Step By Step Guide: How To Plan A Wedding

An In-Depth Guide On How To Plan A Wedding In 6 Simple Steps.

Congratulations – if you are reading this, you have either just got engaged or planning to get engaged or married in the near future. This is a very exciting time for both you and your partner, knowing that you will be spending the rest of your life with your other half! However, you are now faced with the long and tiring process of actually organising and planning a Wedding. For some people, this might come naturally, but for others this is a scary reality check hitting them right in the face, that you now have to plan one of your most important and memorable milestones in your life. But don’t worry, I am here to help guide you through this and to remind you of all of the important things not to forget or miss during this process.

Where to Start? – Usually getting engaged is the first step and you have already managed to complete this step, so well done! I want to remind you that, even though you might already want to start planning right away, it is so important to enjoy this time that you have right now and not to jump right into it straight away! I usually suggest to all newly engaged couples to take a weekend trip away and enjoy this exciting time in your life before all the madness erupts. You will have more than enough time to start planning, once you both have had a few celebratory drinks with friends and family. So make sure you make the most of this time and enjoy the calm before the storm…

Step 1. Guest List & Numbers

Once you have enjoyed the last few days of celebrating your news, you will now have to start the process of actually planning your Wedding. Many people seem to plan their Wedding in their own way and structure it completely differently. However, I believe creating a guest list is one of the most important things to organise before anything else. Having an idea of how many guests you would like to attend will help you decide on which venue you would like to choose or whether you want to marry abroad or in your home country. However, if you already have a desired venue in mind, sometimes your guest list might need to work around your venue and not the other way around. Every couple is different, some might want a small intimate Wedding of 20 guests and others might want a large group of 100. Usually, the average number of guests for a Wedding is around 150 – 200 in the UK, this is usually because of the capacity of certain venues.

Choosing which guests you would like to attend your wedding, especially in the early stages of planning, is very important. You will be able to have a good idea very early on, how many people you wish to attend your ceremony and evening reception. You also have the choice of inviting a certain number of guests for the Ceremony & Wedding Breakfast and then invite additional evening guests to the reception later on in the night. Although, you might need to be slightly cautious of this, as there can sometimes be confusion or miscommunication on which times certain guests are invited so it’s important to make it clear on the invitations who will be attending the morning event and who will be attending the evening event. Trust me…I’ve been to a Wedding before when a guest was turned away for the evening reception and it was not pretty. Understanding your guest numbers will also allow you and your partner to decide on whether you want to marry abroad or at home. There are definitely a few elements to consider when marrying abroad, and the obvious one being the cost of travel for your guests, but we will touch on this subject further down the article.

Step 2. Finding the perfect venue

Once you have created a good idea in your head of how many guests you would like to attend – your next step is choosing a venue. Like a lot of young girls, we have dreamt of our Wedding day for years and we have imagined what magical venue we would marry in, from castles to beeches to your mother’s backyard. But as we get older, we realise that these things do change and especially when you have to consider the cost of certain venues. If you are looking to keep the costs low and you do not want to spend an arm and a leg on a location, you can always find venues which are affordable. As mentioned before, finding a venue such as; a family member’s backyard is a great way of budgeting for a Wedding, as long as there is enough space for you and your guests to enjoy the day, this is definitely something to consider. This will save you a lot of money and time out of our day from spending hours and hours finding and viewing other Wedding Venues.

However, not everyone can have this luxury of hosting their own Wedding at their own home or a family’s home. In this case, it is important to do as much research as possible online into affordable venues. You might also need to consider choosing a venue which is close to you and your guests, so that travel costs are removed from the equation. I would also try to view as many Wedding Venues as possible, so that you can lay out all of your options and find the most suitable and affordable venue for the both of you.

If you are considering having a Wedding abroad, this might make things slightly more expensive if you are conscious of keeping the costs down. However, if you can afford to host your Wedding abroad, it can be a wonderful idea, if done correctly. There are many factors that you will need to consider when going abroad for your Wedding; 1) How will you plan to fly out all of your guests and will you be paying for their flights? 2) Where will they be staying and who will be covering these costs? You might find that when you choose to have your Wedding abroad, a few guest members might not be able to make it due to age, costs & more. So make sure that you definitely want a holiday wedding when booking your venue, as it’s quite a big step to make! You will also need to take into consideration how you will fly out all of your Wedding stuff; like, outfits, gifts, games, table pieces, decor, accessories, flowers etc.. You might want to order all of these items at the chosen country, so that you won’t have to worry about it being delivered in time and in one piece. The majority of venues will provide their own Wedding Planner, if the venue is a Wedding Venue, so having that clear and precise communication between the two of you might become tricky if you are living in another country and you cannot have a look around or go through final details on site. So when choosing whether to get married abroad, I would make sure that you can; afford it, have regular trips to the venue to discuss final details and understand who will be covering the costs of the guests?

