How to plan your perfect wedding day | A list of items you need to arrange for your Wedding day and tips for couples

So you are engaged and ready to plan your wedding, so it’s pretty overwhelming for some and yes, I have been there and done that!

So here is a checklist of things that can help you plan your perfect wedding: 

1- Get a notebook: Start writing down some ideas, ideas of things you like and are interested in, and how you would like your ideal wedding to go. Secondly, make a rough budget plan. 

2- The most important items are: a ring, a registered registrar, and photos of your wedding, everything else on top of that is luxury. Why do you need to emphasize on photos you say? Because other than your memory, this is the only tangible thing that will be left of your wedding day.

3- Talk with your partner about what sort of wedding you would like? A traditional church wedding? A non-religious ceremony in a registered venue such as a hotel or register office, or an eloped wedding, a destination wedding, a huge wedding or a small wedding. Try to come to an agreement with the type of wedding you would like and then a rough idea of what you are willing to spend on it and a timeline.

4- Go ring shopping; you can buy rings from any local jeweler or even Argos to named jewelers like Pandora, depending on what your willing to spend, but having rings is generally a token of marriage.

5- Other things to sit down and discuss are:

· Bridesmaids, guests of honor, Best man, etc.

· How many people and who is coming to your wedding (Guest list)

·  Wedding venues.

·  Wedding date and time.

The most important stuff:

·  Wedding dress and suit.

·  Wedding Venue and Party venue.

·   Invitations.

·   Photographer.

Less important stuff, but still nice to have: 

·   Engagement photoshoot.

·   Flowers (Flower bouquets, buttonholes, pew flowers, flowers in the venue)

·   Cake (How many tiers, how many will it feed?)

·   DJ or/and Band.

·   Wedding attire outfits (Best man, ushers, bridesmaids- Colour choices)

·   Hair and makeup artist for the bride (and or bridesmaids, mother-in-law, etc.)

·   Wedding insurance.

·   Organist (Church weddings)

·   Food (Are you feeding everyone, or providing a buffet)

·   Drinks (Are you providing bottles of wine on the tables for guests)

·   Videographer.

·   Wedding night hotel (Think about how you will get there and where will your guests be sleeping if you have family/friends out of town)

·   Transport to venues.

·   Honeymoon.

·   Wedding table decorations: Chair sashes, entertainment for guests, favors.

·   Hen party and stag do.

Stuff you can make and not spend a lot on and also need to do: 

·   Decorations (Hand make pew decorations, buy from pound shop etc.)

·   Invitations (You can hand make these or do a Facebook event)

·   Makeup and hair (Done by yourselves)

·   Music (Make at least three Cd’s and get a good stereo with loud watt speakers)

·   Notice of marriage (At least  weeks to your preferred date)

·   Decide on music to walk down the aisle to.)

·   Decide on prayers and hymns (Religious weddings)

·   Arrange travel vaccinations with the Drs (1 month before)

·   Dress fitting (The right fitting dress is important)

·   “Must have” photos list for the photographer.

·    Table plan.

·    Place cards for tables.

·    Type and print the wedding day timetable (For you, the maid of honor, vendors)

·    Manicure (4-7 days before the wedding)

·    Overnight bag for the hotel (Put in the car to hotel venue if needed)

·    Organize which vendors need to paying on the day and put them in envelopes.

·    Pack for the honeymoon.

·    Confirm pick-up times for transport to the wedding venue if needed.

·    Provide wedding vendors with emergency contact phone numbers.

·    Gifts for the wedding party (Bridesmaids, groomsmen, parents, etc.)

·    Give wedding rings to best man (The day before the wedding)

·    Introduce yourself to staff (Hotel and venue weddings)

·    Assign someone to help the photographer.

·    Thank you notes to special people (After the wedding)

·    Lingerie and shoes, garter and tiara.

·    Book outdoor toilets for outdoor events, chairs, lights, and canopy.

·    Wedding rehearsal.

·    Print programs for guests (Photos from engagement shoot)

·    Send a wedding timeline to vendors and confirm details.

·    Submit wedding announcements to the local newspaper.

·    Print out directions to venues for transportation.

·    Delicate a helper for tasks throughout the wedding (Break up fights and all that)

·    Break into your shoes at home.

·    Start a diet/healthy lifestyle plan.

·    Try and get an early night, the night before- Get everything done in the daytime.

·    Figure out your “something old, something borrowed, something Blue”

·    Buy Ivory umbrellas and check the weather forecast (This is the UK after all)

·    Order your foreign currency for your honeymoon.

·    Make a wedding emergency kit (Wine, sewing needle, plaster, painkillers, tissues)

·    Get your hair trimmed and colored (2 weeks before)

·    Write wedding speeches or check everyone has done theirs.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, HAVE FUN!!

I know, I know that’s a pretty huge list! But I have tried to be as thorough as I can to help you. No matter what sort of wedding you plan on having.

Love and light, Victoria.