As Wedding Planners with a decades experience in helping couples bring their dream day to reality from nothing but a couple of provisional ideas, we are so pleased to be sharing with you our tips on how to ignite the planning process, keep on track and stay true to yourselves.

So relax, sit back and read our top tips which we hope will help future couples enjoy the planning of their day rather than stress over it!

Talk Money

Firstly, set and agree a budget. This is crucial in the beginning stages of planning a wedding and will be your foundation for all aspects of the day. It is also worth considering if anyone else will be contributing to the budget and in what way. It is also worth asking Parents or any other contributors if they expect any level of input or control over the day, before you agree on what their contribution will be - often a say in the guest list is on the negotiating table!

The second thing that can impact many couples’ budget is the timeframe that they are working with to achieve their Wedding - many smaller vendors do not accept Credit Card payments, so you may need to think about when the funds for deposits and final balances will need to be readily available.

Talk Time

The second key factor to consider is setting a date for your wedding. It’s best to be prepared to be a little flexible around the exact date as some photographers, caterers and venues are booked well in advance and may not be able to accommodate you fi you have just one day in mind. The timing can also be important to consider from a savings plan perspective and of course the season in which you hope to host your wedding!

Do your research

Take your time to research suppliers, begin to follow suppliers and venues that you like on social media and get a feel for what you want on your day. If you are considering working with a Wedding Planner, look in depth at their website, check their portfolio and testimonials and be sure they are true to what they say they are! With any vendors that you will be spending a lot of time with, we’d always suggest having a meeting or virtual call to get an intuitive feel for whether or not is is a fit.

If you’re eloping to another country, make sure you know the legalities of getting married there and what you need to prepare beforehand. If you’re eloping to Scotland we have a blog on the legal steps to take for getting married here.

Stay Organised

Set yourself checklists early on in the planning stage and make sure you consider all aspects of the planning to eliminate any stress! There are lots of great resources for free wedding planning checklists online which can be a great way to kick-start your planning in the right direction and get you thinking about all of the small details. Perhaps even set yourself reminders to go through the lists once a month together and share out the tasks between you, as well as to track your progress!

Nearer the time you should also put together a wedding day emergency kit to have with you on the day in case of any minor slip ups. The kit may include some paracetamol for the guest with a headache, heel stoppers for your bridesmaids with heels on or an emergency sewing kit for any last minute alterations – having this will help take any last minute emergencies under control.