One of the biggest parties you’ll ever host is probably your wedding. And planning for that big day can seem overwhelming at first. Whether hosting a modest, large, or simple, exquisite affair, the steps remain the same.
Having a wedding planner to assist you with your day is a good step. But there are various reasons why handling most of the obligations seems safe. It could be your budget is a bit tight, or you adore the idea of intimacy. Regardless of your reasons, it’s possible to plan your perfect wedding.
Focusing on one job at a time will make the planning process less overwhelming. And you can always delegate some of the chores to your trusted family and friends when you’re short of time. But what are the things you have to keep track of when planning?
1. Set a Wedding Budget
Your wedding budget will act as an engine for your entire wedding party. So creating a budget needs to be the first step when planning your wedding. The budget you set will influence most of your wedding-related decisions.
If you have family members contributing, you need to find out what they’re comfortable paying for. But if the whole budget is entirely on you, you need to evaluate your finances closely.
When budgeting for your wedding day, you need to be ready for a reality check. Many couples are oblivious of the entire spectrum of costs involved. So having a magic number prevents you from falling in love with a dress, venue, vendor, etc., out of your budget.
2. Establish a List of Your Wedding Priorities
Weddings are lively affairs. And the hosts are usually enthusiastic about a variety of elements. Maybe your biggest dream is shopping for beautiful wedding bands or fitting a wedding dress.
Then you must put them at the top of your priority list since these are wedding necessities. For example, if you want to splurge on your wedding rings, it is usual to choose a diamond ring. The carat will of course be heavily-dependent on your budget.
However, opting for a lab-grown diamond is a great option since they are way cheaper than earth-mined diamonds. The best part is that there is no difference in their composition at all. Saving from your wedding jewelry means more budget for your wedding gown.
You also need to ensure that the three things that excite, you top your wedding list. It will guide you when making hard decisions. The list also allows you to stay within budget and focus on the essential things.
3. Get Organized
Staying organized while planning a wedding is a challenging task for most couples. According to a study, 47% of engaged and newlyweds found the process stressful, making eloping an ideal option. Moreover, there was a 56% increase in anxiety, 37% suffered insomnia, and 10% reported a lack of sex drive.
Of course, no one wants to feel this way when planning their perfect wedding. That’s why it’s essential to use technology to keep you organized. For instance, you can use Google Docs, Excel, and spreadsheets, among other software, to collect your ideas, numbers, budget, etc., in one spot.
Besides, you can leverage the many excellent wedding planning tools to boost your sanity. It will help you stay organized and to keep track of completed tasks. At the same time, other apps may be helpful when you want to visualize venue layouts and seating maps.
4. Determine Your Bridal Style
Select a few bridal inspiration sources that appeal to you before deciding on a theme. You could either use magazines, Pinterest, Instagram, or reputable bridal websites for your study.
You will find having a solid sense of your wedding style helpful when meeting with vendors. But ensure you don’t get carried away with all the wedding ideas available online or in magazines. This is because most of the ideas are usually picked from high-end weddings.
Create a Pinterest board or visual collage to narrow down your wedding set style and feel. This helps you to keep track of your overall vision. Remember your wedding jewelry plays a vital role in establishing your bridal style.
5. Set Up Automated Payments With Vendors
Most florists, caterers, bands, photographers, etc., prefer using a pricing schedule. So it may require couples to pay a deposit upfront and the balance closer to the wedding date. It could be 30 or 45 days out.
You can easily lose track of when payments are due, especially if you’re juggling different types of diamonds, dress adjustments, planning wedding sets, menus, etc.
Vendors can have your permission to retain credit card or bank account information to process payments when its due instead of creating calendar reminders and risk delayed payments. Most vendors prefer this option as it guarantees them prompt payment.
Ensure you confirm if your vendor charges for credit card payments. You can change your payment method if this doesn’t work for you.
6. Practice Team Work With Your Partner
Wedding planning can be overwhelming, especially if you feel alone. Involve your partner as much as you can along the planning journey. It will surprise you how invaluable their input makes the planning process more fun and less stressful.
Don’t beat yourself up since it doesn’t have to be in all aspects. Even a few select elements will make a difference. Involving your partner in this stressful process will help strengthen your relationship. Besides, you will experience tremendous growth with each difficulty.
7. Choose Your Dates and Seasons
Setting a date when you don’t have a venue secured might be challenging. But it’s an excellent idea to have a few wedding dates in mind before you start looking for locations.
A Saturday wedding night might be convenient but more expensive and competitive. You can consider a different, less in-demand day for your perfect wedding. Then the calendar is in a better place to help you narrow down your dates. For instance, you can consider work schedules, family conflicts, vacations, etc.
Having a few potential dates in mind eases the venue choosing process.
8. Book Your Vendors
For your wedding to be perfect, you need to have your vendors ready. An average couple may require about 13 providers to create a beautiful wedding. True, this may seem a lot, but it’s vital to have the right people in your team for your big day to run without a hitch.
You can use an online vendor booking timeline to guide you on when to hire each professional. Starting from the florist, videographer/photographer, DJ, and catering team, to your officiant. Besides, you may need to help with online reviews to pick the best of the best vendors.
9. Work on Your Guest List
Your venue and budget will highly determine who you need to invite. And working on a guest list can be a challenging process. Keep in mind that your parents might decide who comes to your big day if they contribute financially. You both need to sit down and create a guest wish list.
Chances of you making cuts are very high. But also it eliminates the need to invite more people than the space can accommodate.
Don’t take any risks, even if some of your attendees may fail to show up. Also, you need to decide whether kids can be invited or not and who can come with a plus one.
Final Thoughts
Yay! your perfect wedding is here! Now you need to be present and feel the overwhelming love. Of course, there might be small items that aren’t perfect but don’t dwell on those.
Focus on your diamond wedding band, diamond jewelry, wedding theme, and partner. Let your guests notice a happy couple and not a stressed one.
Relax and enjoy all the precious moments with your loved ones in your special moment. Time flies, and you want your wedding party to be memorable for days!
