Want your wedding day to go smoothly? Here are a few important dos and don’ts to consider when planning your wedding to help make it the best day possible.
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Don’t start planning without a budget
Planning a wedding without a budget is dangerous. You pu yourself at risk of spending too much money and possibly borrowing money just to cover all the costs. This can result in lots of wedding debt that you could be paying off for years after you say “I do.” Your wedding day should be something that you can look back on fondly – you don’t want to end up tarnishing th experience because of all the debt you’re in because of it.
Settle on a budget and work out how much you’re willing to spend on each aspect of your wedding from the venue to the entertainment. You can even hire a financial advisor if you think that it will help.
Don’t buy the dress too early
For the bride-to-be, the dress can be one of the most exciting components, but you should be careful of settling on a dress too early. Having a theme and venue in place can help when choosing the style of the dress. If you buy your dress a year in advance, there’s also the possibility of gaining or losing weight in that time, which could mean having to get the dress resized.
Feel free to start shopping for dresses early, but don’t make a final decision until three or four months to the date so that you know your weight is unlikely to change much.
Don’t leave it too late to send out invites
Sending out invitations late could result in guests not being able to attend. They may already have plans or may not be able to book the time off if it’s on a working day. This could result in not having all your favorite people there on your wedding day.
Send out invites at least a couple of months in advance. Include an RSVP on the invite and don’t be afraid to follow up invitations if you don’t get a response so that you know exactly who can attend. Important guests such as the best man and bridesmaids should be told much earlier. There are lots of fun and creative ways to get guests to save the date including fridge magnets and digital reminders. Look into these options when writing your wedding invitations.
Do hire professionals
You can save money by relying on friends and family to handle aspects like photography, DJing and catering. However, unless your friends and family are wedding vendors by trade, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to offer as good a quality as professionals. On top of this, your friends and family won’t be able to fully enjoy your wedding day as they’ll be busy handling duties.
Consider hiring professionals who you know are going to do a good job. By reading reviews and checking out portfolios, you can find professionals with strong track records.
Do consider wedding insurance
It’s worth taking out wedding insurance in case something serious goes wrong on the big day that is out of your control. This could include the bride or groom falling ill or the dress being stolen or damaged. Such disasters could leave you with no choice but to cancel the wedding. If you’re insured, you could get back most of the money you’ve spent on the wedding so that you can easily reschedule it for another date.
There are lots of insurers out there that offer wedding insurance. Rates can vary depending on the value of your wedding. Take the time to shop around in order to secure the best price.
Don’t overlook special dietary requirements
Some of your guests may have unique dietary requirements that need to be catered for. For instance, certain guests may not eat meat or may be allergic to particular foods. By knowing these dietary requirements in advance you can plan special food options for these guests so that they don’t go hungry (or worse have an allergic reaction).
Dietary requirements are something that you may be able to ask about within your wedding invitation. Most people that have strict dietary requirements will usually tell you in advance. Make sure that your caterer is then able to come up with a special option for these guests.
Do take advantage of trials and tasters
There are lots of elements of the wedding that you can trial and test in advance. This can ensure that you get these elements of your wedding right. For instance, when it comes to your hair and make-up, it could be worth doing a number of trials to test out a number of different looks. As for the cake, it’s possible to look into tasters so that you choose the best possible flavors.
You may have to pay for trials and tasters but they’re often worth it so that you make the best decision on your wedding day.
Don’t forget to look into venue restrictions and permits
Certain venues may have strict rules in place or may require permits. For instance, is there an alcohol and music license? Are you allowed to light candles? Is there a maximum capacity of guests?
These are worth asking about when choosing a venue. In certain cases, you may have to apply for a permit yourself, in which case you want to be sure that you leave enough time to do so.
Do have a rain plan
If much of your wedding is outdoors, having a rain plan could be worthwhile. Even if you get married in the height of summer, there’s still a small chance that there could be showers. By planning for the rain, you can stay dry on your special day.
A popular option is to hire a marquee. This offers shelter if it rains (and shade from the sun). You may also want to consider bringing some umbrellas along. Photographers will often incorporate umbrellas into wedding photos if it is raining and may be able to come up with lots of run poses.
Don’t skip breakfast on your wedding day
Some of us don’t like to eat when we’re nervous. However, you don’t want to make the mistake of skipping breakfast on your wedding day. If the meal isn’t until later that afternoon, you could find yourself getting very hungry. Without settling your stomach, you could also find that any alcoholic drinks you consume go straight to your head.
Try to eat something so that your stomach isn’t left rumbling and to give yourself more energy for your big day.
Do consider a time limit on speeches
There can be some weddings in which speeches last longer than desired. If you think that this is likely to happen at your wedding, consider putting a time limit on the speeches. This will ensure that the rest of your wedding stays on schedule. You may also want to limit the number of people that can give a speech.
Do remember to pack an overnight bag
If you’re staying at a hotel that night, you’ll need a change of clothes for the next day. In the midst of planning for your wedding, this can sometimes get forgotten! Ask the hotel if you can drop your bag off early so that you don’t have to take it with you to the wedding.
We hope these dos and do-nots for planning your wedding will help you make the most of your big day. Do you have any wedding planning advice to share for future brides?
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