Congrats on your engagement, this is where the fun and excitements really begins! How do you constructively kick start your wedding planning though? Director of Romance at Washingborough Hall, Amy Thorne, guides you through the exciting times ahead.
Set A Budget
It might sound a little cliché but you need to be realistic. Think about how much you want to spend on your wedding, how much your parents might possibly give towards it and where you can save (if needs be). Put together a list of everything you will need and prioritise. The venue and food will most likely be among the top things to spend your money on. Then it’s up to you to decide what’s next. Is it your dress or photographer? Organise these in order of importance to you. Also have a wish list to help you save in certain areas and put the remainder towards your honeymoon or those little extras.
Choose Your Bridal Party
As soon as you announce your engagement you need to think about your crew. When are they available? If they are teachers for example it would need to be a weekend or during the school holidays? Other jobs may create different ‘best times’ so talk to your main bridal party and this will then coincide with your wedding venue’s availability and it will all start to come together.
Find Your Perfect Venue
Until you know where you are getting married, it is hard to start to look further ahead. Imagine you, your family and your guests in the venue. Does it feel right? Would the venue work better in the spring, summer, autumn or winter? When do you want to get married? Does it need to be in the summer on a Saturday or would mid-week be more budget-friendly? Do you want a civil ceremony at the venue or a church ceremony with your wedding reception there afterwards? Don’t be afraid to ask questions and use the knowledge of the wedding coordinator at the venue to assist you in making your decision.
January and February is also wedding fayre season so it’s a great time to see your venue up close and personal while meeting with suppliers. Don’t miss Washingborough Hall’s Bridal Open Afternoon on Sunday January 31st from 11.30am to 3.30pm. Enjoy light refreshments while viewing the property and speaking with Amy Thorne and Co-Owner Lucy Herring personally to begin planning your perfect day. Call Amy or Lucy for more details on 01522 790340.
Brainstorm Ideas & Create Mood Boards
This is where it gets exciting and you can start being creative. If you are torn between a couple of venues, start to put together pictures colours and the season to bring it all together. Pinterest is also great and creating secret boards with your bridesmaids can be real fun in starting to pull together your vision. Print off your ideas and put them up where you can see them, above your dressing table or in the kitchen so that you can see them in reality. If you go off something within a few days, you know it isn’t right. The traditional inspiration board is also really good as you can attach things to it and see the textures more which really helps especially when you start looking at wedding and bridesmaid dress fabrics.
Know What’s Important To You As A Couple
Finally, don’t get sidetracked! If you want to have your wedding ceremony in a church, then do. If you need the venue to have disabled access for your grandparents, make sure it does. Both make a list of what is important to you and compare. There will be a number of things which are the same so stick to them and you may have to compromise with a few others. This is the start of your wedding planning journey, compromise!
Image Credits: Save the Date – Natnee Photography; Bridal Party – Tomas Zahumensky Photography; Bride & bridesmaids sitting – David Lowerson Photography; Bridal Bouquet – Kev Elkins Photography; Baby’s Breath Chair Detail – Faye Cornhill Photography; Bride & Groom – Phil Chester Photography.