TOP TIP: Remember when viewing your potential wedding venue, always go prepared. I would suggest creating a list of questions to ask during your viewing and having a rough budget in your head of how much you are looking to spend. You can ask questions such as;

What is your capacity for day & evening guests?

Are you licensed to hold the ceremony here?

Does the cost include in-house caterers, does the cost also include the silverware/plates/glassware etc.

Do you provide accommodation for the guests, if so, is there a discounted rate for close family & friends?

Can we provide external suppliers; such as pizza vans, DJ’s/Bands…?

Can we book a food and wine tasting?

What is the total cost for _____ amount of guests for the entire day?

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Step 3. Choosing your Registrar, Wedding Celebrant or Vicar/Priest/Ordained Minister

The next important step is to decide on who will be officiating the Wedding. The reason this step is so important is because the process of finding a Registrar, Wedding Celebrant or Vicar/Priest/Ordained Minister,etc. can be quite long, and they do become booked up quite quickly. Firstly, you must decide on who you would like to officiate the Wedding…If you decide to choose a Registrar, you will need to contact your local registrar office, you will be able to find this on your local local council website, depending on where you live, and you will need to make an appointment with them. They will be able to provide various available dates at which you can attend the office and register your marriage through them. You will only be able to organise a meeting with a registrar, once you have chosen your venue and that the venue is licensed to hold a Wedding Ceremony. If you decide to choose a registrar, this will be considered as a Civil Partnership and you will need a registrar present on the day of your wedding. Once you have booked the registrar, you will then need to make a non-refundable deposit to hold the date of your wedding. Disclaimer – you can book your registrar two years prior to your wedding day and no later than 29 days before your ceremony – so get in fast if you can!

The deposit amount can vary between £50 to £120 depending on the type of ceremony and location of the Wedding venue. Once you have placed the deposit down, there will be a charge of £25 for any amendments or changes made during the process. In terms of the cost of a registrar, this can vary between £630 – £745, this can depend purely on the time of year (high season or low season), the day or the week (weekday or weekend) or if your wedding day lands on a public bank holiday. You will need to make sure that you bring two forms of identification (proof of identity & proof of address) to the appointment at the registry office. To ensure that you bring the correct documents, you will be able to find this information on their website but usually it can be either a passport, driving licence, council tax bill or bank statement addressed to you.

If you were to choose a Wedding Celebrant to officiate your Wedding, you will have the choice of multiple professional Wedding Celebrants on our website bookacelebrant.co.uk, where we have handpicked the best Celebrants in your local area. You can also find out more about Wedding Celebrants through our recent blogs; ‘What Is A Wedding Celebrant?‘ or ‘How Much Does A Wedding Celebrant Cost?‘. There has always been a slight divide between registrars & celebrants throughout the years and that their views and opinions of marriage have caused disagreements between the two. A Wedding Celebrant is usually an individual who conducts a more personal and bespoke ceremony on your wedding day. For example, a Wedding Celebrant will spend several days with the couple to the lead up of the Wedding, making sure that every detail is met and that their wedding is a representation of the Bride & Groom. A Wedding Celebrant will also help in writing the vows, making sure that they are bespoke, personal and touching. They will usually spend a lot of the time asking the couple several questions on how they met and what their interests and hobbies are. This is why celebrants are usually seen as more personal touches, rather than registrars. Choosing a Wedding Celebrant is a very important aspect of the ceremony therefore, you need to make sure that they are the right fit for the both of you. You need to also make sure that you get along with your Celebrant, especially seeing as you will be spending a lot of your time with them prior to your Wedding day. In terms of costs, Wedding Celebrant fees can range from £450 to £750, depending on your location, the size of the wedding and what time of year it is (high season or low season). Once you have found the perfect Wedding Celebrant, it is always important to discuss costs before anything else, because you need to ensure that this Celebrant is affordable for you and your Wedding budget before going ahead with any further plans.

Finally, you have the choice of choosing a vicar, priest or any other religious individual to conduct your Wedding Ceremony. This is usually the case, if you are looking to have a church or religious Wedding. You also may need to double check if you qualify for a church wedding, as sometimes you need to be a part of the local parish to be married in certain venues. There are also cost differences, if you decide to marry outside of your local parish or if you decide to marry within your home parish. The required legal fee for marrying in a Church within your home parish costs £512, however if you decide to marry outside of your local parish, this is a standard fee of £560. Similarly to a Wedding Celebrant, a priest or vicar will spend several days/hours with the couple to ensure that the ceremony is as bespoke as possible. Church Weddings are also usually a lot longer than Civil Partnerships; a church Wedding Ceremony will usually take up to around 45 mins – 1 hour, and a Wedding ceremony conducted by a Registrar or Wedding Celebrant will usually take up to 30 mins. I would only consider choosing a vicar or priest to conduct my wedding if I were religious and wanted my Ceremony and Wedding Day to incorporate that aspect. If you are not religious but also looking to have a Church Wedding, I wouldn’t recommend choosing this option.

