It’s not uncommon to hear a bride has been engaged for a couple years before she begins to plan the wedding. Some are just taking time to enjoy their engagement which is great, but for others the wait is due to feeling very overwhelmed. If the latter sounds like you, read on for some things you can do right now to get the wedding planing under way. We promise it’s never as daunting as it first seems. When you break the planning into small achievable tasks you will probably find you even enjoy it. Just remember you are planning a celebration of your love!
Getting Started With Your Wedding Planning
Making Announcements
Announcing your engagement to family and friends is so exciting and full of emotion! Think carefully about how you want this to be done. It can be tempting to send out a Facebook blast in the heat of the moment but are there people who should be told first? Would you prefer to break the news to your close friends and family by phone call or in a more intimate setting than the world wide web? Just remember once you make the announcement you can’t take it back.
The same goes for wedding announcements and the appointment of bridesmaids and groomsmen. You may want to get a few other things sorted like the venue, photography, food and entertainment before you start inviting all your Facebook friends and appointing bridesmaids and groomsmen. This will help you get an idea of cost before you start making promises.
Create Your Vision
List the details of your ideal wedding separately then swap lists. This is a great way of prioritising and finding out what’s really important to you both. This could include dream venues, number of guests, entertainment options and theme.
Guest List
Keep in mind that guests are usually the biggest cost on the day. For every wedding invitation, every table centerpiece, every chair, every meal, every slice of cake, there is an extra cost. An extra 10 guests could cost you an extra $10,000. Unless you have an unlimited budget not all your friends on Facebook will make the final cut.
Timeline
Work out a time line for planning your wedding. Working backwards can help. For example at Brides Of Brisbane it can take up to 6 months for a bridal gown to arrive once ordered. This is the norm for most bridal stores so if you are wanting the option of ordering a made-to-order gown, rather than purchasing off the rack we recommend shopping for your dress at least seven months before the wedding. There are other things to consider like venue availability and the amount of notice you would like to give guests. While you may want to marry your love asap (understandable) it is important to consider the practicalities of planning a wedding. In most cases 6 months from engagement to the big day just won’t be enough!
Vendors
Work out what vendors will be really important to you and book them in first so you don’t miss out. For example, if there is a wedding photographer you absolutely love find out what days they are available and their prices. This means you don’t have to for-go the things you believe will make your day truly special. On the flip side, book the things that you don’t see as crucial last. Obviously don’t leave it to the very last minute, but if things like the cake aren’t extremely important to you this can be left to last as you can shop around for a vendor who can work with in your budget and to your dates.
Hopefully this helps to begin your wedding planning. Remember to break things down into small, achievable tasks and it will become much easier. If you’re 7 months to 1 year out from the wedding then now is the perfect time to start shopping for your dream dress! Book an appointment with us to get started!
