Consider Hiring A Wedding Planner Or Coordinator To Help With The Planning Process
The next step in planning an event like a wedding, especially if the affair is large-scale or high-end with many moving parts, is to hire awedding planner or at least a Day-Of Wedding Coordinator.
Professional wedding planners will help you create every detail of your wedding.
In addition to devising an hour by hour day-of-wedding-timeline, managing vendors, and coordinating the ceremony and reception details, this would also include creating a timeline for the months and weeks leading up to your wedding.
Theyll also iron out all those troublesome nitty gritty pieces to make everything run smoothly without any hiccups.
This is especially helpful if you are not experienced in event planning and have little time on your hands!
An expert wedding planner will take care of all aspects, from venue selection down through every detail, including table settings for both reception & dinner and any other details that may be important.
They will also handle coordinating vendors like the photographer, florist, band, or DJ who need an access point during the celebration, rather than you having to do everything.
Heres A List Of The Types Of Weddings To Bring To The Conversation:
The table below shows the basic types of weddings with guest list numbers, budget estimates, and a link to articles we have on more details for each type:
| Wedding Type |
| $$-$$$ |
During this discussion you may discover you both want to elope! Or you may find out that your partner has always dreamed of a huge wedding in your home town catering hall, while you were kind of hoping for a more low key backyard wedding. Welcome to your first compromise as an almost married couple.
Often when theres a discrepancy in vision, talking about numbers will help level set. A lot of people have no clue that the average wedding costs $30,000 for 100ish people. When you or your partner start to see those zeroes, you may decide youd rather spend that kind of money on a downpayment for a house or a car instead. Or you may decide you have it within your own budget, or through family financial contributions, to afford it.
Speaking of contributions, if anyone else is helping you fund the wedding, you should involve them in this discussion too. Its best to have a clear understanding of how much you can spend and what youre spending it on upfront.
Add Some Personal Touches
Photo by Erich McVey Event Planning by Alise Taggart
Whether it’s familial or cultural wedding customs that have a special meaning or if there’s a tradition that the two of you want to start for future generations, don’t be afraid to incorporate some heartfelt, personal touches into your wedding day festivities. Remember, this is your day!
Also Check: What Do You Wear To A Wedding Rehearsal
Hire A Wedding Planner
Again, this will depend on your budget. But if your funds allowor if your peace of mind depends on itnow is the time to tap the manager of your big day. This person will be your right-hand person and will guide you in all decisions, from selecting a venue to tracking your budget and handling all the logistics.
Vicky Pattison & Ricci Guarnaccio
Relationship Status: Split Up
Rounding off this iconic list is none other than Geordie lass, Queen of the Jungle and Loose Woman, Vicky Pattison. We adore Vicky’s love of love. Ever since she burst onto our screens in Geordie Shore back in 2011, Vicky has made it no secret that she loves being in love, and we watched that on screen for the first time when her and them-boyfriend Ricci Guarnaccio took their relationship to the next level.
The pair’s rocky relationship was well documented on the early series’ of Geordie Shore, but Ricci was besotted by Vicky and decided to propose to her during a cast trip to Mexico. He took her for a romantic meal and arranged for a plane to fly over with the words, ‘Will you marry me?’ trailing behind.
Their love wasn’t meant to be, and we can’t say we’re disappointed because right now, we’ve never seen Vicky happier. Proving everything happens for a reason, Vicky is now planning her dream wedding to fiancé Ercan Ramadan. She’s head over heels!
Still keen for more celebrity wedding goss? Check out our round up of celebrities who changed their name after marriage and our favourite celebrity weddings of 2022!
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Hiring A Photographer And Other Suppliers
With the venue booked you can then look at other details needed for your special day, and top of your list should be a professional photographer/ videographer.
Wedding photographers and videographers can be booked up to 2 years in advance, if you want a sought-after professional your priority needs to be guaranteeing your date. Theres a wide breadth of wedding photographer styles and its worth viewing many portfolios before deciding which suits you best. Your Perfect Wedding Photographer is a great place to start your search with plenty of inspiration to source the right choice for you.
Flowers
Bridal bouquets, floral crowns, ceremony florals, arches and table centrepieces, flowers are an essential wedding day requirement. From natural foliage to exotic wonders and romantic roses theres a whole world to discover when it comes to wedding flowers.
Collating images of floral displays in your wedding planner is great but ensure you get guidance from a florist early on to avoid disappointment incase you get your heart set on a flower impossible to get hold of out of season.