REMEMBER – Booking a wedding & registrar/celebrant/vicar etc, are two of the most important things to book first, so I would suggest getting this sorted before you move on to anything else.

Step 4. Budgeting your money carefully

By now, you should have a fairly clear idea of how much you might want to spend on your Wedding day; as you have already chosen your venue and booked/confirmed a registrar, Wedding Celebrant or vicar/priest/Ordained Minister etc. Budgeting can be tricky, and you want to make sure that you are doing it correctly but also making sure that you include everything, including the small bits. I would always suggest creating a list or a spreadsheet of all the things you might need to cover when planning a budget, I have noted below all of the things you will need to cover when creating your Wedding Checklist;

Venue Costs
Registrar/Celebrant or religious figure costs
Catering costs (Food & Drink)
Wedding Planner Cost (if applicable)
Wedding Attire for Bride & Groom costs (maybe even bridesmaids & groomsmen attire if paying)
Florist costs
Photographer or Videographer costs
Cake costs
Band/DJ or any form of Entertainment costs (Photo Booth or any additional suppliers)
Decoration & Party Favor costs
Gifts for bridal party costs
Accommodation costs (if applicable)
Wedding Transport costs
Cost of food for suppliers (if applicable)
Make-up artist & Hairstylist costs
Costs of entertainment & catering for the next day (if applicable)

It is important to ensure that you cover all bases when calculating the costs of everything for your special day. However, I have always believed that the majority of money should always go towards two main aspects of the day; Food & Drink. As crazy as it may sound, these two elements are very important when it comes to having a successful Wedding day. Throughout my years of studying events management and then becoming a Wedding Planner myself, I have noticed that guests will always seem to remember the tasty food and the great company which surrounds them and they usually tend not to remember the small details like; expensive silverware or fancy Ferrero Rocher chocolate party favours tied up in a golden ribbon on each table. Knowing how and where to distribute your money in an effective and sensible way, is the key to a great and affordable Wedding day with a fabulous atmosphere as well.

Step 5. Creating a Wedding Checklist

Once you have the above steps sorted, you will now need to start doing a little bit of research on booking suppliers and planning/deciding on smaller details for your Wedding day. I would suggest getting this all sorted as soon as you have the above sections covered, to ensure that they are available and that you choose the right ones for you. I have noted below a few things you might want to start looking up online or booking to start the process;

5.1 Photographer/Videographer

Usually a photographer is a fairly mandatory thing to book for a Wedding, so it’s to be expected when going to a Wedding. Essentially a Wedding photographer is there to capture key and special moments throughout the day, starting from the Bride getting ready with her bridesmaids to the drunken midnight dancing on the dancefloor. If you are looking to keep the costs low for your special day, I might suggest doing a little bit of research on some affordable photographers beforehand, or you might even know somebody personally who will be able to take the photos on the day. Sometimes a photographer will offer a package within their price, this will usually include a full day of photography from beginning to end, a hard copy and digital copy of your photos and sometimes they might even throw in a photo album. As for the costs, I would estimate that the average cost of a Wedding Photographer in the UK is around £1,600 to £2,000

Some weddings might also book a Videographer as well, even though they might not necessarily be needed, it is a great way to capture some dialogue and videos of the Wedding, like the speeches/vows etc. In terms of costs, a Videographer will usually cost between £2,000 to £3,000, which is usually a bit more expensive than a Wedding Photographer. If you are looking to keep the costs low, I would suggest maybe not using a Videographer or maybe even have a friend film the day and put together a montage of all of the videos of your Wedding.

5.2 Wedding Attire

This is obviously an important thing to consider when planning a Wedding, because who wants to see a naked Bride & Groom! All jokes aside – this is one of the most important things to start looking at when Planning A Wedding, especially for ‘the dress’. Choosing a Wedding Dress can be a very emotional and special day for any bride, it is a time for them to spend a day out with their closest friends & family members (with a few glasses of bubbles) and try on the most magical dresses. Please remember that you won’t find the perfect dress right away, it might take a few attempts to try on a few options but when you know you know…Once you have chosen ‘the dress’ you will usually place a deposit down (this amount depends on how expensive the dress is!) and they will hold this for you in the store. You will also need to book a few additional fitting appointments at the store to ensure that the measurements are correct. The final fitting is usually booked 2 weeks before the Wedding day, this is to ensure that the dress is fitted correctly to your body weeks before the big day.

