How to Coordinate the Perfect Wedding
Your step by step guide to help you plan your wedding day.
Congratulations on your engagement! I’m sure you’ve spread the word, perhaps enjoyed an engagement celebration party and now you’re wondering where to go from here. Wedding planning can often be overwhelming, especially if it’s something you’ve never done before.
Whether you’re planning a small, intimate and low key wedding, sometimes referred to as a micro wedding, or a larger occasion, I’ve created this handy guide to ensure all weddings remain laid back and enjoyable! I’ve compiled a list of 10 steps to plan a stress free wedding day.
Most weddings are planned around 12 to 18 months in advance, however if your engagement and wedding plans are a bit more spontaneous and you’re having a last minute wedding, don’t panic! This guide compiles all of the steps to planning your day from choosing the best wedding venue to how to choose the right wedding photographer for you.
Step 1: Your wedding budget
The average couple spends a whopping £30,000 on their wedding, so you want to make sure your money is spreading as equally as you can. However every couple is different and you might be planning on spending a lot less or a lot more than this depending on what you’ve got in mind.
The first thing you should do is decide what you can both afford to spend. Will you be getting any financial help towards the wedding cost? Are you planning to budget for a microwedding or a large scale wedding? What are you both comfortable spending and what can you afford to save over the next few months? Would you rather prioritise having the right wedding photographer to capture the special moments from your day, or maybe you’re planning to hire out one of the best wedding venues in Surrey! These are all questions you should ask yourselves to help you set a budget for your wedding day.
Make sure you’re both on the same page and have your budget decided before start to plan your wedding.
Step 2: Look for inspiration
Colour schemes, wedding invitations, wedding pictures styles, and of course the wedding dress; these are all things that might be popping into your head from the moment you become engaged to be married. It’s often difficult to know where to start when it comes to ideas and inspiration for your wedding. Pinterest is a great tool for this! Simply search for what you’re looking for and add different images to boards until you have an idea of what you might want for your big day. If you’re in need of some inspiration to start, I have loads of wedding inspiration on my Pinterest that might help.
Step 3: Choose a theme for your wedding
Wondering how to choose a wedding theme? Refer back to your Pinterest boards and look at which colours you’ve saved the most. Maybe you’ve saved lots of similar colour themes or you’re seeing a pattern in the kind of decor you’d like. If you’re having an autumnal wedding then maybe you’ll opt for burnt oranges and deep reds, or vibrant colours if you’re planning a wedding for the summer. Your theme can be whatever you want it to be!
Step 4: The venue
Now this is where things get exciting. Your wedding venue can make or break your day so you want to choose it wisely. You wouldn’t want to book a huge hotel if you’re planning a small intimate wedding, or a low key wedding if you’re having a large crowd.
Once you’ve decided on the type of venue that suits you best, book a few tours so you can view them in real life. Remember that your wedding venue will determine your wedding date and the number of guests you can host so make sure this is one of your top priorities to book early on in your planning process. If you need some inspiration for some of the best wedding venues in Surrey then check out my blog post here!
Step 5: The wedding guest list
Are you planning a micro wedding and can only host a small number of wedding guests? Or maybe you’re planning a traditional full scale wedding with hundreds of people. Map out all of the names of the people you want to invite on a spreadsheet with the maximum number of guests set by your venue in mind. It’s best to list everyone you could possibly think of that you might like to invite. Remember you can always remove people later if you’ve written down too many names.
Step 6: Insurance and the legal stuff
This step might be easy to gloss over because it sounds pretty boring in comparison to everything else you need to think of when creating a plan for your wedding. But having the right wedding protector plan is so important when getting married. Weddings can be expensive, so you want to make sure you’re relaxed on your wedding day knowing you’re covered in case anything were to go wrong.
While we’re on the topic of the boring stuff, don’t forget to get your marriage licence sorted too!
Step 7: The wedding party
You’ve listed who you want to share your special day with and now it’s time to think about your wedding party. Some people have this planned out from the start but for some it can be a tricky decision. If you haven’t already decided, have a think about the people closest to you who you can trust to be your maid of honour and your bridesmaids. Equally, do you want any page boys or flower girls? Who will your best man be?
Make sure to have a good think about this because you want your day to be as relaxed as possible, and these are the people who will be helping you to achieve that.
Step 8: Wedding suppliers
Most venues will be able to provide you with a list of suppliers, from the best florists and photographers (feel free to check out my portfolio here) to caterers and musicians. Alternatively a quick google search will show you wedding vendors in your local area. If you’re looking for natural wedding photography then specify this, or if you’re after a specific musician, mention this too. Get in touch with any that take your fancy and compare quotes and their styles to make sure you and your partner choose the right suppliers. There’s nothing worse than not feeling relaxed on your wedding day so it’s important to book the right fit for you. Note that many suppliers such as wedding photographers often need a minimum of 6 months to a year's notice if you want to ensure you can secure your date in their calendar when you plan your wedding. However feel free to get in touch regardless as we often have gaps to fill in our calendars.
Step 9: Wedding outfits
By this point you’ll be well and truly into the wedding planning process. When it comes to finding the perfect wedding outfit for you and your partner, and suitable bridesmaids dresses for the bridal party, make sure to allow plenty of time to find the right wedding attire and accommodate for any alterations before the wedding day.
Step 10: Send your save the dates and wedding invitations
With most things being easily accessible online, many couples are using personal websites to include all of the information for their big day. This is often an easier and less expensive option than traditional paper invitations. One popular and free website that many couples turn to is withjoy.com.
However there’s a possibility that not all of your guests have easy access and understanding of the internet, which is one reason a lot of couples still choose to send a few (or all) of their invites through the post. This is something to take into account if you decide to go down the digital route when you plan your wedding.
Additional things to plan for:
We’ve covered the majority of big ticks on your to do list when you plan your wedding so you can sit back and relax knowing you’ve got most things covered. However there’s a few more ideas to consider below when planning your perfect wedding day:
Honeymoon, stag do’s and hen do’s
Create a table Plan
Gift list
If you’re interested in docu style photography, often referred to as candid wedding photos, or documentary style photography; feel free to check out my portfolio. I’d love to have the opportunity to shoot your big day!
