If there’s only one thing to go all out for, it’s a wedding. Learn how to plan the wedding of your dreams with these nine useful tips.
Getting married is one of the most major events that someone will ever experience in their lives. Most women even start thinking about their perfect wedding day decades before they ever even meet the right one or have a proposal.
So you could imagine that planning the occasion is already a big deal in their eyes. You may be one of those people who fantasize about having an amazing ceremony. If that sounds like you then keep reading to find out these 9 tips on how to plan the wedding of your dreams.
- Establish Budget
Not only is planning a wedding exciting, but it can also be expensive. Small things start to add up quickly and a magical day for a couple can turn into a headache. One of the best ways to avoid this is to make sure you and your spouse have a budget set in place.
Although it is traditional for the father of the bride to pay for the wedding, many people are not following these outdated rituals. If you and your significant other are paying out of pocket, then you’ll need to factor the expenses for your special day in with regular bills.
- Find a Venue
Now that you’ve gotten your budget together allocating the funds to everything else should be much more hassle-free. The first thing you should start looking into is a venue to hold the wedding in. It’s best to start searching for locations as early as possible because they can get booked quickly.
If you already have a tentative date (or at least month and year) for your event then it will help out the venue owners with booking for you. Consider trying out unique places that others may not think about if you’re having a hard time finding a place for your date. For instance, libraries, vineyards and museums may work. There are also many great destination wedding locations, so you may want to look into somewhere beautiful and romantic, such as mexico wedding venues.
- Write Out Guest List
You want to share your day with the people you love the most. Start writing out your guest list as soon as possible so that you won’t forget anyone. Keep in mind that the more attendees you have, the more expensive the wedding could be (which is not an issue if you plan ahead).
Some people prefer more intimate weddings, which means that you’ll need to be much more selective with who you invite. Consider the size of the ceremony and reception that you’d like to have and go from there. Also, remember that some people won’t be able to make it to both parts of the occasion.
- Choose Colors/Theme
We all know that traditionally the bride wears white but as for the bridesmaids and groomsmen, you can have a little fun with color. Figure out the color that you want your wedding party to wear and start coordinating.
This is also the time to think about whether you want a specific theme for your wedding or not. Themes like rustic, whimsical, vintage and garden parties have become popular choices over the years.
- Plan the Menu
Now it’s time to figure out what you should feed your guests. Choosing the food for a large (or even small) group can seem overwhelming at first but try to break it down into general categories, such as meats, vegetables, starches and dessert.
You can also collaborate with a professional chef to help come up with a menu that will please everyone. Be aware of dietary restrictions and issues like common food allergies. Most people like to explore alternative diets now so think about including choices that are suitable for vegetarians, vegans and possibly even gluten-free options.
Check this out to find out more about considerations for guests’ dietary needs.
- Send Out Invites
Things are starting to get heated and your dream day is getting closer to turning into a reality. Choose some beautiful stationery for your invitations and start sending them to the guest list that you already have written. You could try doing a DIY project or make everything electronic if you want to save some money on invites.
Make sure you put the invites in the mail (or email) early enough to give your guests time to respond. Politely request that they send you an RSVP or decline to the wedding so that you can keep an accurate headcount.
- Schedule Dress Shopping
Picking out the right wedding dress might not happen on the first or even second time you visit a bridal shop. This can take a lot of time to decide depending on the type of person you are. You may also need extra time for alterations, fittings and shipping.
There’s also the bridesmaid’s gowns that need to be chosen as well. Scheduling dress shopping in advance gets the ball rolling on making sure everyone has a chance to look and feel perfect.
- Contact a Photographer
Of course you’ll want to have plenty of memories from your magical day. You can’t depend on people’s smartphone photos to do the wedding justice. So it’s important that hire a photographer to capture the moments (preferably one that specializes in weddings and event photos).
Be sure to have the details planned out about where you want the wedding party photos taken so the photographer can meet you there.So if you are planning your destination wedding in thailand, you can hire the best phuket wedding photographer to work the entire event for you.
- Hire a DJ
Again, you could play some playlists from your phone but that probably wouldn’t go well for an event like this. Hire a professional DJ to make sure all the jams are lined up accordingly for you and your guests to enjoy the night.
You can still give them requests to add to their playlists so have those prepared.
Ready to Plan the Wedding of Your Dreams?
Before you get overwhelmed by detail, take a deep breath and read over the tips again. As long as you write down everything and stay organized, planning the wedding you’ve always imagined could be a reality.
If you’re looking on more advice for weddings and marriage, check out the family tab on our blog. Interested in getting more help planning your dream wedding? Don’t worry – a team of experienced destination wedding planners at ParadiseWeddings.com is always there to help you!
All of these are wonderful tips! Setting a budget is so important, you don’t want to start a new marriage in debt because you over spent.
This is a great list! I worked as a wedding photographer for years. The only thing I would add is to make a schedule of events for the day. In the wedding industry we used to call it a script. One can google how to do them. They make such a difference between a day that goes off well and one that is like herding flies, lol!
Great tips! Planning a wedding can be so stressful. That’s part of why my husband and I decided to elope.
Great wedding planning tips. Setting the budget is of the utmost importance. Everything else can only be hashed out when you know how much to have to spend. And it’s important that if the venue you are picking is popular, to reserve it well in advance of a year. And don’t wait too long on dress shopping or you will have to buy off the rack.
Another great idea to add to the list is to establish what’s important for you on your wedding day. If your budget is tight, maybe you want to splurge on one category, but cut back on another. Flowers were extremely important to me.
Smart tips! Planning a wedding can be so stressful. This list is so helpful!
these are awesome tips, I could have used some when I got married! planning can be crazy
These are great tips! Planning a wedding can be so stressful at time!
These are some great tips! I wish I would have thought of checking out blogs years ago when I was planning my wedding. Such a great resource.
These tips are so helpful. I feel like I have problem decision making cause I change my mind every other month. I truly need to sit down and figure out what exactly we want for our big day. Thanks, for sharing.
These tips are SUPER helpful! Sharing with some brides to be!
These are great tips! Planning a wedding can be so stressful
These are great tips, thank you so much for sharing! Planning a wedding is so stressful and it really helps to have advice.