Wedding planning is hectic, time-consuming, and a bit nerve-wracking. Ask any bride and groom, and they will tell you about a tip or two that simplified their wedding. Here are five need to know wedding planning tips that will save you time and energy.
1. Organize
Before making any plans, you need to organize your thoughts and ideas so that you know what requires completion and when. First begin with a wedding checklist so that you focus your attention in the right places. You will know when to meet with vendors, pay for services, or send out invitations. It is also a good idea to keep a paper copy of your checklist as well as notes of planning concepts, new tasks, and vendor meetings that change your plans. It will be beneficial to set up an email account so that you do not miss critical communication from vendors, guests, or wedding planner.
2. Start First With Your Guest List
There is nothing you can do until you know the number of guests you will invite. To come up with a rough number, start with your immediate family, wedding party participants, and close friends. Move on to your extended family like uncles, aunts, and cousins that you are sure will attend. Next, add to your list any neighbors or co-workers. If there is a need to slim down your guests, you have three levels in place which enables you to start at the bottom and work backward.
3. Select Venue Early On
You have a rough idea of guests, so you need to find a venue that will accompany them. You generally need to calculate 25 feet for each guest which means the more significant your wedding the more prominent the place you will need to secure. You need to also keep in mind that spacing will also need to accommodate tables, décor, a dance floor, a band or DJ, and staff for dinner service. Think about how a theme, venue, and season work together to avoid disasters.
4. Budget And Save
A budget is an asset worth investing. You should budget 50% of your reception, 8% for flowers, 10% for attire, 8% for a DJ or band, 10% for a photographer, 3% for invitations, 3% for wedding favors, and 8% for a wedding coordinator. Even with a keen sense of financial responsibility, there will be last minute expenses your budget will not anticipate. You should save another ten percent to purchase last-minute supplies or vendor materials.
5. Envision Your Wedding For Details
When someone asks you to envision your perfect wedding, what do you see? You should think about the season, location, colors, attire, and décor so that you can narrow the scope of your wedding planning requirements. Do you want a formal or informal wedding? Is your venue inside or outdoors? Is it sunny or cold? By thinking about the general ideas, it allows you to skip much research by narrowing your decisions to specific categories.
Whether you are just beginning or need inspiration, SG Wedding Favors has a variety of tips that guide your wedding planning decisions starting with the couple, and moving on to the reception, the bridal party, the parents, and the guests.
