Wedding Planning Top Tips

Mar 23

WEDDING PLANNING INSPIRATION GUIDE, as told by 2022 COUPLES

If you are starting to plan your wedding day, have I got the perfect blog for you? Yes, yes I do.

When compiling my ‘review of 2022’, I wanted to give something useful to couples planning their day. So instead of just a reel of pretty pictures, I compiled some of my absolute best top tips for wedding planning and asked my 2022 couples to contribute some of theirs too.

Seriously who better to get advice from than people who have planned their own wedding recently?!

You can also download my wedding planning guide for even more tips, it is packed full of advice.

FINDING YOUR VENUE

Finding the right wedding venue can be a tricky one, there are so many options available these days.

Think about the vibe you want to bring for your day, do you want something chic and elegant, or more relaxed and outdoors? Your venue sets the tone for your day, so consider how you want to feel and how you can enjoy the spaces a venue has to offer.

Also consider if there is a lovely space to get ready in, or if you might need to find somewhere nearby instead? What are there licensed spaces like, indoors and outdoors, for your ceremony? Are they ‘dry hire’ or can they offer in-house catering etc? Ultimately, choose the place that feels most YOU as a couple and how you envision your day.

ASK FOR HELP

This wedding planning tip was the one that most of my brides suggested.

It is so tempting to plan as much of your wedding as possible yourself, you’ve been patiently waiting for this day and it really is just so super exciting! The thought of delegating any task for your wedding can feel abit daunting, but promise me, you will thank yourself for it.

Wedding planning can easily snowball, so lean on your friends and family to help.

‘A wedding planner or ‘on the day’ co-ordinator can really help alleviate stress’. - Bride Emma.

‘Share the load!’ - Bride Jacquie.

Your venue may not have a co-ordinator available for the day, so hiring an expert in weddings to ensure your day runs smoothly, to keep any unnecessary stresses away is so worth it. They are experts in logistics, detail orientated and you’ll never see them sweat when something has gone awry!

YOUR GUEST LIST

I think I am yet to come across a wedding where the guest list didn’t present some kind of issue. It can be so hard fitting in X number of people without upsetting someone who won’t be invited, treading on the toes of family politics etc.

Bride Ella gives some very important perspective
”Don’t invite people you don’t want there - stick to your guns for the best vibes possible”. Ella is right, this is your day, make sure that every single person there is someone you know well and truly love.

One helpful way to think about your guest list, is can you remember seeing, and having a proper conversation with this person in the last 6 months? Ask your head and your heart if you have no photos of this person at your wedding, would you genuinely be upset?

If you decide not to hire a wedding planner/on the day co-ordinator, here are some ideas of helpful tasks to delegate on the day:

A member of your wedding party who knows most people (if not everyone) on your formal photo list. This can help make sure your group shots don’t take forever as they can rally groups together as you go without shouting across your venue.
Someone to make sure any ceremony readings, order of service, and confetti etc are being handed out before the ceremony starts.

People who know how to do a button-hole, pocket square, and can sew a button/zip in a pinch!
A confident person who can make announcements throughout the day, such as notifying guests when they can take their seat for dinner, introducing speeches etc.

Someone to help make sure you always have a drink!

DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS

You are probably knee deep in absolutely gorgeous Pinterest boards full of heavy wedding detail inspo, am I right?

If you are after Vogue worthy wedding images, alongside just being your totally loved up selves, putting the thought into carefully selected details really can make all the difference.

Quick wins for divine details:

Florals and oodles of tapered candles will always be in style, simple but oh so elegant.

Forget the chair covers and sashes, let a chair be a chair!

Choose accessories that suit your personality and tell your story. Tell your photographer about them too, especially any heirloom pieces.

REMEMBER, IT’S YOUR DAY

Alright, this one might sound obvious but it can get lost in all the planning when the whole world and its wife wants to give their opinion under the guise of being helpful.

Remember, this is your wedding day,

‘You don’t need to please anyone but yourself and your partner’ - Bride Zoe.

When making decisions, or faced with lots of opinions, take a day or so away from them. Ask yourself, if you did X instead of Y, would you regret it? Would it feel like the most YOU choice you could make?

Don’t forget, your loved ones want you to enjoy your planning and enjoy your day, they’re on your side.

GETTING READY

I have a whole blog right here full of tips on getting ready on your wedding day, but the one that comes up time and time again is:

”Keep your getting ready room tidy!”
This is something I always do my best to help with when photographing your prep, because a tidy room really does give you better photos.
Nominate a bridesmaid for example to sweep rubbish away, and designate a corner of the room for your stuff so it doesn’t clutter up the entire space. Empty crisp packets and your Spanx don’t scream ‘pretty pictures’, and trust me, sometimes it really isn’t possible to photoshop something out!
See more getting ready tips here.

MICRO WEDDINGS ARE HERE TO STAY

Ok this might not seem like a tip, but bear with me! If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is how chic and actually how useful a micro-wedding can be.

Useful?! Yes! If you are planning a bigger wedding at a later date but not sure when, or a destination wedding, a micro-wedding before your big special day can help you here.

You can do the ‘legal’ bit without a fuss, giving you even more options for your 'big, big day’. Your wedding can then be celebrant led, or humanist led, or simply just the two of your saying vows, or just a party! Take a look at my micro-wedding planning guide here for more tips and inspiration.

& MOST IMPORTANTLY…

‘You don’t need to please anyone but yourselves’

As you continue your wedding planning journey, and if in any doubt, always come back to you two.

What is going to make you happy? Your photos are going to be the one last remaining physical representation of your day and the people who have celebrate with you, so make sure every decision you make is going to be a happy inclusion to those photos!