The start of the wedding planning journey is different for everyone, and everyone will want to do things in their own way, and own time.
Whether you are extra keen straight after the engagement and want to get planning underway (like me!) or you want to take your time, save up, and have a few years to get things just right… that’s okay!
I've devised a few key top tips that will just help you get off the ground before you get into the weeds of the planning.
Step 1: Get Some Inspiration for Your Dream Wedding
To get started... Get some inspiration!
This is the easiest and most exciting thing you can do. Pinterest and Instagram are teeming with golden nuggets of inspiration and wedding dreams. Take your time exploring ideas and envisioning your perfect wedding. Get an idea of what you’re going for...
A fairy-tale Cinderella-style summer wedding
A sleek, elegant Christmas wedding
A unique, bohemian, intimate wedding
A wedding that revolves around the party
All exist, and all can be combined to create your dream wedding. However, they all come at a different cost…
Step 2: Set Your Wedding Budget
It’s boring... I know! But it’s important (to most of us). Without knowing how much you can, or maybe want to spend, you will more than likely go a little wild and start planning a rather extravagant wedding and could lead to your wedding stress levels going through the roof. Or you may do the opposite, look at the venue price, shut down, and stop right there.
You need to have that big number in mind so that you can really start the planning. The average wedding cost in the UK is rising every year. The cost-of-living increase is extending to the wedding industry. The average cost is likely to come in at around £19,000 for 2023 and was £18,400 in 2022.
To be clear, this average doesn’t mean you have to spend this much.
I’ll do another post on how to effectively set and manage your budget. But for now, here are just a few key things to bear in mind when deciding how much you want to spend:
The venue and food will likely take up around 50% of your budget, so bear this in mind when deciding on your costs.
How many wedding guests do you want?
What’s your wedding savings plan?
What are the top 3 most important things to you about your wedding? (dedicate more money here)
At The Wedding Hand we support you design a wedding budget around your priorities, get in touch to find out more.
Step 3: Find the Perfect Wedding Venue
Finally... The venue.
Once you’ve got your inspiration and you've worked out how much you have to spend, your first task is to get a venue and a date in the diary.
Gosh... I’m getting excited for you!
Do your research and look at all the venues there are to find. Websites such as Bridebook and Hitched are helpful in finding a venue that works for you, as are wedding fairs. Instagram hashtags that are great are: #weddingvenue #destinationwedding #dreamwedding #bohowedding #winterwedding
View as many or as few as you like. If it’s something you love, absolutely go wild. But if you are time-strapped and it’s not really your bag, do your research before you start viewing. It’s a huge amount of effort to go to venues, have the same conversations over and over, so take the time to look at all the options and whittle them down to what you really want.
Then go and view.
Never settle.
Do not book immediately. Take the time to review the contracts, check the details. Make sure you know what is and isn’t included, what the timings are, what the alcohol restrictions are, whether they dress the venue, what the minimum numbers and maximum numbers are, and if food is included.
These are really important details that will make all the difference down the line. You may even be able to do a little bargaining to get a better deal.
Once you have your budget, your venue, and your inspiration... things will start to fall into place.
With professional wedding coaching and the support and guidance from The Wedding Hand, you can navigate through all those other details that can start mounting up as you begin your planning journey. Enjoy a stress-free wedding planning experience while creating a personally tailored wedding that fulfils all of your dreams.
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