My Top 10 Wedding Planning Tips.

1. Choose your venue:

Please keep in mind a few possible dates for your wedding, because if you have your heart set on one particular venue, you may have to adjust your date. However, if your wedding date is significant to you, then you may have to be flexible with your venue. Either way, this is the first thing to decide, everything else will fall in to place once you know the when and where.

2. Choose you starting time:

This needs to fit in with the amount of time you need before your reception. Remember to allocate time for the ceremony, time for a bit of a mingle with your guests, and then time for your photographs. And some where in there, allocate travel time if you have several locations for your photographs. You do not want to be too rushed with your photographs.

3. Choose your celebrant:

Wedding celebrants do get booked quickly, and often well in advance, so once you have booked your venue and time, please book your celebrant. Remember you cannot marry without one! There are legal requirements to fulfil once you have chosen your celebrant, you can view them here.

4. Choose the time to put on your invitations:

It really is a good idea to ask for your guests to arrive about 15 minutes before the actual start time. There will always be people who are running late, and this then gives them time to arrive on time. And please, plan for yourself to be on time, brides do not have to run late, and it is considerate for your guests and providers if you do run on time.

5. Choose the length of your ceremony:

It’s up to you how long you want your ceremony to run for, it all just depends on how much you want in it. Some people want everything (readings, rituals, long speeches), whilst others want the bare minimum. As long as the legal aspects are covered, it is entirely up to you.

6. Choose your outfit:

Give consideration to your own style and what you would most be comfortable in. You are going to be wearing this outfit all day, and you need to feel relaxed in what you are wearing. Also think about the season of your wedding: will you be too hot or too cold?

7. Choose your Plan B:

You really do need a Plan B, for wet weather and even for weather that will just be too hot. You do need to confirm this second option, and whose responsibility it will be to ensure that the others guests are made aware of this change in venue.

8. Choose how to set up your venue:

Your venue may provide staff to do this or you may choose to do this yourself. If you do set up the venue yourself, please ensure that the set up is completed before your guests begin to arrive. You will need to select people other than your bridal party to do this, they will have enough to do!

9. Choose your attendants well:

This should be a simple process but often isn’t. Please remember that this is your wedding, your day, and this decision is up to you. Pick the people who mean the most to you. Some bridal couples are choosing not to have attendants to keep it all calm and easy for them. And that is OK.

10. Choose how to exit your ceremony space:

Traditionally, the bride and groom formally exit the space, followed by the bridal party. However, with more casual weddings in gardens and beaches, for example, there really isn’t a formal exit space. It may be better to have your celebrant invite the guests to come forward to congratulate you.