Planning a wedding can sometimes feel nothing short of miracle! Once the initial shock of your engagement has worn off, the rose tinted glasses soon become blurred with the overwhelming pressure to organise your big day. This is the moment you’ve perhaps been dreaming of for your entire life, but the mammoth organisation that’s involved is now laid out before you, requiring extreme dedication and time. But before you go into a complete Bridezilla melt down, take some guidance from this essential timeline which will help you organise tasks and estimate exactly how much your wedding will cost you.
Using a wedding cost calculator beforehand is a good way to get an overall average cost of your day. Follow this checklist and you’ll be in a state of wedded bliss in no time.
12 Months To Go…
Venue & Registrar
You’ll no doubt be skimming through the wedding magazines already, but before you buy the dress it’s essential that you’ve booked a venue. Surprisingly, you can’t get married anywhere, nope note even on a beautiful UK beach, whether at a church or at your local hotel, you’ll need to put your names down for the venue at least a year before your big day. We don’t want any bride wars vying for the same suite now do we!?
Entertainment
Whether you’re preferential to a full on disco, a magician or a brass band, your entertainment will play a vital role in amusing your guests whilst you’re pulled all over the place for photographs and mingling throughout the day. Get in there quick and book early to avoid disappointment. Wow you guests and keep them entertained all night with a fabulous surprise.
Transport
Arriving to the chapel in style is a very special moment, but if you’re having a summer wedding in 2016, the last thing you want is a school prom stealing your preferred method of transport. Avoid the drama by booking at least 12 months in advance to ensure no-one can steal your thunder, or your horse and carriage.
Invitations
With caterers to inform and guests to secure before they book a summer vacation, invitations should go out as a priority if you want to confirm the final numbers early on. Be prepared to pester people at least 6 months before to ensure your list is up to date. There’s nothing worse than late RSVP’s, so put a precautionary joke on the back of the invite reminding your pals not to upset the bride-to-be!
10 Months to go…
The Dress
Need we say any more. You probably had the dress picked out before your ring was even on your finger! With so much fun to be had trying on dresses and pretending to be a princess, why wait? The earlier the better in our eyes Because as soon as you find that dress you’ll be put off trying any others in case you start to feel confused.
The Photographer
Not booking your wedding photographer in advance may leave you with an untrained amateur who ends up getting their fingers in your photos and unknown shadows all over the images. These photos are going to be treasured memories, so don’t delay in checking out the talent. It’s a competitive industry, so keep your eyes peeled for the pros that can do your day justice!
Image Credits: Colin Cowie Weddings.
