Congratulations! Getting married and starting a family is among the most significant stages of life. The mention of the word wedding brings excitement to lovebirds. However, the planning process can be quit challenging. You have to juggle between tasks from budgeting to selecting the venue. We understand how the process can be overwhelming and that’s why we have prepared this guide to make it less stressful and more manageable. We will look at the major steps to follow and the important things to focus on to make your big day enjoyable and successful.
Create a Wedding Checklist

As soon as you and your partner decide that you want to do a wedding prepare a checklist of things you want to do. Before diving into other things, determine what you want to do and what you want to achieve at the end. List all the tasks you need to complete from the smallest to the most detailed one. Sit down as partners and determine the most important aspects of your wedding. Consider things such as venue, wedding date, and photographer. Prioritize on the important details and be willing to compromise on the others that are not so crucial. This can help you stay on budget and put your focus and effort on what matters most.
Set a Budget
Wedding budget is a crucial element when planning for your big day. The wedding will cost as little as you want and as much as you want. The wedding cost can easily spiral out of control when do not have a well stipulated budget. Determine your budget early in the processes because failure to do things can lead to wedding planning pitfalls. Ensure you have a clear understanding and open communication with your partner to make sure you are on the same page concerning the amount of money you want to spend. Review your finances and determine how much you can afford and willing to spend to avoid accruing debts that will loom over you in your marriage life. After deciding how much you want to spend, split the budget into different categories including, venue, honeymoon, flowers, gifts, and foods and drinks.
Ideas, Styles and Themes
Brainstorm ideas to determine themes and styles of your wedding. Try to use a binder to obtain inspirations from other successful couples. While asking for ideas from friends and family, don’t forget to use external sources such as bridal magazines or Pinterest since they have invaluable information. However, don’t indulge so much on those ideas and inspirations to avoid overwhelming yourself. Stick to your budget and limit the amount of time you spend looking for wedding styles and themes. Having a list of the do’s and don’ts can help you review the inspiration images and information constructively.
Talk to Other Married Couples

Getting ideas from a third party is not a bad idea when planning a wedding. It is likely that you are planning a wedding for the first time and you have no idea where to start from and what to do. Talk to other married couples and ask them for advice and insights. From their experience, they can provide you with expert tips and tricks they learned during their planning. Talk to family and friends because they are important parties in this process and can help make your big day successful.
Make a Guest List
Your wedding day is a special day in your life that you would want all the significant people in your life to witness. A guest list is an important element of a wedding and dictates many aspects of the wedding from the size of venue, catering cost, and how much you will spend on vendors. Build a guest list that is concurrent with your budget to avoid overwhelming yourself or spending more that you planned. Do you want to have a quality one-on-one time with your family and friends or want to have a lifetime party for them? This determines the number of people in your guest list. The more guest you have the higher the cost, so be wise when preparing a guest list.
Consider a Wedding Planer

If your budget allows you, it is advisable to hire a wedding planner. Having a professional to guide you on steps to follow can make a significant difference in your wedding. For example, if you live in Italy, Tuscany and desire to have a luxurious wedding, Secret Tuscany Weddings can craft an unforgettable experience for you and ensure you achieve an exclusive wedding. If your budget is limited and want a professional planner, you can hire a part-time consultant to device a wedding blueprint. You can also hire a coordinator for the wedding day to ensure your big day is smooth and everything goes as planned.
Choose Ideal Wedding Season and Date Wisely
The season and date you choose for your wedding are crucial because they affect other aspects like venue and guest availability, prices, and budget. Select a wedding date early and understand that flexibility is essential in case of any need. Consider some external factors such as how those dates are popular and if the dates will make it hard to your guest to attend. If possible, avoid fixing wedding date on cultural or religious holidays, international holidays, holiday weekends and major sports days.
Hire Priority Wedding Vendors
There are those vendors you can’t imagine getting married without their presence. For example, you admire the work of a particular photographer or like the way a certain band plays. Ensure you act fast and book them early enough since many in-demand vendors need to be hired a year in advance. Popular vendors fill their schedules quickly, thus its recommend to book them early in the planning process. You can even book them when making decisions about weddings dates as this can help you select the date based on your must-do priorities.
In conclusion, for most people, wedding is a once in a life time thing. This means that it is crucial to make it count by creating unforgettable memories. Make meticulous planning and put everything in order for the big day to be successful. Avoid making decisions alone by involving your significant other in every decision since wedding is partnership. Determine your priorities and make a checklist with all to-do tasks. Set a budget and stick to it, choose perfect styles and themes, select date wisely, and consider hiring a wedding planner.