Congratulations on your engagement! Cue the beaming smile, high-pitched squeals and feverish anticipation! You have just decided to take your relationship to the ultimate level – what an incredibly exciting time for you and your partner!
Most of us were not born knowing how to plan a wedding and you might not know where to even begin, but do not let panic sneak its way into your blissful bubble! Hold onto that magical exciting feeling, snuggle up with your partner and read this wedding planning guide to ease you into the next steps.
1. Time to tell your family and friends!
Are you so delighted about your upcoming wedding day that you are almost ready to explode into blinding rays of sunshine? Of course, you are – it is called “glee”. Relish it and start spreading the joy!
Although it might be tempting to splash your news all over social media and tell anyone with ears, be it your neighbour’s dog, the convenience store cashier or the maintenance man in your building, your close family and friends will probably appreciate being told first hand before the rest of the world finds out. Take the time to cherish this wonderful moment with them. It will surely be unforgettable.
2. Set your timetable
Combine your calendars and identify all the birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and match days (!) you do not want your wedding day to coincide with. Keep in mind that engagements usually last about a year and a half, so pick your favourite season and start picking out the possibilities to get an approximate wedding day timeline.
If you plan on tying the knot during peak wedding season, it is a good idea to get a head start on the bookings. The last thing you want is to turn your wedding planning into a bride war over your favourite band or venue.
If you are considering hiring a professional wedding planner to unburden you and keep you floating on air, they are going to need a rough wedding day timeline to start off with too!
3. Envisage your dream day
Here’s the fun part of planning your wedding – close your eyes, take a deep breath and let your imagination run wild. This step is like looking at the completed puzzle before opening the box and sorting out the individual pieces. Think about the overall theme, what you want your wedding day to feel like and what you want the space to look like. Are you in a garden, or in a palazzo, or on the beach? What is the general vibe? Is it formal? Is it intimate?
There is no wrong answer here – just imagine what wedding day celebration would best describe your love and life as a couple.
4. Think about your budget
This might be the step you did not want to see on this wedding planning guide, and you’re not the only one. When planning a wedding, a lot of couples feel uncomfortable discussing their budget, but there is a reason that it is one of the first questions your wedding planner will ask.
Look at it this way, you do not want to fall in love with the perfect bridal gown only to have your heart broken when you check the tag. Knowing your budget will help you put your blinkers on and make the dream a little more realistic.
5. Start to build your guest list
Yes, we are doing this after the budget and there is a good reason too – the more people you add to the list, the more money you need at your disposal.
As you begin planning your wedding, looking at venues and vendors, you will be grateful to have the final headcount already in mind.
6. Pick your wedding planner
Once you have established a budget, a rough wedding day timeline and a guest
list, wedding planning can kick into full gear, which is not easy on busy couples who might not have the time to plan a wedding.
Apart from taking a load off your shoulders, knowing the most reliable vendors, and having experience in most of the venues in the area, a local wedding planner could actually end up saving you money.
It is not hard to see why so many couples are seeking out expert advice to help with their wedding planning.
7. Research
Planning a wedding is just like planning a trip to an exotic country. Both of these things are thrilling experiences that require extensive research to truly ensure that everyone makes some magical memories.
There are a lot of decisions to be made and ideas you need to figure out how to implement, so invest in some wedding planning guide magazines and start perusing. Get inspired and get motivated!
8. Enquire about vendors and pick your perfect ones
If you picture your wedding day and can’t imagine it being complete without your favourite band playing, or the photographer everyone’s talking about capturing your celebration, then grab hold of them like their the last pair of timeless stilettos in your size!
If you are open to all suggestions, then you can begin enquiring about vendors, checking their availability and looking at their portfolio and past work. This can be quite a fun part of planning your wedding where you get the opportunity to taste every bowl of porridge until you find the one that’s neither too salty nor too sweet.
9. Pick your dream wedding dress
Of course, this is the most glamorous aspect of wedding planning that every little girl fantasizes about, so open up those bridal magazines and find your perfect, fairytale dress. If you want it custom-made, you need to start thinking ahead and familiarise yourself with fabrics, fits, and styles. Once you have committed to a dress, treat it like you would the love of your life and stop shopping around!
10. Enjoy the experience!
Planning a wedding is hard work, whether you have got a wedding planning guide, or not. As your wedding day gets closer and closer, it is easy to let the tension takeover, but you do not have to let it.
Planning your wedding with your soon-to-be life partner should not be the only thing you talk to each other about, dance lessons should be fun, and going out to listen to bands are not strictly business outings.
Enjoy being engaged, let yourself show off that ring and bask in its brilliance!
If you need assistance bringing your wedding to life, let Malta’s leading wedding planner guide you. Sarah Young is experienced in making couples’ dreams become reality, and, with the help of her team, your wedding will become her priority.
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Sarah Young and her Wedding Planner Malta team are destined to help you plan the perfect dream wedding and make sure you can say “I DO” without having to worry about a thing.
