Planning a wedding can be a little daunting in the beginning, especially if you have no experience. There can be a lot to take on and it is definitely a learning curve for most couples! But, if you happen to have a reliable team of wedding experts on your side, it can make the process a heck of a lot easier!
We’ve asked the wedding team at St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, an amazing wedding venue in London, for a little advice when it comes to planning a wedding.
Clare, Special Events Executive at the 5 star London location says that getting in the door with your wedding venue early is key. Planning well ahead of time avoids disappointment and will help plan the rest of your budget. “Book your venue as soon as possible, as this will relieve a lot of pressure and will give you a good idea of your remaining budget.”
When it comes to relaxing on your wedding day, she notes that there is usually one trick that will help most couples.”Champagne! Also, calmly running them through their day so they know what to expect.” Being prepared and knowing your schedule for the day will help as a lot of couples worry that there won’t be enough time for everything.
Clare also mentions that couples tend to worry about timing during the reception.”‘When should the cake cutting and first dance be?’ ‘Should the speeches be before, during or after dinner?’ These are common concerns for couples.” She says while brides are concerned about how they will be able to move between the bridal suite and the ceremony, grooms tend to worry about how to but their boutonniere on!
In terms of planning food, Clare suggests that couples should taste their menu at least 2 months before the big day. They offer this complimentary to give them an idea of what package and seasonal ingredients will suit best. This also ties in nicely with planning the wedding stationery, which is usually the time a couple will be sending out invites. If you plan on designing your wedding menu and RSVPs with the same stationers, it’s the perfect time to wrap all of this up together, she notes.
As for wedding fun? Clare recommends a cheesy wedding song to get the party started (but not too cheesy of course!). “Stevie Wonder’s ‘You Are The Sunshine Of My Life’ is a must play feel good track for any wedding!”
