So over the summer, you may have got engaged to your better half. Whether he whisked you away to a romantic city or got down on one knee in the comfort of your own home, you’re probably bursting with excitement at the thought of walking down the aisle. But now is the time to start planning. Whether you are getting hitched next year or the year after that, the earlier you start planning, the better. So where do you even begin? Well, we have a few tips for all you brides to be if you are struggling with your wedding plans.

Set A Budget

So before you go rushing off and planning anything, you need to sort out your budget. Weddings can be pretty expensive if you’re not careful with your money, so if you want to watch the pennies, then make sure you set a budget and try to stick to it as best you can. Setting a wedding date out of the busy period or getting friends and family to help with the organising may help you save some money for the big day and remember, you don’t always have to go over the top to plan a great day, as long as you and your partner enjoy yourselves, that’s all that matters.

Set A Date

One of the very first things you should do is set a date. Find a location and book your big day in early. Whether you choose to get married in a church, on a beach or in a registry office, setting a date is the first thing to tick off your list. Make sure you think about the time of year too, do you want a summer wedding or winter nuptials? Midsummer is usually a popular choice as it offers the best weather, but there’s never a guarantee on a sunny day, so don’t let it sway your choices. Also, you will need to think about the reception. Will this be at the ceremony venue or somewhere else?

Make A Guest List

Appoint your best men and bridesmaids and put together a list of people you want to attend and let them know so they can save the date in their calendars. Don’t send out any invites until you have organised the details, for now you just need to know who can make it and who can’t, this will give you a guest number which you can then use when planning food and entertainment. Once all the finer details are certain, then you can send out your invitation cards, this should be around two to three months before the wedding day.

Start Shopping

Once you have sorted a date and venue, then you can start shopping for that all important dress, the groom’s and best man’s suits and of course, the rings. Make sure you have a few dress fittings leading up to the wedding, as they may need altering before the big day. When choosing colours for bridesmaids dresses, make sure it fits the theme of your wedding and remember, they don’t all have to match, as long as they are all the same shade, you can opt for different styles for each bridesmaid, depending on what they prefer. Also remember, accessories, shoes, bags and jewellery for you and your wedding party.

Hair and Makeup

Once you have decided on your dress and veil then you can start planning your hair and makeup. Wearing your hair up or down will depend on your dress design, but it’s your day so opts for whatever you feel most comfortable in. Your bridesmaids will also need their hair and makeup doing for the big day, so make sure your beautician can complete all of your wedding party’s looks.

Travel and Accommodation

You will need to organise travel to and from the ceremony and the reception. For this, you may choose a limo, vintage cars, horse and carriage, or perhaps a few fancy Mercedes’. Whichever you choose, remember that it will need to escort the bride, groom, best men, bridesmaids and the father of the bride to the venue. Also, if you have guests attending who are travelling from out of town, then you may want to consider arranging accommodation for them to stay over for the night.

Food and Drink

Many people choose to offer a choice of dishes or a buffet for their guests, but this can get quite pricey. If you want to keep costs low, then just have one menu with a vegetarian option. Conventional meals usually consist of chicken, lamb or fish, but you could choose something a little irregular to make it different such as burgers, fish and chips, a roast dinner or curry dishes. For drinks, you may want to set up an open bar, but you may need to put plenty of money aside for this. As an alternative, you could purchase a few bottles of champagne and offer free glasses for your guests.

The Cake

There are so many options these days for wedding cakes, long gone are the simple two tier fruit cake variety. These days, many opt for cupcakes or lots of tiers to make sure everyone gets a piece and in place of fruit, brides and grooms are choosing chocolate, vanilla, coconut and even red velvet. Just pick a flavour that you enjoy and a style that fits your theme and your all sorted.

Photographer

Choosing a photographer can be a difficult task, but make sure you look around and meet with them before making your mind up. Ask to look at their portfolio or past weddings they have worked on. Once you have booked a photographer, let them know what kind of pictures you would like to make sure they know exactly what kind of photos you want.

Flowers and Decorations

Flowers are an essential for a beautiful wedding, whether you are choosing your bouquet or the table centre pieces, the choice is all yours. Tulips and Lilly’s are popular choices, but if you are having a winter wedding, then you may want to choose something a little more seasonal such as Holly or Roses. You may also want to add some decorations to your venue, like tying bows to the chairs or laying silk on the tables. Little party favours are also cheap to make yourself and will look great added to the tables.

Entertainment

Sorting music for the reception can be hard, do you opt for a band or DJ? It all depends on what music you want to play. With a DJ you may be able to show them a playlist of songs you would like, but a band may be more limited as to what they can perform. You may also want to add some other entertainment to the party, such as a magician, a circus act or even karaoke to add a little more fun to the night.

So whatever you plan on doing for your wedding, we hope you enjoy your special day. But if you want even more help with your nuptials, why not download your very own Wedding Planning Checklist?