Making your wedding as magical as possible can involve some serious stress. Getting organised, however, can help you to worry less and can even make decisions easier. Follow these tips to make the preparations for your special day as simple as possible.
Organise your guest list first
Write your invitation list in order of how much you want people to be at your wedding. Immediate family and the bridal party should come first, followed by extended family and close friends. The list should go right down to casual acquaintances and friends of your parents – people you don’t mind having if you’ve got room but aren’t your first priority.
DO NOT send invitations yet! Work out how many people you would ideally have and go down the list to that point. If you need to cut down on numbers for any reason (space, budget etc.) then cut from the bottom up. If you are inviting some people to both ceremony and reception and some to reception only then use the same strategy.
Work out the date
You should set the wedding date at the time of an off-period for you at work. That way you will be able to relax during the event, and take time off for a honeymoon. You will also need to factor in events in the area that you want to have it – if there is a big event on, like a charity marathon, then hotel rooms might be harder for your travelling guests to find.
If you want to do an outdoor wedding you will also have to consider the season and likely weather. Will summer be too hot for those in suits? Winter too cold for people in dresses? Which season is more likely to have rain?
Find a venue
You may have spotted the perfect wedding venue, but remember: if you think it’s perfect, so will other people. Being flexible and prepared to shop around can save you a lot of money, as well as getting you somewhere on your chosen date.
The venue will also need to be big enough to fit in everyone that you want to have at your wedding – if you have more room after that, fill it from your list. You will need enough space for the tables, a stage for the bridal party and a dancefloor. The caterers will also need to be able to move easily around the room!
Once all this is done, check your guest list and cut it at the point where it fills the room, then send out your invitations!
