Planning your wedding: 5 things all brides-to-be need to know

Last week, we met with some members of the UKAWP at their Diamond masterclass, led by our CEO Vashi Dominguez. These ladies are some of the UK’s top wedding planners, so we knew they would be able to give us some amazing tips on planning your wedding, with or without a professional plannner.

Often, newly engaged couples have no idea how to start planning their wedding. You may know what you want and what you don’t want, but many couples lack the confidence, time, know-how and experience in planning such an important and large scale event and this can be daunting and stressful – as many just wed couples can tell you!

With the help of our ladies from the UKAWP, we’ve put together a selection of their top tips to get you on your way to your perfect wedding day.

So where do you start when planning your wedding?

Susanna – Knot And Pop

 “To create your day, your way, start the planning process by having a fun session with your partner where you discuss and share your vision for the wedding. It may be certain formalities that you’d like to follow for the ceremony, or it may be that you both want to embrace doing things differently. Use this time to tease out your tales, to find a narrative for the day, so that your shared loves and personalities are reflected. From there you then have a base to build on, both for the suppliers that will suit you vision, and the elements that will make your wedding unique.”

Dominique – Stylish Events

“Most brides have a clear vision of their day, but setting a budget is often the last thing they want to think about – it’s very unromantic. Actually setting your budget is the first thing you need to do, before the venue, the dress, the flowers etc. Set your budget and then stick to it. Think about what kind of day you want and put the two together. My philosophy is to have the best wedding you can afford.”

“Budget and vision go hand in hand. Knowing in advance how much your wedding is going to cost and where money needs to be spent is essential for reducing stress and allowing you to enjoy the experience.”

Sandy Moretta – Tern Events / UKAWP 

“Once you have set your budget, focus on finding your perfect venue: this forms the backdrop to the overall style, décor and colour scheme for your big day.”

Elizabeth Reed – Elizabeth Jane Events

“Choose the best photographer and /or videographer you can afford – your wedding day goes by so quickly and you only get one chance to capture it.”

Isabel Smith – Isabel Smith Wedding Design 

“When planning your wedding there is so much to think about (budget, location, design, guest list, suppliers, seating plan, dietary requirements etc) it can very quickly get very overwhelming!  If you don’t have a planner to guide you through the process and advise which elements should come first, it is very easy to get bogged down in little details and lose track of the bigger picture.  It is also easy to suffer from over inspiration and what I call ‘premium choice anxiety’ (where you simply can’t make a decision from fear of missing out on something better) which can bring the planning to a grinding halt.  My biggest tip is therefore to trust your instincts and once you have made a decision, stick with it – even if that means banning yourself from Pinterest, Etsy, blogs and magazines after a certain point!”