First of all, congratulations on the upcoming nuptials! Not every couple sets a date immediately but, as soon as you do, you are against the clock. There’s a lot to get planned for a wedding and things can change in the lead-up, so staying on your feet and staying flexible is key. However, at the same time, there are some vitally important elements you need to set in stone as soon as you can. Here, we’re going to look at what aspects of your wedding you need to cement first and foremost.
The budget
The very first thing that you need to decide, before making any other decisions, is how much you’re going to budget towards the wedding. If you’re lucky enough to have parents or in-laws willing to pay for it, ask them for a ballpark budget. After all, you don’t want to take advantage of their generosity. Otherwise, look at how much you’re able to save, whether you plan on taking any debt, and cement a final figure for your budget, leaving in some wiggle room if extra costs accrue along the way. Of course, you can look for plenty of ways to save on your wedding as you go, as well, as pinching those pennies where it counts can be vital at times.
The venue
Before you can think about the setting of the wedding, the catering, decor, services, and travel, you’re going to have to think about what venue the wedding is going to have. Everything else is going center around the venue, after all. You have to think about both where you’re going to get married, as well as where the reception is going to take place, as well. For some weddings, the answer might be the same location, for others, it might be two separate spaces. Bear in mind that wedding venues tend to get very busy, very quickly, so you want to inquire in advance as best as possible to secure your space.
The food
Of course, you’re going to have to feed your guests, as well. You should start looking at the caterers in your area before you have your guest list finalized, but get the ball rolling as soon as you have a clear answer on who will be attending. Now, aside from serving food that you like and will satisfy your guests, you have to make sure your caterer has space to cater in, which may or may not be provided by the venue, as well as options for people who have different dietary requirements.
The journey
If you’re having a wedding at a fairly accessible location close to where you live, then you might not have to think about this at all. If you’re planning a destination wedding, however, then you are going to have to think about how to get out there, as well as what travel arrangements you may need to prepare for anyone you want to make sure doesn’t miss the wedding, as long or expensive travel plans are going to exclude some. Similarly, if your wedding ceremony venue is a distance away from the reception venue, you might want to arrange some travel between the two.
The guest-list
Some of the elements mentioned above you want to start looking at before you begin sending the invites out, but the particulars of where you have the wedding, how you cater, and other issues can only be completed once you have a guest list. Figure out who you want to invite and get the invites out in far advance as you can, setting a date for them to reply.
The accommodation
You need to establish your own accommodation, of course, but you should also be thinking about your guests. If it’s a destination wedding, you might want to be in charge of a group booking of a hotel or resort, and then get the funding form each of the attendants, but this can be stressful especially as it’s almost guaranteed some are going to be paying a little later than others. Otherwise, you should do your research on available accommodation near the wedding venue if it’s far from home for some of your guests. Find hotels, B&Bs, and other spots they can stay in and share a list for them to use at their leisure.
Of course, the elements mentioned above are far from the only aspects of your wedding that you’re going to have to plan. Everything else can be a little more flexible, however. You need to make sure that your wedding has a venue, food, and guests, first and foremost.
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