Here's the secret about wedding planning:
It's as time–consuming and complicated as you want it to be.
Hard? No. Emotional, sure. And there are skills—organizational, decision–making, problem–solving, negotiating, so if you like being creative, then this is the project for you.
Below is a trimmed list of to–dos. They are in this order for a very good reason: One thing always informs the next when it comes to wedding planning. We hope it will save you the trouble of trying to figure out what to do first, give you the least you need to know to plan a great event, and provide quickie links to key parts of this site.
1. Money
No, it's not the easiest—or most pleasant way to begin—but let's go there anyway. You don't need to get the specifics nailed down, but you do need to start the planning process with a ballpark number. Our budget tool can help you estimate, and, once you start spending, help you keep track.
The biggest things that impact the cost of your wedding are style and number of guests. Think of it this way: wedding's style + guest-list size = wedding budget.
There are the old–school traditions of who pays for what, but they're hardly the norm these days. Many couples pay for their own weddings, which means taking the time to save money (not go into debt!). Maybe that's why the average engagement now lasts 14 months.
And we've seen weddings for 30 people that cost the same as a wedding for 300–that's where the style comes in.
2. Wedding Style
Now that you have a sense of what you can spend, figure out: How do you want the wedding to feel? This choice will determine almost every other style choice you make, and help you start to budget more specifically. We've laid out some options here to help you answer this critical question. When you find your "feeling," you'll determine formality. And enjoy it. This is the fun part.
3. Ceremony
For some people, where they'll actually exchange vows is obvious, and critical, for religious reasons. If this is your situation, start your planning with the ceremony. The timing and location will affect your next to–do: finding a reception site. For some, the ceremony site need only be beautiful and meaningful. If you put it into that category, skip ahead to Step 4 then backtrack once you've found the reception site and find a great local ceremony site or officiant. Or, you may want to marry at the reception location.
4. Wedding Party
Now that you know the size of the ceremony space, choose your wedding–party members. Why wait? Because ceremony sites often have size restrictions, and 10—or even five—bridesmaids may not fit. If you have no concerns about this, go ahead and choose sooner. Don't be restricted by gender or worry about having even–numbered sides. Choose the people who mean the most to you. You probably won't want to choose bridesmaid dresses until you've chosen your own gown. (That doesn't mean you can't research some bridesmaid dress ideas, though, right?) And don't forget about the guys.
5. Registry
Why register this early in the process? You'll be pleasantly surprised to find that the gifts may start coming in soon, in the form of "engagement gifts." And then there are the bridal showers–sometimes multiple ones. You can always add more items later, but start your checklist soon if you want to steer early gifters in the right direction. You've got lots of places to choose from or you can create a single registry.
6. Reception Site/Wedding Date
It's difficult to set a wedding date until you have a reception site reserved. And many of these book up over a year in advance. Our advice: Pick a season and be flexible. The reality is, there's not a single month of the year that's not ideal for a wedding. If you aren't sure where you want to wed, check www.weddinglinks.com.au where you'll find all kinds of different places, from the beach, to the city, to the mountains.
Once you know how you want the wedding to feel, search through our options for venues. You may be surprised to find how many different places are now hosting weddings. Your reception site choice will also inform all your other style decisions (including your gown), and when you add it to the cost of food and drinks, will use up about 50 percent of your budget. So yes, it's a pretty critical step.
7. Guest List
Many wedding–related prices (think: meals, drinks, cakes, invitations, favors) are priced per person. You don't need to figure out specifics right now, but you need to come up with a ballpark number. The bride's and groom's sides should not be uneven simply because one side is paying. But they may be uneven if one side has a bigger family or is closer to the wedding location.Keep track of whom you want to invite, and the status of your invitations with our Guest Manager tool.
8. The Dress
Our advice here is to not buy a gown until you know where you're getting married. Plans change–sometimes drastically. Once you know how you want your wedding to feel, and where it's taking place, you're ready to shop.
9. Invitations
Once you know the feel of your wedding, and when and where it is, start exploring all the beautiful options in Invites & Stationery. Besides the number of invites you need, the biggest cost factors are the designer and printing type, which are explained in our glossary. But the biggest stress factor is usually the invitation's wording.
10. Photography
Many great photographers schedule a year or two in advance. Once you've met with a few folks, check out our tips on wedding through all the package and album options.
Of course it really comes down to finding the right photographer for you, so start browsing for those who are near, or who will travel to, your reception location.
11. Food & Drinks
You'll need to decide not just what to serve, but how to serve it. The reception site may control all the food, or allow outside caterers, or be set up to allow for only one type of serving style.
Anyway these are a few tips to begin your planning, but if you have any questions or are totally confused, please drop us a line at: info@weddinglinks.com.au.
