Wedding Planning Tips – The Best Advice You Need To Know
This is the complete guide for wedding planning tips and advice! Everything you need to know for your dream wedding!
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Why Read This Article On Wedding Planning Tips?
In this article, I am going to give you ACTUALLY HELPFUL advice for how to start wedding planning.
It can be SO completely overwhelming determining where to even begin!
Trust me, I have been there… and it’s not a fun place to be.
I want to give it to you STRAIGHT about what you need to be …
- thinking about
- actually worrying about (instead of what you shouldn’t be)
- prioritizing
What will truly ~save you~ in terms of wedding planning is not spending a ton of money OR spending your entire engagement planning…
This is going to give you the no-b.s. guidance you need to hear in order to …
- have a great wedding planning experience
- not get completely overwhelmed
- make important decisions
… and more.
Truly, as with everything, the battle with wedding planning and wedding plans is about mindset and approach.
Let me explain…
What Are The Top 3 Things To Keep In Mind When Planning A Wedding?
Now I don’t mean mindset as in meditation — though that never hurts!
Your mindset with wedding planning refers to how you go into wedding planning.
Mindset plays a huge role in our experiences.
For example, if you go into wedding planning completely inflexible, chances are, you’re going to have a hard time because I can GUARANTEE you … some things are just not going to go the way you want them to.
When you go into wedding planning, consider the mindset that will benefit you and serve you the best.
When you go into wedding planning, consider the mindset that will benefit you and serve you the best.
Some mindsets to keep with wedding planning are …
- Open Mindedness – because some things are just not going to work the way you expected, and sometimes, you might actually appreciate that later on.
- Organized – you need to stay organized during wedding planning. If you are not organized and procedural about what you’re doing you’re going to get stressed out and overwhelmed.
- Light-Hearted – because at the times when it gets extremely frustrating, instead of being upset or miserable the best approach is to try to laugh it off or find humor in it.
Now that you understand what mindset you should have going into your hard word, it’s time to determine your approach.
The Best Wedding Planning Tips
Here are some amazing wedding planning essential tips to consider for your special occasion to make your wedding and engagement a great time.
Determine What’s Actually Important
The number one tip I give everyone who is planning a wedding is to write down what your realistic wedding dream is. Think about all the things that would make up your perfect day. Then write down the things that are the most important to you. Continue to break it down until you have a list of only 10 items. Have you considered having an actually good fun wedding day as one of them?
Give Yourself Ample Time
As much time as you think you have, things will start to get more and more crazy and time will pass quicker than you expected. Give yourself tons of time for everything because you never know how things will turn out sometimes, even on your wedding day!
Personal Touches Will Help You Look Back On The Day
Your wedding day goes by so fast and so quickly it can feel like a blur. Using personal touches you can look back to treasure the day will be so important to you. Special messages, voice recordings, extra photos, and everything in between is so important to help you look back in the years to come.
Take It All In
Your wedding day is just one day, and with the years you will start to forget some aspects. That’s why it’s incredibly important to try to take time throughout the day to appreciate it and all the work you have done, the fact that this group of people will likely never all be together in the same place again, appreciate your partner and the love you share, and the support you have along the way. If it’s not fun more than it is … something is wrong.
Hire Or Ask A Friend To Be Your Day-Of-Coordinator
Trust me, the wedding day is insane, and there are so many procedural aspects to the day. It’s important to have someone actually running the show to make sure things go smoothly. Hiring someone or asking a friend to be your day-of coordinator at minimum really takes the pressure off you and gives you and your bridal party an actual chance to enjoy the day and have fun.
Ask For Phone Call Voice Messages
A guest book is a great addition to a wedding, but a phone message system either to your personal phones or using a vendor like “Answer The Phone” is a great way to get some cherished voice memos from the people you love most in the world that you can cherish always. Phone calls and voice messages are just such as wholesome way to hear their voice through the ages.
Hire A Videographer (if possible)
A wedding videographer may seem like an unnecessary expense at first, but this is actually one of the number one regrets of couples after their big day. A video captures a day and wedding experience in such a unique way. You might not be able to see the flower girl walk down the aisle in person, so it’s nice to see that from another perspective.
Budget For Unexpected Expenses
Trust me, they will pop up.
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How To Start Planning A Wedding
Let’s break down what what wedding planning actually is and looks like … since chances are, you’ve never planned one.
To make things easier to visualize … and more fun, let’s think of wedding planning in terms of a cake, with different tiers for different types of tasks.
Let me introduce you to…
The Wedding Planning Cake
This cake, while not exhaustive can give you a good idea of what wedding planning entails in terms of priorities, and group tasks by their “weight”.
