Getting engaged is one of life’s most special events. Yet it comes with the responsibility of planning out your wedding.
In an ideal world, preparing to take vows with the person you love should be intimate and enjoyable. But far too often, this is far from the case, with both partners finding the experience laden with stress.
Is there a special secret to avoiding any stress while planning your wedding? Truthfully, probably not. Yet with that being said, there definitely are some simple things that you should do to make the process as pain-free as possible.
We’ll explain what they are below.
Set a budget
Weddings have a reputation of being a major expense. And this is well deserved – according to a survey conducted by hitched.co.uk, the average wedding in 2021 cost more than £17,000.
Whether the final cost of your wedding is above or below this average figure, one thing’s for sure – it’s sure to be a major expense. That’s why the first thing you should do is creating a realistic budget for the big day.
Before you start deciding what you do and don’t want, work out how much money you have to work with. Ask yourselves the following questions:
- How much are you able to save towards your wedding each month?
- Do you have any existing saving you’re able to draw from?
- Will you need any extra help?
If you will need to take out a loan, it’s wise to build your credit history proactively to give yourselves the best chances of approval.
Create mood boards
The vision for a dream wedding doesn’t come out of thin air. To help you find yours you’ll need lots of inspiration. That’s where mood boards come in. You can collate images revolving around themes – such as decorations, flowers, and reception menus – on different boards, curating them until they feel just right.
There are many sources of inspiration out there which can make things overwhelming. So, try to stick with one medium. Whether you prefer printed pictures on physical boards or doing it all online with Pinterest, your mood boards will make your decisions easier and help your communication with suppliers later down the line.
Be proactive with admin
Planning a wedding isn’t all about colour schemes and reception playlists. Even though getting together all the paperwork that you need to be legally married isn’t the most fun part of planning your wedding, it might just be the most essential.
Likewise, start working on your guest list, bridesmaids and ushers, and guest invitations as soon as possible. This often takes a while to get sorted, so the sooner you start the better.
Enjoy the process
Planning your wedding can be stressful – but it doesn’t have to be. Follow our expert tips above to make this special project as enjoyable as possible!