Planning A Wedding: 5 Things To Remember During The Planning Process

The time has finally come- you are engaged to the love of your life, and you are starting to plan the wedding of your dreams, could life get any better? However, before you can enjoy your wedding day, you must first start planning. The process of planning a wedding can be stressful; having to organize food, venues, and guests can be a lot to deal with, so you must ensure you have a detailed guide to follow. This is where we come in! If you are currently planning your own wedding, then this article is for you. 

But before we dive in, let me ask you, do you have a date set already? Choosing a date is important as it will affect many aspects of your wedding decision-making. You must check if your desired date aligns with your preferred vendors and venue availability. For instance, if you’re in Canada, sought-after vendors, like a Vancouver wedding videographer, or your preferred venue may be booked on your wedding date, so it’s best to select a date early on. That being said, here are five things you need to remember during the wedding planning process.

Finalize The Guest List

Creating a guest list should be the first thing you do when you are putting together your dream day. You may think that creating a guest list will be a quick and easy job- but this is often not the case. Going through all the relatives on both sides of your family as well as your individual friend groups can be a difficult task, as you need to work out who will make the list. In most weddings, there will be a guest list for the reception and then a separate one for the evening, so this is something you mustn't forget to do. It is important to finalize the guest list before you continue with the rest of the planning as your guest list will determine how much money you need to spend and what size venue you need. So, take things slow and create a guest list you are both happy with.

To manage a large pool of family, friends, and acquaintances, you can use the concept of a guest tier. Categorize your guests based on the depth of your relationship. Also, emphasize the importance of RSVP. Set a clear deadline for your guest list to confirm attendance and utilize several channels to reach them. With technology at your disposal, this task would be less challenging.

Stay Within Your Budget

We all know that wedding planning can be expensive. The cost of the venue, food, dresses, and suits means that most married couples end up spending tens of thousands of dollars on their big day. Because weddings come with an expensive price tag, it is important that you remember to stay within your budget. Before you even start planning or booking anything, you and your partner should come up with a reasonable budget to work with. Having this budget in place beforehand will essentially work as a guide throughout the entire planning process as you can always reflect back on your budget whenever you want to spend money.

To save on cost, employ some hacks to help you not to exceed your budget. You can do DIY projects for décor, explore second-hand attire options, negotiate with vendors, utilize online deals, and take a look at off-peak seasons for venues. If you’re finding it hard to keep track, download an app to assist you! There are free online resources and financial planners to help you out.

And, if somehow you manage to stay under your budget, you put the spare money towards a wonderful honeymoon!

Bachelor And Bachelorette Parties

Of course, the wedding day is the most important part of planning a wedding, but you should not forget about the bachelor and bachelorette parties. Both bachelor and bachelorette parties symbolize the start of married life, so you must ensure both partners have a great send-off. If you are struggling to think of bachelor party ideas, it would be a good idea to chat with other married people and find out what they did for their party. Alternatively, you could just have a look online for some unique bachelor party ideas and get some inspiration from there. Of course, as you are the ones getting married, you shouldn’t be planning your own parties, but if you already have a few good ideas, then you can relay them to your bridesmaids and groomsmen.

Don’t Forget The Little Things

During the process of planning a wedding, it can be easy to get bogged down in organizing the big things like venue, guest list, transport, food etc., so it is important that you do not forget the little things. Now, we are not saying that all of the above points aren’t important, but when you are dealing with something as big as booking a wedding venue, other small details may slip your mind. So, what should you remember to include in your wedding? Here are just a few small details you may have missed:

• Consider scheduling a name change after marriage
• Clean-up after the day has ended
• Flower and table arrangements
• Leftover wedding food/cake
• Plan for change in weather
• Phone chargers available on the day
• Who will collect gifts
• Taking pictures with important guests

This list will help you get things in order so that on your special day, you can enjoy and dance the night away. 

Give Yourself A Break

There is no denying that planning a wedding is stressful. Not everyone is an expert organizer, so it is no wonder why so many couples get stressed out during the wedding planning process. Because wedding planning can be so overwhelming, it is important to remember to give yourself a break. If your wedding is not for a few years yet, then there is no harm in taking a few weeks off from planning. You will find that taking a break will give you the chance to relax and recharge, and once you start planning again, things should be a little easier. Everything will work itself out, so try your best not to put too much pressure on yourself to complete the planning in a short period of time.