
Tough decisions
Firstly, you must choose the venue of your dreams and see how many people they can cater for. Do a rough guest list before you book to see if the numbers can add up. Next you need to discuss costs per head and find out exactly how many people you can afford. Finally, you must make final decisions on who your guests should be. It’s very easy to say it’s your day so it must be your decision, but in reality that can’t always be the case. If your family has invested in your wedding, you should consider their feelings about family members. Sit down with your nearest and dearest before you decide. Here are our top tips for making the cut…
No children
Cutting out the cuties will save you lots of money and any distractions during the ceremony.
When did you last see them?
As a general rule, if you haven’t seen or heard from someone in more than a few years, they probably shouldn’t be invited.
Get married abroad!
It may seem a bit extreme, but getting married abroad will definitely mean that only the people who you really want there will make the effort to come.
Small ceremony
The latest guest cutting trend is to have a small ceremony with only your closest family, then an earlier ‘evening’ party with everyone else. With a lower cost per head, it’s the perfect way to not offend anyone!
