The Best Way To Start Planning A Wedding!

As the dust starts to settle after the excitement of the proposal, you will naturally start to wonder about all the intricate details of your wedding.

 

Planning your perfect day hopefully doesn't leave you feeling overwhelmed, but if you’re feeling a little flustered, this blog post is here to help. We'll be discussing the best tips for getting the ball rolling on setting a budget, finding an ideal venue, and choosing your dream guest list.

 

1. Figure out a rough budget

Effective budgeting is one of the most important parts of the wedding planning process, as it will help to keep you focused when determining every detail of the day. Before choosing a venue, a dress, or even a date, it’s important to have a rough idea of how much you can/are willing to spend to avoid costs spiraling out of control.
 
At the end of 2021, the average wedding cost in New Zealand was more than NZD 30,000. While in the UK, the average cost is more than £20,000. This figure will vary greatly between different people, and how you choose to allocate your budget is entirely up to you. The vast majority will typically be spent on the venue and the menu, but nearly-weds hosting a micro-wedding may decide to spend more on other parts of the day.

 

2. Think about potential dates & venues 

These two crucial parts of the process go hand in hand since you will need to have both things in mind simultaneously. It’s little use in choosing a date only to find out your preferred venue can’t host you then. Similarly, you won’t want to have your heart set on a venue without having any idea of when you plan to host your special day.

At this stage, you should have a rough idea of whether you’d prefer a sultry summer celebration or a winter wonderland wedding. You can also start to think about whether you want to lock in a weekend date, or if you’re happy to go with a cost-saving midweek option. Be sure to keep your budget in mind when determining these key details, as this will play a part in the sort of venues you can start to look at as well as the time of year you opt for. What do you want the experience to be for your special day?

 

3. Start working on your guest list

Just as it’s important to provide your preferred venue with as much notice in advance of the date as possible, the same can be said for your guests. This is why you must start thinking about who you want to invite early on in the process, to give everyone the best chance of being able to attend.
 

Choosing the people you do and don't want to attend this most special day is a difficult decision. Particularly with two different sets of family and friends to consider, there are often some awkward conversations that need to be had. One of the most important things to remember at this time is that there are no obligations to invite anyone you aren’t 100% set on having as part of your day. Again, use your budget to inform your selection of guests and keep the list focused – you don’t want to have a 300-person-strong guest list if you’re working on a tight budget.

 

 "Falling in love was the easy part... Planning a wedding - YIKES."

Of course, there are a plethora of other considerations that need to be made along the way. But starting with these three pivotal decisions will help to build the foundations for a *relatively* stress-free and successful wedding planning experience.

Please don't wait until the last minute to start planning your dream wedding... If you happen to leave it to the last minute, for whatever reason, contact Team Wedding She Wrote... Teamwork makes the dream work!

 

Are you an eco-friendly bride? Here's another blog article we wrote with tips and tricks to having an eco-friendly wedding!