4 Things To Consider Before Planning Your Wedding

“I don’t know where to start!!”, “What should i do first?!”, “I am so confused!”. Many brides-to-be reading this can relate to at least one of these statements! I get frantic calls from lovely brides to be all the time asking where to start the planning process. Relax…Breathe…and read on…

The NUMBERS – It is very important to decide first the number of people you want to invite to your event as this sets the tone for everything else in the planning process, particularly the budget. Make a list of people you want to invite and BE REALISTIC about it. Your best friend from nursery school whom you haven’t heard from in 10 years does NOT have to be on your list. If you won’t be offended if they don’t invite you to their wedding, then think twice before putting ’em on your list.
Budget – This can be a tad difficult to do, but it is doable. Prepare a budget on an excel spreadsheet by first listing every element of your wedding. Put down anything and everything at all that comes to mind. The cost of food, rings, hair pins, drinks, décor, MC, transportation, photography, EVERYTHING. Make a rough estimate of how much you’re willing to spend on each item on the list. Please be realistic and don’t make the common mistake of pricing a champagne reception on a beer budget.
Decide whether or not you would engage the services of a wedding planning professional – Rely on a wedding planner, not because you cannot do it alone but because you risk to get too tired, too worried or be nervous without a reason before such an important day. Plus, you take all the decisions but leave the implementation to someone else. If you’re not engaging the services of a planner, make sure you have only one person you can trust in charge of your event. With your direction, this person can delegate all the different elements of the wedding to other people. This way there is cohesion and flow of the event is better managed. Be sure to keep your “person” in the loop at all times during the planning process. He/she must know every detail of the wedding so they can execute your vision while you sit and look pretty with your new hubby on your wedding day.
Execution – Budget in hand, go-to-person by your side, take one item on your budget list at a time and execute completely before going to the next item. For example, if photography is number one on your list, look at many photographer options and decide on one which suits your budget and your taste. Meet with the photographer, discuss all the details, book your date, make a deposit, close the photography chapter and move on to the next item on your list. Depending on how much time you have to plan, assign deadlines for each item on your list to be completed.