Where to Start When Planning A Wedding

So, who would have thought you’d be planning a wedding? The question was asked, the surprise one that no-one thought would be coming and the answer was a resounding ‘YES’.

Congratulations, you’re now both officially engaged to be married, and everyone is so excited for you, and you’re trying hard not to let the emotions get out of hand, plus you need to make sure that everyone who should know, does know you’re getting married.

The first week or two goes by in the blink of an eye, you’ve hardly had any time to catch your breath, but now it’s time to take a deep breath and get your heads into gear as you’ve now got to arrange the wedding..!

So, don’t be daunted, read on and let’s see if I can help with the process of starting to plan your wedding.

Planning A Wedding – Consider It A ‘Project’

Now, you don’t need a degree to know that there are many facets to the ‘BIG DAY’ but to get you and your partner to, and over the finishing line, it’s important that you don’t go into panic mode.

Think of it as a ‘project’ and approach it in an organised way. Being organised is the ‘keyword’ here and will be the difference between a ‘huge success’ and just a success.

You see, I didn’t use the word ‘failure’ at all because you can accomplish this, it doesn’t require any special skills except keeping a cool head and asking for help when needed from the right people.

Planning A Wedding – Getting Help

OK, so the starting point is to get you ‘ducks in a row’. That is, you need to get all the tasks down so you can evaluate and then start prioritising each of these tasks.

Getting the date you wish to get married clear in your head is the priority, but be a little flexible as the venues you are going to consider might not have the exact date you’re looking for.

That all aside, getting your list of ‘to-do’s’ together can be greatly improved if you consider obtaining a specialist wedding planning book that assists at the planning stage.

There are many on the market, and you’re sure to find exactly what you’re looking for if you study the reviews of previous users of these books.

Planning a wedding becomes a lot easier with one of these books in your possession.

Using A ‘Planner’ To Set Your Missions

Many come in soft and hardback versions so figure out your preference and get one of these wedding planners in your possession. Softbacks are generally better as they ‘travel’ easier in a handbag (and let’s face it, it’s not going to be out of sight from you for a few months, so having it with you at all times is going to be ‘the norm’).

These types of wedding planners let you know how soon before your wedding date each mission should be achieved, so get this information into your online diary.

I’ve spoken about the calendar aspect of these planners quite a bit, but they do come packed with lots of advice and tips so it’s important to obtain one as soon as you can.

Of course, a written resource on wedding planning is only one area that you can gain help with. As you explore, you’ll find resources giving advice and tips for everything else from financing your wedding, wedding etiquette and help it putting those dreaded speeches together.

Planning A Wedding – Picking Your Date

Now just a few words about picking a date for your wedding.

You’ll need to be aware that seasons will play an important role in a number of areas. Summer dates will, of course, be more popular and generally fall between May and September. Summer dates also tend to be more expensive than the ‘low’ seasons.

Christmas dates also tend to be slightly more expensive. There is a growing trend for midweek weddings, indeed they provide outstanding value for money, so don’t disregard the possibility of booking a midweek wedding date. You’d be surprised how many friends and family are more than happy to take a day off to celebrate with you on your wedding day, so don’t be afraid to consider a midweek wedding.

Once you have your wedding day confirmed, you can use your planner book to ‘reverse engineer’ all the tasks that need attending to. In other words, work backwards from your wedding date to get an idea of timings.

If you’re used to working with an online diary such as Outlook or Google Calendar, so much the better as you can set up reminders. Remember, being organised is over half the battle.

Hiring A Professional To Plan Your Wedding

Hiring an actual wedding planner to assist in the process of planning the wedding is not everyone’s favourite idea, one of the major reasons is, of course, the added costs.

However, don’t completely disregard the idea. Depending on your budget, make a few enquiries and see just how much it might cost you. A lot of wedding planners will provide a scale of service with different price points to consider. It will alleviate a lot of the potential stress but be warned, it can come with a set of its own issues which I’ll cover in another future article.

Being organised is one of the major traits of a professional wedding planner so this can greatly assist you in staying on schedule. They will, of course, have their own ‘Rolodex’ of locations and suppliers that will come recommended having been evaluated and used in the past.

Any discounts your wedding planner can achieve will be passed onto you and this can, of course, be counted as the ‘payback’ for employing them in the first place. In some cases, it might just cover your investment in using them in the first place.

Planning A Wedding – Use The Experienced Kings Oak Team

Here at the Kings Oak, we have a number of schemes and wedding packages that will appeal to a cross-section of clients. We have weddings on a budget and all-inclusive wedding packages, so it’s always worth giving our events team a call on 0208 508 5000 to check on what’s available.

The Kings Oak events team help to organise over 100 events each year and are particularly adept at wedding planning.

Clients who book their venue with us, whether it be reception only or ceremony and reception will have all the help, advice and support they require in planning their big day.

Planning A Wedding – A Word Of Caution

They mean well but be warned as family and friends approach you prepared to give you advice and help.

Whilst it’s true that along the way, some assistance will be gratefully received, you’ll have to agree with your partner early whether or not to accept this unsolicited advice and help.

Sometimes, you’ll find yourself being pulled from pillar to post with conflicting advice and what started out as a daunting task can become a nightmare when family politics play their part.

Decide on your strategy early. This will lay out your terms to everyone from the outset and believe me will avoid ‘fallings out’ later on. You can always revisit the strategy later in the process and make the necessary tweaks if you feel you need to.