We won’t lie, planning a wedding takes a lot of work! From picking the perfect dress to working out the budget, there are a million things to think about. We’ve put together the ultimate list to help you. Check out our 30 planning tips you need to plan your dream wedding
Jason and Tegan’s Wedding – see more here
Pick A Date Before Anything Else
It’s the very first step! Sit down and find your perfect wedding date. The most important part of this is not choosing a date which is going to make you feel pressured. Think about your budget, holidays planned and venue availability and be sure to factor this into the date selection. Click here for some of the best wedding dates for 2018!
Hire Some Help
For some brides, a wedding planner is the way to go. This takes a huge amount of stress out of the big day and allows you to just relax and enjoy.
Budget Time
Sit down and plan out a budget. The hardest part? Sticking to it. Set out what you are happy to spend and don’t let yourself move away from that. There will be times when money may need to be moved within the budget and that is perfectly ok, but make sure you keep track of everything!
Set Out Your Timeline
Maybe your wedding is in 9 months, or maybe 3 years. Whatever the timeline, map out when you need to get everything done. This will give you a useful overview and will make the whole experience a lot less overwhelming.
Keep With The Theme
If you have a million and one ideas about your wedding, then it can be very difficult to make any actual decisions. Pick a theme for the big day and apply it to everything. This will give you a stable direction to move through the planning.
Jacqui and Carl’s wedding – see more here
List It All Down
Lists are a bride’s best friend. Whether it’s your to-do list, your vendor options or little tips you pick up a long the way, keep everything written down together.
Pin Pin Pin
Let’s be honest, we’ve already planned the dream Pinterest wedding! Pinterest offers endless inspiration and a beautifully simple way to gather your ideas. Start up a few boards to get your wedding designs sorted and use the photos when talking to vendors. This will really help visualise everything! We don’t mean to brag but our Pinterest board is pretty amazing 😉 Check it out here!
Get A Diary
Sometimes it can be hard to know how long everything will take for your wedding and when you should be booking everything. Get yourself a calendar or bridal diary and map out the dates that things need to be done. Make sure you stick to the timeline as much as you can. It will save you from having any last minutes stresses!
Use Planning Tools
Using a wedding planning app is a fantastic way to keep on top of your planning. You can also keep track of everything with our Modern Wedding planning tools.
Compare The Market
When it comes to choosing vendors, there are so many choices! Make sure you collect a few different quotes before making a decision. You might be surprised how different some of the quotes are.
Suzannah and Cameron’s Wedding – see more here
Ask The Right Questions
It’s important to make sure that the vendors you choose are the right ones for you. Make sure you ask the right questions with this list
How Many Stars
The wonderful worldwide web gives you countless ways for you to find reviews and feedback about the vendors, venues and companies you are using for your wedding. Use this to your advantage and do your research.
Get Support
Your family, bridesmaids, groomsmen and close friends will very often be thrilled to help you out with your big day. Don’t be afraid to delegate and talk it through with them.
You’re A Team
Remember, your fiancé is there to help too! Whether it’s going to pick something up, calling the caterer or helping choose the table cloth colour, make it something that you talk through together. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved!
Start The Guest List Early
Once you and your fiancé sit down to write your guest list, you might be surprised by how many people you want to invite. Make sure you do this early on as this will factor into majority of the decisions you make for the wedding, particularly the venue and catering.
Emily and Zane’s Wedding – See more here
The Bridal Party
Choosing a bridal party can be a tricky thing and there can often be a lot of politics involved. Think through your decision very carefully and be sure about your decisions. Remember that it is your day and you can pick whoever you like.
Add Personal Touches
It’s easy to add a few little details to make sure that the day really shows the personal side of you and your fiancé. Place photos around the venue, name each table after
Have A Trial…Always!
Your bridal glam can set the tone for the whole day, and ultimately you want to make sure it is perfect! Be sure to have a hair and make up trial with your glam squad to ensure you are completely happy with what your look will be on the big day.
Legal Tips
No matter where you get married, there will be legal requirements. Do your research early on so that you have enough time to get any legal necessities ready. Many of the required forms will take some time to be processed so get ready as early as you can!
Talk To Your Vendors
When dealing with wedding vendors, it is crucial to remember that this is what they do. If you have an issue, chances are they have seen it before and can help out! They live and breathe weddings and can offer some fantastic advice so ask for tips, ideas and about anything you aren’t sure about.
Emily and Drew’s Wedding – see more here
Photographer
After your special day, you will spend years looking back at your gorgeous photographs. These will be your memories so you want them to be perfect. When looking for a photographer, do your research and have a thorough look through their portfolio. Check out some of our favourite photographers here.
Have A Break
Planning a wedding will take up a fair amount of your time but don’t let it rule your life. It’s very easy to get swept up and be thinking about it non-stop. Make sure you take a break from all the planning and enjoy that engagement life!
DIY
Vendors are a huge help when it comes to making sure your big day is perfect, but doing small things yourself will say you time and money. Check out our DIY tips to get some inspiration.
You Can Say No
During the planning of your wedding, you will be asked a million questions. Someone will ask for a plus one, a bridesmaid may want a different dress, or the florist may insist on certain flowers. It is your day and you are allowed to say no – so don’t be scared to!
Picking The Perfect Gown
When shopping for your bridal gown, plan your trip out. Book in a few stores at least 10 months before the wedding, earlier if possible. Ask questions before you have the appointment and be careful with who you take. It’s very tempting to want to take a whole group of your loved ones but too many opinions makes the experience a lot more difficult. Try and limit these trips to 2 or 3 people. Remember, everyone will see the dress on the big day! Here are a few more trusty tips you might need.
Victoria and Clinton’s Wedding – see more here
Count On Each Other
There are so many other wonderful people in the world who are going through the same thing that you are. Count on each other and chat to fellow brides about your ideas, get advice or even just talk about the big day! You can join our Modern Wedding community group to chat to brides who are also feeling that wedding stress too.
Create A Schedule For The Day
You should be able to sit back and enjoy your wedding day and not be stressing about anything! Plan the day out in advance so that everyone has a clear idea of what it happening and everything will run as smoothly as possible.
Embrace Everything
This is the most magical day of your life, but that doesn’t mean everything will go perfectly to plan. Maybe your heel breaks, or you’ve misplaced your garter. They may feel like the world is crumbling around you but don’t lose sight of the what the day is really about…marrying the love of your life. All of those little things will one day be a funny story to tell and will absolutely not ruin your day. Embrace whatever comes your way and enjoy the day! It will be over before you know it.
Take Care Of Yourself
It’s a busy and stressful time, so be sure to be kind to yourself. Make sure you take some time to relax and unwind. Have a bath, go for a walk or have a little shopping trip (for non-wedding related things!)
Have A Back Up Plan
Whether there is sunshine or hail, it’s your wedding day! The weather will always be something that you cannot control, so make sure you have a back up plan for each kind of weather. If you are having an outdoor wedding, make sure an area is available indoors should it be needed. For a little drizzle or heavy sun, have umbrellas available to your guests.
If you are heading overseas for your dream destination wedding, check out these extra planning tips!