This will help you to understand what to prioritize, what to accomplish first, and how to tackle tasks as you go.
~Plus, it can help you manage your expectations~
For example, when you’re stressing out about table settings or feel like the wedding is coming apart when people keep bombarding you with questions…
… remember that those are tier 4… a tier that’s decorative and nice to enjoy, but it’s still a lovely wedding cake without it! 🙂
You can even sketch your own wedding planning cake and put down your priorities in the way that fits you and your style or personality!
It’s truly a great visual way to put priority on items that you value down … maybe getting your dream wedding dress is your top priority… move it to the base layer!
Whatever will make your wedding day feel special and important is the way to arrange it!
What Are The Basics For Planning The Wedding?
You can consider this the base layer of your cake.
When planning a wedding the big vendors are the foundation of your wedding planning.
Once you have your big vendors decided on (Tier 1) .. and also big plans (Tier 2) the rest of it really starts to come into view… and become real.
First things first is to understand what the basics and expectations are for a wedding.
Typical Wedding Vendors
Here is a list of your top vendors when planning a wedding:
- Venue
- Catering
- Alcohol & Drinks
- DJ/Musicians
- Photography
- Videography
- Cake/Dessert
- Florals/Florist
- Officiant
- Transportation
- Accommodations
- Hair Stylist
- Makeup Artist
Important Wedding Basics When Starting To Plan Your Wedding
Here is a list of some of the most important things to consider for your wedding:
- Realistic Budget
- Time Of Year You Want To Be Engagement
- Engagement Length
- Guest Count
- Wedding Website
- Invitations/Postage
- Bridal Party
- Wedding Party
- Ceremony Logistics
- Hire Staff/Coordinator/ Wedding Planner
- Color Scheme
- Marriage License & Requirements
- Backup Plans
- Wedding Ceremony / Reception Location – Indoors/Outdoors
Wedding To-Dos
Here are some other wedding factors to think about during your wedding planning process:
Attire & Getting Ready
- Bride’s Attire
- Groom’s Attire
- Wedding Bands
- Engagement Shoot Clothing
- Rehearsal/Showers/Party Clothes
- Hair
- Makeup
- Nails
- Jewelry
- Accessories
Ceremony
- Processions
- Vows
- Ceremony Order
- Ceremony Florals (Ex. Arbor)
Gifts
- Wedding Day Gifts To Eachother
- Wedding Day Family Gifts
Wedding Party
- Bridal Party Logistics
- Bridal Party Attire
- Bridal Party Accommodations
- Maid Of Honor & Best Man
- Flower Girl & Ring Bearer Attire & Setup
Wedding Decor & Items
- Wedding Arbor / Arch
- Ceremony Flowers
- Bouquet
- Boutineers
- Table Decor
- Sweetheart Table Decor
- Table Settings
- Table Linens
- Welcome Table
- Gift Box
- Welcome Signage
- Signature Drink Signage
- Guest Book
- Seating Chart Signage
- Drapery / Lighting
- Photo Booth
Food / Drink / Alcohol / Dessert / Late Night Snacks
- Food Tastings
- Guest Diets / Food Restrictions
- Seating Chart
- Alcohol Offerings
- Guest Dessert
- Late-Night Snack Offerings
- Food Options
- Signature Drinks
Music
- Ceremony & Cocktail Music Playlists
- Speakers / Microphones / Lighting
- Power / Outlets
- DJ / Live Band / Live Music / Musicians / String Quartet / Wedding Singer(s)
Types Of Wedding Events
Here is a list of important wedding events that many people opt for:
Engagement Events
Proposal – this is where one partner will formally propose to the other(s) asking them to marry them.
Engagement Party – this is a smaller party to celebrate the couple’s engagement after a proposal.
Engagement Shoot – this is a photo shoot where the wedding photographer takes pictures of the newly engaged couple.
Bridal Shower / Wedding Shower – this is a party where the bridesmaid and family and friends will celebrate the bride-to-be and give her gifts for her new married life. A wedding shower involves the couple and their close friends and family.
Bachelorette/Bachelor Parties – these are celebrations that involve the bridal party either combined or separated into bridesmaids & bride and groomsmen & groom. They often involve trips, dancing, drinking, eating, and partying.
Pre-Wedding Events
Welcome Party – this party is a way to greet all the immediate family and extended family coming into town to celebrate the wedding.
Rehearsal – this is the walk-through of the bridal party and wedding party to practice where to stand and when to walk during the wedding ceremony/service/mass.
Rehearsal Dinner – this is the dinner amongst the family and the bridal party after the rehearsal.