We are seeing more and more epic floral arches, from classy minimalistic designs to indulgent rustic country styles, they add incredible focal points to ceremonies both inside and outdoors.
Read more | A Guide to Choosing your Wedding Flowers
Transport
Wedding Planning Mistakes To Avoid
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There is lots of information and advice on how to plan your perfect wedding day. But there is also some good advice on what not to do when planning your wedding. By knowing some of the major mistakes to avoid when planning you can feel relaxed and confident that your wedding day will be perfect!
10 Donts When Planning Your Wedding:
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Choose A Color Theme And Start Thinking Of Overall Design
Pull up your Pinterest boards, people. It’s finally time to gather inspiration, select a color palette, and create a mood board. If you’re struggling for inspo, planner Jessica Sloane recommends taking a step back to look at things that are already in your worldlike how youve decorated your house, what you’re liking on Instagram, etc.and draw inspiration from that.
Begin Looking Into The Vendors You Want For Your Wedding Day
Youve already figured out which elements and services are most important to you, so now you can start looking into local vendors in those areas to find out cost, availability, ratings and reviews and if they fit what youre looking for, or keep it simple and let your venue do the work for you! Just utilize their pre-approved list of industry experts!
Use the internet, call around, find out what people are saying. The best way to find out about vendors is to ask your friends. If you have friends who are recently married go ahead and reach out to them to find out who they used and if they are what you are looking for.
Read Also: Yellow Gold Diamond Wedding Rings
Research Tour & Book Wedding Venues:
Once you have an idea in mind for your wedding style, now is the time in the planning process to start researching wedding venues. As we mentioned, you will also want to consider your guest list. Ask friends and family for recommendations, search online, and pop onto Instagram.
Finding the perfect wedding venue can feel like finding a diamond in the rough. Use your wedding vision to narrow down options based on the type of wedding you want. If you envision an outdoor wedding, keep that in mind when looking for an option for your wedding ceremony location and reception venue.
Before you arrive for your tour, review the number of guests the space can accommodate, the cost, and whether or not you can host your ceremony and reception onsite. Once you have toured your ideal spaces, book your venue!
Savvy Wedding Planning Tip:
Hosting your ceremony and reception at the same venue makes the wedding day easier for everyone, especially if youre considering not working with a wedding planner. The less movement that needs to occur between spaces, the better!
Get The Right Officiant
Photo via @justbephotojennic
Choosing an officiant often gets left at the bottom of a wedding planning checklist. But booking an officiant ahead of time will help you choose someone who can deliver the right message for your ceremony. Ask potential officiants questions about any ceremony restrictions they may have, what their fee is, and if you can meet with them prior to the ceremony. And dont forget to discuss availability for the rehearsal!
Recommended Reading: Best Men’s Wedding Band
Select A Stationery Suite
As your big day draws closer, you’ll need to alert guests with beautiful wedding invitations. But, believe it or not, your stationery suite includes more than just save-the-date cards, formal invites and RSVP cards. Consider what you want all of your paper goods to look like, from place cards, menus, ceremony programs, and wedding favor tags. Each plays a role during the day, and having a consistent design among all will make your wedding look seamlessly cohesive. We recommend using The Knot Invitations to find paper goods that match the style and theme of your wedding day.
Dont Start Wedding Planning Without A Budget
Just like your purpose, you will return to your wedding budget often and one of the first steps to wedding planning must be to start it. Without an idea of your wedding budget expectations, you cant possibly commit to a ceremony or reception venue or any other wedding vendors.
Its a good idea to sit down early, talk it over with your fiancé, and any parents or family members who may offer to make a contribution to your budget. Start working out your finances well in advance .
Recommended Reading: How Much Will My Wedding Cost
Send Your Save The Dates
While youve probably already told everyone you know about your upcoming marriage, now is the time to make it official.
Your wedding invitations should be sent out approximately three to six months in advance of your big day, but its never too early to choose a design, style or stationery supplier that you love.
In order to give your guests as much notice as possible, we’d recommend sending out save the date cards as soon as the venue is booked to announce your wedding and ensure your guests keep that date free, with an official invitation to follow note.
Choose Your Wedding Rings
Its possible you picked your wedding rings shortly after getting engaged. But if you didnt, we recommend that you start looking a few months before the big day.
