How to plan a wedding and where to start with wedding planning?
If you’ve just engaged and you’re new to the wedding world it can be exciting and overwhelming, where to start what should you be doing. But I’m here to help make sure you start on the right track. I’m a wedding planner and stylist based in the Cotswolds. I have over 12 years of experience in the events and wedding industry. Working as event coordinator for a venue finding company, worked as a venue coordinator and senior wedding coordinator at 2 venues. As well as 5 of those years launching and running my own business. And I’m going to be sharing some tips of where to start with wedding planning, and help you along your wedding planning journey.
Firstly do nothing
Yep you read that right. Take a moment to take it all in, enjoy the engagement bubble. It can feel so exciting when you’ve just got engaged to start planning your wedding, but enjoy this moment, this moment doesn’t come around every day. The person you love and adore in this world, just asked you to marry them? What! It’s an overwhelming feeling of love and I smile now thinking of that moment when I got engaged.
I say that from experience, hey I’m Amelia wedding planner and stylist based in the Cotswolds, and I’ve got a wealth of experience and knowledge I’m sharing.
Now your ready start
Now you’re ready to start planning your wedding, and the next thing you’ll want to do is sit down and make some lists.
Firstly - How many people are you inviting? Write down everyone to figure out your guest list numbers.
Secondly - Location and time of year. Will it be near where you grew up, abroad? What season, are you thinking Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter? Are you open to a mid week or does it need to be on a weekend. Think about logistics of how feasible it is for guests to travel, especially elderly guests.
Thirdly - Is your wedding budget, yep before you even book any wedding supplier or wedding venue make sure you have this figured out. Without an idea of how much you are able to spend, your spending can soon spiral out of control. Wedding budgets, can be the not so fun part, but do your research on costs, get an idea so you can figure out how much you need to spend.
Kate Gray Photography
Sidey Clark photography
Arrange venue viewings
Once you have your lists sorted, start looking into your venue. This will make other decisions easier, when enquiring with other suppliers. Have a look at different style of venues, and more than one so you know what you like and can be confident you’re booking the right space for your wedding.
When you have your wedding venue secured, wedding planning becomes a lot easier. Because not only will it mean you have a date, so you can reach out to other suppliers, but it also means you know what kind of vibe and style you want. For example if you went for an industrial city wedding then you’ll be looking for a modern, cool design. Therefore the wedding suppliers will have a modern cool edge to them.
TOP TIP - Make sure you do your research - there are many wonderful creatives in this industry. You have to choose the one that suits your vibe, style and personality. And sometimes cheaper isn’t always better - the reason some suppliers are more expensive is due to experience, talent and industry knowledge.
Emily & Steve photography
Ginger Beard Photography
Make a list of must haves for your wedding
If you’ve not got an endless wedding budget, make sure you make a list of priorities before securing the rest of your suppliers. What I mean is to write down suppliers ( photographer, videographer, band, cake, food, decor, flowers, etc) Rank them from 1 - 10 on how important they are to you, and your values.
If having a really fun vibe and good food is really important then number 1 & 2 is going to be food and a wedding planner or stylist
If having an epic party and someone capturing the day are really important then 1, 2 and 3 are going to be band, photographer and videographer
Why this is important to do when wedding planning, Is it will help you know where to save and where to spend, when it comes to planning your wedding. And not going way over budget because it’s reflective of you and your values.
Richard Skins Photography
How to work together?
Still stuck or need some help with wedding planning? If you need a wedding bestie, someone to guide you and be on hand to answer any questions or help you with elements of wedding planning. It can be a mind field if you’re new to the wedding world, what’s a good price? What should I be doing next? When do you book suppliers?
I offer a range of services to help and suit different budgets. Or download my free wedding checklist here
Don’t just take my word for it here’s what my couples have to say:
“We wanted to take the time to send you the biggest and most heartfelt thank you. You made our day even more than what we could have imagined.
We truly felt in totally safe hands, you have been so patient with us and you completely NAILED it on the day. I can’t tell you how overwhelmingly joyous it was to walk out into the dining room and see all the little details I’d spent the last year working on come to life and styled totally perfectly. You’re an absolute superstar!
The day went so smoothly and you both kept us so calm - we’ve heard nothing but wonderful compliments about you from all of the suppliers. I really hope our paths cross again!
Thank you for your months of time/ emails/ question answering - you’ve been a constant support and we wouldn’t have been able to have had anywhere near as much fun without you. Can we just take a moment to appreciate you snuck an 8 piece brass band in under everyones noses?!?
Thank you again ”
Hiring a wedding planner, to take away stress, support you with planning to ensure you have just enjoy making memories. Why not check out my packages below, to see how I can help you plan a wedding that truly reflects you.
Much love
Amelia xx