How to Plan Your Wedding? If you are newly engaged and planning your wedding, there are so many decisions to make and so many things to consider that at times you might feel overwhelmed by the task of planning your dream wedding. I would like to share some wedding planning tips and advice from Senel of Bride and Belle Luxury Weddings, a brilliant wedding planner and lovely friend to help you in your wedding planning journey.

‘First of all, the BIGGEST of congratulations on your engagement!  I hope you’ve had the most fabulous of times celebrating over a glass of bubbly and sharing your wonderful news with friends and family. Now that the dust has settled, you’re probably wondering (and quite possibly feeling quite overwhelmed) as to how to plan a wedding.

YOUR WEDDING BUDGET

The very first thing you absolutely have to consider is your budget. Without having a realistic idea of how much you have to spend, it’s almost impossible to begin planning your wedding. Many couples book their wedding venue without having a true understanding of the costs involved. Do your research at the very beginning and ask potential suppliers for an indication of costs, particularly if you are hiring caterers.

GUESTS

Once you’ve decided on your budget, you can decide how many people you’d like to invite. Be realistic when deciding how many people you’re inviting to your wedding and compare it to your budget. This will also be helpful when it comes to deciding your venue!

YOUR VENUE

Deciding on your perfect venue is one of the toughest parts of your wedding planning journey. There are so many gorgeous venues to choose from and it can be hard to pick the right one for you. Consider what is important to you about your venue and don’t forget the details! Would you like a venue that gives you complete flexibility to choose your suppliers? Is your venue licensed for civil ceremonies? If you’re planning an outdoor ceremony, what happens if it rains?

THE CEREMONY

If you’re planning a civil or non-religious ceremony, then you will need to check that your venue is licensed to accommodate this and contact your local registrar to ensure they are available. If you’re planning a church ceremony, then don’t forget to allow time to get from the church to your reception venue! If it’s neither a civil or religious ceremony that you’re planning, then consider hiring a celebrant instead!

YOUR SUPPLIERS

Researching your suppliers is a key element in planning your wedding and is very important to consider in your overall budget and requirements of your venue. Spend time investigating the different wedding suppliers out there. Wedding photographers, caterers, furniture hire companies, make up artists.. the list can be very long! Contact a few suppliers in each category for quotes to see how costs and services compare. If you have chosen a dry hire wedding venue, then there are likely to be a lot more suppliers needed for your wedding over a hotel venue.

GET INSPIRED

Pinterest and Instagram are great places to look for inspiration and ideas on how to plan your wedding,  but be careful not to fall down the rabbit hole! It is easy to fall in love with beautiful images from wonderful weddings across the world, but you do need to be realistic. Is the same look achievable at your venue and within your budget? Who is going to coordinate the design of your day and pull all of the elements that you need together?

IT’S YOUR WEDDING

It is your wedding, and you should do things exactly as you wish! Individuality is key and ensuring you have lots of personal touches are what makes your day special and unique. While it’s lovely to include traditional elements to your day, consider what you can do to make your day a true reflection of who you are.

ENJOY YOURSELVES!

Most importantly, enjoy planning your wedding! Planning a wedding can feel overwhelming at first, but tackling each part of the planning month by month will make it a far more enjoyable experience.  It is your day, take things at your own pace and enjoy the moment.

HIRING A WEDDING PLANNER

Hiring a wedding planner is a great idea for many couples struggling to know how to plan a wedding, particularly if your wedding is taking place over a number of days and you have a lot of logistical elements to consider and suppliers to manage. A wedding planner is an expert in all things weddings and can guide you through what can be an overwhelming process. They will assist in finding the perfect venue for your wedding and sourcing the very best suppliers for your day. They will help you to coordinate your budget and remember key dates in your wedding planning process. A wedding planner will also be there on the day of your wedding, regardless if there is already a wedding coordinator at your venue or as part of your catering team; they will be with you from the very first moment on the day of your wedding through to the moment that the very last guest leaves. You can book a time to speak with me about your wedding planning here.’

ABOUT BRIDE & BELLE WEDDINGS

Senel of Bride & Belle Weddings is a luxury wedding planner in London and Suffolk, planning beautiful weddings across the South of England. If you would like to find out more about Bride and Belle weddings please take a look at the website here or follow her on Instagram!