As for the groom’s attire, this is quite similar to any dress fittings, usually the groom and their close friends and family will visit a tailor and choose the perfect outfits for the grooms party. Once they have tried out a few options and have decided on the perfect suit or outfit they will need to secure the outfit with a deposit and the initial measurements are taken. Then 2 weeks prior to the Wedding Day, the final fitting appointment will be booked and made sure that everything fits perfectly.

You might also need to consider the outfits for the bridesmaids & the groomsmen as well, these outfits don’t necessarily need to be from the same shop as the Wedding dress and groom’s outfit, and they can usually be ordered online. It is totally up to you, if you wish to pay for these outfits as it is not mandatory to pay for the bridesmaids & groomsmen attire.

The costs of Wedding Attire can really depend on where you decide to shop, usually a lot of the shops and fitting spaces in London are quite expensive, so I would try and find somewhere more affordable if you are looking for Wedding attire on a Budget.

5.3 Food & Drinks

As mentioned previously, this is probably one of the most vital and important things to consider and spend a lot of time on, when planning a Wedding. Of course, the main event will always be the ceremony but once that important part has finished…the Food and Drinks becomes the main attraction. It might sound ridiculous and crazy, but if you manage to hit the nail on the head with the food and drink, everything else will fall into place and your Wedding will be a breeze. Creating a good and friendly atmosphere is exactly what you want to look for when deciding on what food and drinks to have at your Wedding.

When deciding on what drinks to provide at your Wedding, it is important to separate them into 3 different departments; Drinks Reception, Wine & Drinks for the table & Evening drinks. Firstly, you need to think about what drinks you would like for your canape and drinks reception, this is usually champagne or prosecco and will most likely be provided by the venue. I would suggest choosing a mixture of drinks for your guests as they might not all drink alcoholic beverages, so giving them a bit of a choice is a sensible idea. I would suggest choosing Champagne, Orange Juice, Elderflower, Beer & Water, this way your guests will be able to have a good variety for drinkers, non-drinkers & children.

TOP TIP: I would suggest getting some Kombucha or Elderflower & Orange Juice and putting them in some flute glasses to make the non-drinkers feel a little more welcomed and a part of the party!

When enjoying a delicious 3 Course Meal at a Wedding, there is nothing better than pairing it with some delicious wine to go alongside it. I would suggest choosing 1 Red & Wine white for the table to start off with, and if your guests require more, then you might want to consider having a few additional bottles just in case. Usually, the venue will provide the wine but if not, you might need to bring your own drinks and they probably will charge for corkage. Corkage can be quite expensive these days and is usually around £40.00 per bottle, so it’s important to consider this when booking your Wedding (especially if you are on a budget). You might also need to consider including some still & sparkling water for the table and maybe some Orange & Apple juice for the little ones.

As for the evening drinks, some couples may choose to have an open bar for their evening reception, this is where your guests will be able to come and go freely whilst ordering drinks, and not worrying about paying. Of course, this is something that you may need to save up for a little but it really does make a huge difference to a wedding as you do not want your guests worrying about bringing cash or cards on the day. If you are looking to keep more of a lid on things and want to make sure that the bill at the end of the night won’t give you early stages of a heart attack, it might be a good idea to place down a bar tab of a certain amount, say £500 – £1,000 and you can then pause the tab or extend it as the night proceeds. So, you don’t have to totally spend all of your well earned money on a free bar, and if you are looking to keep the costs down but also want your guests to have a carefree and fun time, this might be the best option for you. You may also want to decide on having a bar which sells only certain drinks, for example; Soft Drinks (for the non-drinkers or drivers), 20 Bottles of Red, White & Rose Wine and 10 bottles of Champagne. This way you can limit the amount of drinks which will be served and this will most definitely keep your costs down.

In terms of Food, I would section the food choices into three; Canapes, 3 Course Wedding Breakfast & Evening Reception. Firstly, you have the canapes and drinks reception, this usually is just after the ceremony has commenced and you and your guests are waiting to be seated for the Wedding Breakfast. This is also the time where a lot of the photos will take place, so there is a lot of mingling and walking about, so it’s important that you consider some little bites and drinks, to keep the guests occupied. I would suggest choosing a variety of 3 separate choices of canapes; 1 Meat, 1 Fish & 1 Vegetarian, this way you will have a good variety of choices for your meat eaters, veggies & pescetarians. Usually the venue would provide a choice of canapes for you, if they are providing the catering, and you will be able to select these canapes months beforehand. If your venue is not providing any catering on the day, you might need to consider discussing this with any external suppliers.

