Planning your Wedding

Planning your Wedding

If you are planning to get married, here's a list of the things you should start to plan at least 12 months ahead.

Decide what sort of wedding you want.

Do you want a traditional wedding in a church or a civil ceremony in a registry office or licensed wedding venue? We are quite fortunate here in Surrey that we are really spoilt for choice and the right selection of venue will really set the stage for your day make sure you keep up to the minute with your favourite venue's available date someone else might have their heart set on the same day and location.

 When do you want to get married? Have you a special date in mind or have you dates that you need to avoid because they clash with something else? Don't forget the sporting calendar, as a special event could ruin the day. I remember a wedding during the 6 nations rugby tournament. There was a distinct lack of men in a lot of the pictures, but the ladies looked fantastic.

How much do you have to spend?

Work out and stick to a budget, (add a good 10% for contingency for that thing you "just must have"). Allocate a cost to each individual item, eg. dress, reception, music, flowers - you will find some items for less than budget and some over - so be flexible and shop around. Remember each of your wedding suppliers will know other reliable specialists working in the wedding industry and should be able to put you in touch with anyone that you could possible need.

Book the reception

It is always a good idea to visit your venue on a wet and miserable day. Because it can really help to focus the mind and ask yourself what is our bad weather plan.. Your photographer should visit the venue with you at some point during the planning stage as they will always see the location in terms of photo opportunities and they will always be looking for that plan B option.

Wedding Dress/Bridesmaids dress

Start looking at wedding dresses and bridal gowns, also for your bridesmaids. Some dresses need to be ordered at least 6 months in advance so they can be made, and then fitted personally to you.

 

 

 

Photographer

You should book early if you want a particular photographer. The best get booked up early. They should be able to present you with a gallery of their work, and you need to decided if you want contemporary style photos or traditional poses. A mix of the both usually works well - traditional satisfying the parents so they can display photo on mantlepiece, and something more modern and creative to hang on your wall.

Music

Do you want live music,  for the ceremony. Disco for later in the evening. Or perhaps a magician to keep the children amused through the wedding breakfast. If you are getting married on a Saturday, you will need to arrange this fairly early on in your wedding preparations so avoid disappointment.

Visit Weddings in Surrey for some ideas in your area.