Planning your wedding in 2023 and beyond
Congratulations you’re engaged, YAY. The next step is to start to plan your wedding day; yet you have NO idea where to begin – you’re completely overwhelmed. Don’t worry – I’ve helped many couples in your position through this difficult stage.
OK, let’s not beat around the bush; planning your wedding can be one of the hardest things you’ll ever do, there is so much to consider, and bringing everything together to create that perfect day is hard enough for the best of us – but with careful preparation and organization, you can make this process much smoother.
You’re probably asking why you should listen to me – great question. As a wedding photographer, I’ve personally covered well over 400 weddings here in the UK, and I like to think I’ve picked up some great tips and tricks along the way to help you plan your wedding. There really isn’t much of anything I haven’t seen, or heard about in this industry.
So here are some general tips & tricks I think will help with your planning.
Your Venue
First off, PLEASE set your budget. I cannot stress how important this is; you MUST also be realistic, and honest with yourself. There is no point planning for champagne, if you can only afford cider.
With a budget in mind, you’ll be able to make informed decisions about what you can, and can’t afford, while preventing overspending. Consider creating an Excel spreadsheet to help with this process.
It can be wise to look at a number of venues that meet your style/budget, and can accommodate your guest list. In my experience, the BEST weddings have nothing to do with the venue, but the people who attend. Also consider what type of venue you’d like for your wedding, a stately home, barn, golf club etc. Because each one will have a certain look and feel – it’s all about finding something that suits you.
Who Do You Invite?
Who do you invite? This can be really stressful. Assuming that you have a venue, you need to work within the guest limit of your venue – and create a guest list. Again, you NEED be honest with yourself, or numbers will spiral.
If you haven’t formally chosen a venue yet, your list will help, as you’ll be able to eliminate certain venues that might not be large enough for your numbers. Choosing a venue that can accommodate all of your guests, and will also be helpful for sending out invitations. Again, an Excel spreadsheet really helps with this type of thing.
Remember, while it’s nice to try and invite everyone you’ve ever met, sometimes it’s just not practical – your venue will have a limit on guest numbers, plus as mentioned, numbers can spiral out of control, greatly effecting your budget, meaning you have less to spend of other things/suppliers.
Choosing Suppliers
Another difficult and stressful task. I’d say book suppliers as early as you can.
Many popular suppliers , such as photographers, caterers, and florists, will book up months, or even years in advance. It’s important to secure these Suppliers early on in your planning process. It can be wise to arrange meetings with a number of suppliers; and choose which one fits your requirements/budget.
Also, with suppliers such as photographers & videographers, it’s important you like them as people; this may sound odd, but trust me, you don’t want someone there on your day who you don’t like – sure you might get great looking images/video; however you’ll only remember the person taking the photo/video, and not enjoy your images, or video.
It’s also EXTREMELY important to see if your photographer/videographer has samples of work they can show you of your chosen venue, or at the very least a venue in the same style. It’s also EXTREMELY important to see an actual wedding, and NOT something like a pre-planned photo-shoot, as weddings are a completely different beast.
What If Something Goes Wrong?
Things happen, that’s life, so plan for the unexpected.
Have a backup plan in case of unexpected weather, or other last-minute issues. Also, a great tip is – and I often tell the couples I work with this; if you see your suppliers worried, then you have reason to worry, if they’re not worried, sit back and enjoy the day. We simply have more experience knowing if something is worth worrying about, or not.
Go with the flow, you’ll have a MUCH better day.
Something worth consider is wedding insurance! You’ve likely heard others say this already, but it’s worth saying again, get wedding insurance. Thankfully, wedding insurance shouldn’t be too costly, and depending on where you are, plus the company you use, it should be around £100.00, or the equivalent in your country – it’s VERY important to check the T&C’s, so you know what’s covered.
Insurance is like an old saying, “I’d rather have (item), and not use it – than need (item) and not have it”.
Timings
OK, this is a BIG one, and the downfall of many weddings.
Set a timeline for your wedding day, make sure you allow enough time for everything, especially if your wedding is split over two venues, i.e. a church, and reception venue, as you’ll will need to allow time for your guests to travel between both. Is there enough time for photos, your wedding breakfast, mingling with guests etc etc. Getting this right, will mean your wedding will run SOOOOOOOO much smoother.
From my perspective as a photographer, I typically I ask my couples to leave 1.5hrs clear after your ceremony to cover mingling shots, confetti, formal group shots, Bride & Groom session, detail shots of where the wedding breakfast is held, and anything else that might be happening – this time will go by FAST.
I’ve covered many weddings over the years and will ALWAYS advise couples on timings; while being completely honest with them if I think something won’t work. This honesty really helps me build up trust with my couples, as they know I always have their best interests in mind.
Finishing off; remember to stay organized throughout the planning process, and don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends, family, and your chosen suppliers. With these tips in mind, you can plan a beautiful wedding that reflects your style and personality.
I really hope this helps.