As for the Wedding Breakfast (3 Course Meal), there are multiple ways you can organise nosh for you and your guests, which can also depend on what restrictions and rules your venue has with catering. Usually, the majority of venues will include their own in-house catering team, so this is something that you might not even need to think much about. If this is the case, and the venue does provide the food, you will usually be given a choice of a couple of Wedding Breakfast menus to choose from. They might also allow you to book a food tasting day, at the venue, which will allow you and your partner to choose and pick which dishes you prefer (usually this is complimentary, so don’t be expected to pay anything!) Your second option is to bring your own external caters of your choice to the wedding, as mentioned before this can solely depend on whether your venue will allow this or not. Some venues might be fine with bringing your own catering team in, however there usually is some sort of fee for this. Some venues might even decline this option completely and will not allow any external caterers to serve and create the food.

And finally, you might also want to consider some evening food, or as I like to call it ‘drunk grub’, basically something for you and your guests to eat when everyone has had a few too many and need something to line their stomachs. Usually, this can either be a Hog Roast, Finger buffet, Gourmet BBQ or a few light snacks. Again, this often is provided by the venue, if they provide in-house catering, and you will have a choice of menus to decide which food items to go with. If your venue does not offer this as a part of their Wedding package, you might need to consider bringing in an external supplier like a; Pizza Van, Mexican Food or Burger Van. From my personal experience, usually the Pizza Vans are very popular, as guests love a good stone oven baked pizza to enjoy at the end of the night. You also might want to consider some small snacks or sweet treats as well, sometimes a lot of Weddings like to offer a sweet stall to satisfy the needs of the guests who have a little bit of a sweet tooth.

5.4 DJ/Band & Entertainment

Music and Entertainment is a very important aspect of the entire day – having good music can really determine the atmosphere and is a great way of bringing people together. So making sure that you have chosen the right music/entertainment can be a very important aspect of the evening. When looking into choosing music for your Wedding, I would suggest having a good sit down with your partner and try to decide on a good middle ground in terms of taste. After all, not all of us have the same taste in music and it might be a little awkward when the ABBA classics start playing and your partner can’t stand them…So when thinking about music, I would narrow it down to 6 different sections;

Background before the ceremony
Walking down the aisle
Walking out of the ceremony
Drinks & Canape reception music
Music for the Wedding breakfast
Evening music

You don’t need to have live music throughout the entirety of the Wedding day, using a speaker or surround sound speaker systems are very effective and popular nowadays. You might just need to double check with your venue about what systems they already have in place and you can usually just work around that. However, if you did decide to choose live music, I would suggest maybe having a string quartet or a pianist for the background music during the day, as this can be a really nice touch.

In terms of getting some entertainment for the day, this is also another great way of brining the guests together and creating a fun and exciting atmosphere. I would usually suggest having the entertainment later on in the evening, so after the food and tea & coffee. The entertainment can range from having a Photobooth, Mr & Mrs Game or even some homemade DIY games for your guests to enjoy. Sometimes, if your Wedding falls on a sunny day, it might be nice to have a few outdoor games, like Giant Jenga, Croquet, etc..

5.5 Seating & Table Plans

Seating & Table Plans can be a tricky hurdle to overcome when planning a wedding, and can sometimes cause a few discrepancies between family members. It’s never easy choosing who you want people to sit next to, as you want everyone to feel included and you want to make sure that no one feels excluded or disowned on the day. To ensure that this process is totally stress free, I would challenge this obstacle step by step…and as soon as you know the guest list. Firstly, I would usually start with the head table (also known as top table). This table is usually a long rectangular table at the head of the room, which usually have the following family members & friends on the table:

Bride, Groom
Bride’s Mother & Bride’s Father
Grooms Mother & Grooms Father
Best Man & Maid of Honour

You don’t necessarily need to have a top table, this is just a tradition but it does make it slightly easier to choose a top table, as you don’t have to worry about choosing which friends to sit next to on your own wedding day. As mentioned previously, usually the top tables are rectangular and they are located at the head of the room, however this is totally up to you as quite a few people prefer having circular tables for all attendees (which can be seen as more inclusive). Once you have figured out the top table, you will then need to decide on which guest members you would like to be seated around you or closest to you. Usually, the closer the guest tables are to the top table, the closer they are to the Bride & Groom, so if you’re knocked to the back of the room…you might not be as close as you think. Depending on the size of the venue, I would suggest keeping an even number of guests on all of the tables, as this usually looks a lot nicer in terms of the aesthetic of the room.

5.6 Transport

Not all Weddings require transport, which is good if you are looking to budget a Wedding as well. However, if your ceremony and reception location are not in the same venue, this might be something to think about. You are not obliged to organise transport for your guests, however, it is something couples like to organise to ensure that guests are transported from one location to the other quickly and efficiently. To ensure that you manage to direct all of your guests (or quite a large number of guests) to another venue, a Wedding Bus is sometimes quite popular. These vehicles will be able to hold between 20 to 70 passengers, depending on which bus or coach you choose. However, as mentioned before, this is not mandatory and you can suggest to your guests other forms of transport for them to choose themselves (sometimes it’s handy inputting this information on the Wedding invitations).

