Thursday, 20 April, 2017 @ 17:11
Getting married? Follow my tips on how to plan your wedding and choose the right wedding services/suppliers to suit your big day.
Congratulations, you’re engaged!
Planning your wedding day is an exciting prospect for many couples, but for some it can become stressful and confusing.
Wedding celebrations are becoming more and more elaborate and can involve a vast array of wedding services, from wedding venues, wedding photographers, cake decorators and floral arrangements.
So how do you narrow it down and decide which service will complement your wedding day the best?
Follow my tips on how to plan and choose the right wedding services/suppliers to suit your big day.
Get your wedding day ideas flowing by thinking about the two of you, what you have in common, where did you meet? What are your happiest memories? Is there a special place that means a lot to you? Or a memorable holiday you spent together? Do you have a shared hobby or interest?
Avoid taking on all the strain yourself. Instead, involve family, friends, bridesmaids and your best man who can all help you to develop your ideas.
Make planning light hearted and enjoyable: meet up over a meal or a glass of wine and before you know it you’ll have plenty of ideas to explore.
Agree on a guest list and choose the wedding party early on as this will give you an idea of how much room you’ll need for your wedding venue.
Take into consideration guests travelling from afar and if they’ll need somewhere to stay overnight
Make a list of venues which fit well with your guest list/ guests' requirements, then book appointments to view.
There are a whole host of suppliers offering some fantastic wedding services but perhaps not all of them are vital for your wedding day.
Make a list of essential wedding suppliers which you feel you must have on the day. For most couples, it includes the following:
Once your main suppliers are booked, it’ll then become clear how much of your budget you may have left for any extras.
Here are a few easy ways to source reliable wedding suppliers:
The internet plays a large part in helping couples select wedding suppliers. While the internet can be invaluable in showing you who's in your area, it can be difficult to sort the quality suppliers from the substandard ones.
Do a bit of investigation before making appointments to see them by checking out testimonials on their website and social media pages.
Social media can reveal quite a lot so if you see plenty of happy and satisfied reviews you're onto a winner.
Do make appointments to see suppliers. If you’re sourcing a wedding photographer for example, make sure the photographer can show you actual weddings they have photographed from start to finish.
It’s all very well seeing a few wow photos on their website, but you need to know they can give you quality photos for the entirety of your wedding day.
The majority of wedding fair organisers will have vetted the suppliers before they are allowed to stand at a wedding fair. So, attending wedding fairs can be one of the best ways to meet good quality suppliers. Another bonus is that it will save you time and energy: you’ll have a good range of suppliers all under one roof.
Suppliers are there to help you plan your big day so work the room and speak with as many suppliers face to face, ask questions, look at their work / portfolio and find out if you're both on the same wavelength.
Asking family and friends for recommendations is probably the most reliable way of choosing your supplier.
Don’t just take their word for it though, your wedding is going to be different from their’s so avoid booking and paying before you meet the recommended supplier. You need to know they are right for you and can deliver your requirements
Always book key suppliers early to make sure you have the main chunk of your wedding is organised.
I5 months in advance
These services get booked very early and are often booked two years in advance of a wedding date:
10 months in advance
7 months in advance
Professional make-up and hair styling - suppliers usually offer a trial. If you’re not sure what will suit you it’s best to book early, for most brides, hair and make-up is an essential part of the wedding preparation that they must get right
Fulfilling your priorities is key to you feeling in control and will help you to avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Don’t just take people's word for it; make appointments and visit your suppliers face to face to really find out if they can fit the bill for your wedding day
Remember, choosing the right professionals can be the difference between an average wedding and one that is unique, special and memorable.
With so many suppliers in the mix it can be difficult to keep track on who, and when, you paid.
It's a good idea to set up a spread sheet listing all your suppliers, names and phone numbers, along with their email addresses. This helps you to keep track of your suppliers if you want to make any changes and keeps you up to date on any payments which need to be met before the wedding.
Stick to your budget – Items like save the date cards and wedding favours can be handmade along with invites, so get your friends over for a glass of wine and get busy making!
Try and keep things as simple as possible – Don’t be tempted by everything you see at wedding fairs and on the internet. Ask yourself: 'Do I really need this?
Be realistic – Your wedding day is special to you, your family and friends, if things don’t go quite to plan try not to get over stressed and take it in your stride
Plan to have time off – Don’t make planning you wedding the be all and end all. Take some time off together as a couple and enjoy yourselves
Keep it in perspective – So what if your best mate is spending twice as much as you it doesn’t matter. Your wedding day is about you as a couple and why you want to spend the rest of your lives together
Weddings, civil partnerships, engagements or bridal boudior photography. Contact Andrea for a free consultation in her Nottingham Studio, free parking.
Call me today on 07894 719 035 or send a message via the contact form.
Planning your wedding day may seem like a daunting prospect at first, but if you follow these steps, it will help to make it an exciting journey for you both...
Bridal hair and make up tips for your wedding day by professional make up artist and hair stylist Emma Louise Berry.
Who needs a bossy photographer who dominates the day and keeps guests waiting around. Here’s how I dispel any fears of this and guarantee a stress free enjoyable wedding photography experience that captures all the details without the hassle.