Select matching bands, or two distinct styles they dont have to be made with the same precious metal. Choose the one each of you prefers. The rings can be simple bands with a polished, hammered, or matte finish. Or, you may choose ornate bands with faceted gems and a combination of precious metals.
Pro tip: If youre wondering whether or not a warranty is worth it, youre not alone. There are a number of Reddit posts on the subject. Here are some reasons why you should at least consider it, according to one user:
If the plan is lifetime and doesn’t have a maximum number of uses or total repair value AND you live close enough to have it checked twice a year it will likely save you a boatload. Ask exactly what they cover and if there are any maximums.
Most common repairs are in no particular order:
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Rhodium dips resizing
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re-tipping and tightening prongs
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replacing the shank
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replacing lost side stones
Another good rule of thumb is if you couldnt replace it all today in cash and feel good about spending that amount of money, then its probably worth it to pay for a warranty.
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Begin Choosing Your Dream Vendor Team
Hiring a seasoned team of professionals will give you the peace of mind that your wedding day will be absolutely perfect! Odds are, you dont know how to connect with these dream vendors. **Insert a wedding planner here** Wedding planners are able to connect you with photographers, videographers, venues, caterers, florists, bakers, calligraphers, officiants, DJs, and rental companies that will best fit your budget and vision! Theyve worked with tons of people and can point you to the absolute best! Did you know that it takes 528 hours on average to plan a wedding?! If youre working 40+ hours per week, you might not have time to handle all of the details + logistics while youre preparing a life with your fiancee!
You can find Jordan on and . On her website, she even shares tips and tricks for brides on her blog.
Explore Honeymoon Options And Ideas
Perhaps you want to go to that destination youve wanted to visit your whole life, maybe its local, find inspiration so you can get started booking!
A small bit of additional wedding planning advice: dont forget about your wedding night! And make sure to have fun through the whole process. This is a life-changing event and the journey should be just as enjoyable as saying, I do!
Read Also: Who To Send Wedding Invitations To
Make Sure Your Vendors Are On The Same Page
In order to create the ever-important wedding-day timeline, you’ll need to communicate and work with your vendors to determine the flow of your event. From going over a shot list with your photographer to talking to your caterer about the timing of the meal, now’s the time to tie up all of the loose ends with your vendor team.
The First 5 Steps Of Wedding Planning
by Joe Pipola | Apr 2, 2022 | Catering Blog
After you get engaged, the excitement from your friends and family is unreal! Its also exciting to sit down with your significant other to start the wedding planning process. Wedding planning can be overwhelming, but it doesnt have to be. When you take each topic step by step, it is easier to make decisions and accomplish what you need to get done before your big day. Unfortunately, many people dont know where to start when planning their wedding, so here is an easy five-step guide to help navigate your wedding planning.
You cannot start planning your wedding without figuring out your budget first. If you dont know your budget, you wont be able to tour venues, hire a caterer or photographer, or even start your wedding planning. Knowing your budget will be the outline and backbone of your wedding plan. After you establish the magic number, breaking down your wedding budget is the next important task. According to Brides.com, here is the best Budget Breakdown:
- Venue and Catering: 40% of your budget
- Wedding Attire and Beauty: 5% of your budget
- Music/Entertainment: 10% of your budget
- Flowers: 10% of your budget
- Favors and Gifts: 2% of your budget
- Transportation: 3% of your budget
- Cake: 2% of your budget
- Décor: 10% of your budget
2. Create a priorities list
3. Create your guest list
4. Tour venues and select your special date
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Find Your Perfect Venue
Once youve set a budget and decided on a theme, you can start to think about choosing a wedding venue which fits in with it all. Securing and booking your wedding venue will determine your wedding date, location and your maximum guest numbers, so make choosing your venue a priority.
Before you start the hunt for your venue, sit down together and talk about what you both want from your wedding and what type of venue will fit with the theme youve chosen. This is where you go back to your wedding vision and priorities. If one of you is picturing a fairy-tale castle wedding venue and the other is dreaming of a rustic barn venue then you may need to compromise.
Think about other important factors such as whether you want to have a wedding venue with accommodation, whether you want to use your own caterers and what your evening guest number is likely to be. All these factors will play a part in determining which wedding venue you choose.
Hitched Expert Tip: “You can use the Hitched wedding venues section to browse beautiful wedding venues throughout the UK and beyond,” advises Rima. “You can search by county or style, as well as filtering by practical features such as catering options, capacity, parking and more. This helps you to find a wedding venue that ticks all of your boxes, both visually and practically.”