If you are fortunate enough to have the ceremony & the evening reception in the same location, this will help massively, as there will be no need to organise any travel for your guests. So, if you are looking to spend a little less on a few things, this would be a great thing to consider.

Finally, you will need to take into account the transport for you and your partner pre Wedding and post Wedding ceremony. This is transport for arriving at the wedding and leaving the Wedding (if your ceremony location is different to your evening venue location). As tradition goes, usually the Bride is not allowed to be seen before the ceremony has started so it’s most likely that you will need to organise two separate vehicles to take you both to the venue. Usually the Groom will arrive first with their best men and potentially close family members (father, mother, etc). As for the bride, she/they will arrive after the groom, along with their bridesmaids & close family members (father, mother, etc). There is no specific car that you need to book when organising Wedding Transport, usually this can be anything from a bus, sports car to an Old Vintage Wedding Car. As long as they get you there on time and in one piece.

5.7 Timings

As a previous Wedding Planner myself, I understand the importance of timings, and how crucial it is to understand exactly when and where everything should be and at what time! If you have a Wedding Planner helping you out, usually this will land on them to go through timings and the schedule of the day. However, if you do not have a Wedding Planner to help out, I would advise sitting down with your partner to discuss and plan all of the timings for each and everyone moment of the day. You will need to consider and incorporate all of the tiny details like ‘arrival of the florist’ or ‘cake cutting time’, these small details are very important and knowing what time everything will be crucial to you on the day. I would suggest creating a timetable of the day and meticulously going through each order of the day carefully, also creating a timeline of the day on an Easel for your guests to look at on the day, is a great way of keeping them informed (this information can also be noted in the invites). Below I have carefully noted down the main points of the day and how long they each might take.

Getting Ready (2 hours – 3 hours)

Firstly, you need to start at the beginning of the Wedding Day and work your way through, each and every small detail throughout the day, until the very end. This way, you will be able to understand when/where everything should be and ensure that you do not miss out on anything.

You need to ensure that you have given yourself enough time in the morning to get ready, especially if you know your glam takes a while … I have also been told that putting on our wedding dress can sometimes take a while, so this is something else to consider, if you have not already! You will also need to make sure that you speak to each supplier and find out what times they will arrive/depart on the day of the wedding (i.e make-up artist, florist etc).

Ceremony (30 – 50 mins)

If you are looking to book a registrar, the one thing people tend to forget is the pre ceremony interview, which takes place 30 mins before the ceremony. Usually, the groom will go first and take one other witness with them, they will spend 15 mins with the registrar and their accomplice. Once they have finished the interview, the groom and their witness will go straight to the ceremony in readiness. Next, the bride & her/ their witness will then need to have their interview for 15 mins and then make their way down to the ceremony, hopefully in time for the ceremony to begin. Usually ceremonies will last around 30 – 50 mins depending on whether you are having a religious or non-religious Wedding. So if you are looking to have a Wedding Ceremony for 13:00 in the afternoon, usually the ceremony will end at around 13:30/13:50.

Drinks Reception (1 hour & 30 mins)

As you and your guests will then move on to the Drinks Reception, I would consider allowing around 1 hour and 30 mins. This is usually enough time for you and your guests to wonder about whilst the photos are being taken, and this will give the guests some time to enjoy some well needed drinks and canapes.

Wedding Breakfast (2 Hours)

Make sure to call your guests 15 mins before the Wedding Breakfast is actually served, as there is always a delay in herding guests from one room to another. This way, you will hopefully avoid disappointment with food timings etc. Once the guests have all taken their seats, I would suggest around 2 hours for the meal. However, it is important to factor in timings for the speeches as well (if you decide to have any), as this can take up a bit of time during the Wedding Breakfast. I would say that one speech takes around 15 to 20 mins – depending on who’s talking. So it is important to make sure you have a good idea of which guests are making speeches and when you would like them to talk. The speeches are either, before the first course, just before the last course (dessert) or at the end of the food entirely. There is no right or wrong answer when choosing when to have your speeches, as this is totally up to you and what you would prefer. You would also need to consider time for tea and coffee after the Wedding Breakfast as well, this is included in the suggested 2 hour slot for the Wedding Breakfast.

Depending on where you have your venue or what policies they have at your venue, you might need to check if they need to turn around any of the rooms, which you might need to use again for the evening. If this is the case, you will need to decide where your guests will be, for how long and what they will be doing? For example, after dinner; It might be worth having the tea and coffee as a stand in another room, which will allow your guests to move out of the way, whilst it is being turned over. You will then need to consider the timings for the Cake Cutting (10 mins), First Dance (5 mins), Band/DJ times & Evening Food times.