Civil Ceremony – the legal ceremony of a couple to get married in front of a government official such as a judge. This can sometimes precede a wedding reception or sometimes be the only wedding event.
Wedding Day Events
Wedding Day Getting-Ready – this is when the bride and her bridesmaids and the groom and his groomsmen get ready together and help each other the morning of the wedding day.
Ceremony / Mass / Service – the ceremony where the happy couple becomes married.
Cocktail Hour – this is the time immediately after the wedding ceremony/service/mass when drinks and light snacks are served to guests.
Wedding Reception – the party after a wedding ceremony that typically involves dinner, dancing, toasts, speeches, etc.
After-Party – this party typically takes place after the wedding reception to continue the party late into the night or the next day.
Post-Wedding Day
Farewell Breakfast / Brunch – this is the morning or early afternoon after the wedding when the family and friends gather to have breakfast, brunch, or lunch together before they go home.
Bridal Bruncheon – this is where the bride will thank her bridal party and women who participated in her wedding ceremony with a brunch after the wedding.
Honeymoon – this is the trip the couple takes after the wedding to officially celebrate their new marriage.
How Long Do You Realistically Need To Plan A Wedding?
Wedding planning and its timing truly depends on the couple.
Wedding planning also depends on the number of events, the desired length of the engagement, venue availability, the amount of help the couple has, and more.
Typically engagements average to be about one year. However, some can be as quick as a few days to several years to even decades.
Realistically, couples should opt to have at least a few months if they desire to have some of the more traditional wedding events (see above section), however many people recommend having at least 6 months to a year.
If you desire to have only a civil ceremony or elopement or plan to have a micro wedding, small destination wedding, etc. you may not require as much time.
In addition, budget plays a large role in planning a wedding. This is because it can be expensive to pay for all the wedding vendors at once, and many people require more time to pay for a wedding.
In addition, money helps in terms of planning because you can hire people to do things for you such as planning, coordinating, organizing, set-up, etc.
It truly depends on the couple and their expectations for their special day.
What Is The Most Expensive Part Of A Wedding?
The most expensive party of a wedding is typically either the venue or the catering.
Venues can of course be the most expensive item depending on the location, time of year, and the space itself.
Food however can really creep up to be the most expensive part of the wedding.
Many venues will offer a smaller amount for renting their space but require you to use their specific catering or preferred catering company.
Catering can be very expensive depending on where you live.
Factors That Make Catering Expensive
- Guest Count
- Food Type
- Food Quantity
- Food Quality
- Number of Meals
- Food Service Staff
- Plating vs Buffet
- Allergies & Dietary Requirements
Money-Saving Tricks For Food
Many people, in an effort to save money, will try to find workarounds to cut down on the cost of food.
Here are some ideas for saving money on food costs for your wedding:
- Food Truck
- Buffet Dinner
- Venues with no catering requirements
- Catering from places that typically don’t do weddings
- Homemade Food – such as sheet pans of pasta or chicken
Other special mentions for making a wedding very expensive are photographers, cakes, dresses, jewelry, bachelorette/bachelor parties, rings, videographers … it really depends on who you book!
What Is A Good Budget For A Wedding?
Weddings are very expensive because they typically involve a huge party or a number of events with lots of people, formal celebrations, and expectations, and require lots of amenities and venues.
Wedding Budgets Vary Greatly Depending On Location, Wedding Size, Venue, Etc.
A typical wedding can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to a few hundred dollars!
A good budget for an average wedding is roughly around anywhere from $10,000 – $50,000, which averages at about $30,000.
However, if you’re in an expensive location such as a major city you can expect to see costs between $30,000 to +$200,000!
For a smaller wedding such as a micro wedding, a space such as a backyard, and catered or homemade food you can expect to spend $2000 – $15,000 depending on other factors such as dress, florals, photography, DJ, etc.
Who Pays For The Wedding?
Traditionally the bride’s family pays for the wedding. However, this tradition has gone away as wedding culture has exploded and wedding budgets are at an all-time high!
More than ever, couples are paying for their own weddings, and having some help from their family members.
Couples are also opting for cash gifts more and more to offset some of the wedding costs to recoup some of their losses.
I hope you enjoyed this comprehensive guide on wedding planning tips, advice, and guidance.
A lot of time was spent and hard work trying to come up with a bunch of ways to make wedding planning helpful to you when you’re starting out because it can feel so overwhelming.
I want your wedding date to be an amazing day for you and truly the wedding of your dreams. With a bit of wedding preparations and tons of planning your wedding planning journey, wedding guest experience, and your wedding day will be magic!