Your guests will also need to know what time the Wedding finishes, this should be on the Easel or on the invites (usually most venues will say 12am, as this is when they are licensed until). However, some venues might be slightly different, so it might be worth speaking to your venue to check what time they are licensed to serve alcohol until. Some venues might even allow you to extend the licence if you ask them, as they might be able to speak to the council on behalf of your Wedding.

5.8 Accommodation

The majority of Weddings require Accommodation, even if it’s only for a few close family & friends. You are never required to look after all of your guests, as paying for around 150 people can definitely hurt the bank. You can always suggest local accommodation sites to your guests on the invitations, and if you speak to the accommodation sites beforehand they might even allow a discounted rate if you mention that you are a part of the wedding party.

However, the majority of Wedding Venues, especially if it is a hotel, will already have rooms and some might even offer a few rooms within their Wedding package. If you are looking to arrange accommodation for your guests, whether you are paying or not, I would suggest choosing close family members or friends. Or, maybe even guests who have travelled a long way to visit you on this special day.

5.9 Decorations

Each and every Wedding is different, and from working on a number of Weddings myself I have been able to experience a variety of Wedding Decorations and styles. Not one Wedding is the same, which makes it so special! If you are looking to save a little money on a few things here and there, making some DIY Wedding Decorations is a great way to save a bit of money. I have been able to experience some really creative ideas online & in person. Looking online really helps with gathering ideas and tips on how to save money whilst also making great decorations.

5.10 Wedding Favours & Gifts

Everyone loves a good gift or party bag as a memento or souvenir to remember the great time you had at a Wedding or Birthday. It’s been ingrained in us since we were children that when you go to a birthday party, you always come back with a party bag. Wedding Favours are kind of the same concept. Even if it’s not mandatory and some people may choose not to have wedding favours (might look tacky), they are also a nice touch, if you do them correctly. Usually Wedding Favours will be placed on the tables for the 3 Course Wedding Breakfast, and they can be absolutely anything you want them to be, from personalised sweets to tiny glass bottles of gin with a tiny white ribbon on it. Usually the more creative, the better the gift, as everybody loves a homemade gift to take home especially if it has their name on it.

You might also want to think about arranging gifts for the bridal party, including the partners of the bride groom, bridesmaids & groomsmen. These gifts are usually handed after or during the speeches, once they are mentioned for thanks. A typical gift for the partners is usually a large bouquet of their favourite flowers or a special bottle of something, for the bridesmaids you might want to think about getting a piece of jewellery for them all and for the groomsmen maybe some cufflinks, drinking flask etc.

5.11 Florist & Cake Artists

One of the more important things to think about, and something that should be planned quite early on in the Wedding Planning process, is flowers. Wedding Flowers are a huge part of any Wedding and they can really set the theme and atmosphere of any party, Wedding or gathering. Before speaking to a florist you must make sure that you have a good idea of what theme you and your partner are looking at for your Wedding, once you have a theme, choosing the flowers will be a lot easier. There are a number of different flowers that you need to consider when planning your Wedding and understanding where they will be placed is very important! I would section them into 8 different departments, for example; you will need flowers for the following people/places;

Wedding bouquet
Registrar/Wedding Celebrant Table or Church Flowers
Flowers for down the Aisle
Buttonholes
Bridesmaids Flowers
Flowers for each table for the food
Flower Arch (If needed)
Cake Flowers (if needed)

These are the main places you will need your Wedding Flowers, and once you have these main areas sorted, everything else, in terms of decorations, will fall into place.

The next most important thing to arrange is finding a good Wedding Cake artist and booking them! You will be surprised with how quickly cake artists get booked up so I would recommend booking as soon as possible. The reason why it’s a good idea to book your florist before your cake, is because you might want to add some flowers to decorate the cake with. So understanding what theme and flowers your Wedding will have, will help give you a better idea of what style of cake to go for. A good way of finding a Wedding Cake Artist is either on instagram or word of mouth, usually I would suggest going online and finding what styles you prefer the most and then sending the artist a message to check if there is any availability. In terms of costs, Wedding Cake prices are very variable and there is no way of determining the average cost of all Wedding Cakes. Usually the cost will depend on the style, the amount of tiers & possibly the cake flavour or type.

5.12 Hair, Make-up & Accessories

Everyone needs to look their absolute best on the day of their Wedding! Whether that is styling your hair, booking a make-up artist or deciding on which shoes or other accessories to wear.

Firstly, let’s talk about Wedding Make-up Artists! If you are planning on having a make-up artist for your Wedding day, you might need to do a little bit of research before choosing one, and I would suggest checking out a few instagram accounts to see which ones you prefer. Usually, the Wedding Make-up Artist will give you a free consultation or Wedding make-up trial, as soon as you book with them. This basically means you can visit the artist, discuss what types of styles you are looking to achieve and she/he will be able to do a demonstration of what your make-up might look like on the day. If you are unhappy with the look, don’t worry, the best thing to do is to be totally honest with them and to try explaining why you might not like the style. This way, you will be able to have another go with maybe some other colours, techniques etc… In terms of costs, these can vary quite a bit depending on, which style you like, which artist you have chosen and maybe even which location you might want to have your Wedding. That being said, they can vary between £50 – £450, so make sure you check before you go ahead and book an artist.

As for Wedding Hair Stylists, this is quite a similar process to choosing your Wedding Make-up Artist, as you will be allowed a free trial beforehand and checking out some instagram accounts prior to the meeting is always a lot of help. This will help you determine what type of hairstyle you are looking to go for i.e up, down, flowers, no flowers..etc As for the costs, I have found that the hair costs are a lot more expensive than the Wedding Make-Up Artist costs (especially for the girls). I would guess that the expenses for the men’s hairstyles are a LOT cheaper! You must make sure to check these prices with a professional before going ahead and make sure to be absolutely clear in terms of what you are looking for.

Finally, you might want to think about finishing off your look with a few Wedding Accessories to go with it. For the groom & the groomsmen, they might have a few cufflinks to go on their suits or maybe some buttonholes to sit on the pockets of their Wedding jackets. However, this is totally up to whatever you prefer and what type of style you are looking for. At some Weddings, you might also want to wear top hats, however this is usually paired with a morning suit…and this can be a little too much…As for the Bride & the bridesmaids, there are a number of different Wedding Accessories which you can choose from, starting from your hair down to the shoes on your feet. In most Wedding Dress shops, they might also provide additional Wedding Accessories for you to try on with your dress, which might give you a good idea of what extra items to pair with your outfit. As for the accessories for the hair, some brides may decide to have a tiara or a veil on the top of their head, these items usually can be found in Wedding Dress shops so you will be able to see how they match with your outfit. You might also want to speak to your hairdresser about potentially styling your hair with a few decorative flowers, which can be very pretty! In terms of jewellery, this can be whatever you prefer as every style is completely different from the type of necklace, earnings or bracelets you wear. Finally, you might want to consider which shoes you would like to wear on the day, but remember that you will be wearing these all day, so you might want to make sure that they are comfortable and easy to walk in. You could even choose to have another pair for the evening reception so that you don’t have to worry about going barefoot or having the pain after wearing heels in the afternoon. I would highly recommend some white flip flops, and you might even want to provide these for your guests as well as this can be quite a nice touch.

5.13 Food for suppliers

This is always something that people tend to forget about, and even though it’s not mandatory, It’s alway a nice gesture to the people who have been working on their feet for long hours. Making sure that your Suppliers are fed, is quite important especially if they have been working at early hours of the morning through to midnight or early hours of the next day. Usually, the ones that you need to consider are only the photographers or videographers as they are the ones who spend the whole day with you. Sometimes, they might bring their own food or they would have worked at the same venue before and understand the systems that they already have in place for suppliers. However, it is always good to check just to be sure.

5.14 Paying the final bill

I would suggest keeping record of all of your finances when Planning a Wedding, like having an excel spreadsheet or a document to ensure that all bills and numbers have been noted correctly. Usually, a lot of the suppliers which you will need to book will require a deposit, so it is important to note these all down and calculate what remaining costs are there to fulfil the payment. Knowing how to look after your money and budget are two very important things to keep in mind when paying the final bill, you need to make sure that you are aware of the date on which the final invoice needs to be paid.

Step 6. Enjoy the Day!

Once you have all of your ducks in a row and all of the items from your checklist above have been completed, paid for and booked – you are on your way to having the Perfect Wedding Day. Obviously, having a Wedding is a lot more complicated than having a 6 Step By Step Guide checklist, and you will always manage to find additional things to think about along the way, but this gives you a rough idea of the main things to consider when planning a Wedding and making sure that you can cover all areas.

TOP TIP: You might also want to consider organising a ‘Day 2 Wedding’, which is essentially a gathering the morning after the wedding. Usually this involves a group of your closest friends and family, gathering together for some hangover food, more drinks and potentially some music to celebrate and reminisce about the night before. I would highly recommend doing this, if you can afford too, as it allows the bride and groom to enjoy and relax with friends and family after all of the madness the night before.

Good Luck with your Planning and have a wonderful Wedding Day!

For more information on Wedding Celebrants, check our other blog ‘Top 10 Questions To Ask Your Celebrant‘.