Feeling stressed? We'll make wedding planning easy!
If the thought of taking your first wedding planning steps fills you with dread, don't worry! UKbride's Rachel Hollis answers our brides' most common question — Where do I start?!?
If you’re one of our many members, who have just become engaged and you’re struggling to know where to start, you’re not alone. UKbride’s new members’ most common question on our Forum is ‘Where do I start’? The fact is, until you break it down, planning an entire wedding may seem like a daunting task, fortunately, UKbride’s Rachel Hollis has sought some experts on the matter to advise brides of where to begin.
We’ve spoken to wedding planning expert Zoe Mckeown from Cherish Wedding Planning, and the UK’s very own ‘wedding fairy’ — TV personality George Watts — for their expert advice on where to start if you’ve got pre-wedding worries.
Together we’ve also come up with some fantastic ideas for what to do in the early stages of your engagement...
1. If you want the world to know...then why not announce your engagement? You can do this in a variety of way (it’s a great excuse to have a party!) But if you don’t fancy doing that, you could choose to announce it in a local publication, or by sending the news out to all your friends and family.
2. One of the most crucial things to do in the early planning phase is to set the date- that way you know how much time you have to sort everything out.
3. Decide how much you want to spend on the big day before you get carried away spending money!
4. Decide who you want to invite. Until you’ve decided how many people you want there you can’t possibly choose a venue and order food or drink.
5. Make basic decisions about what kind of ceremony you want are also key to early wedding planning... for example, do you want a religious or civil ceremony?
6. If you’re organised enough, look into booking your honeymoon as soon as you can — you can get much cheaper deals by doing this in advance.
7. Alternatively, if you feel like planning your wedding is an impossible challenge, consider hire a wedding planner to aid your preparations.
8. Take it step-by-step; you don’t need to book everything at once! Make sure you spend time comparing the quality and prices of a range of products and services.
9. Chat to other brides — chances are, all of our UKbride members have felt the same way at some point in the run up to their wedding — use our Forum for support and advice from people who have been in your position already.
We also spoke to TV Wedding Fairy George Watts for his advice on pre-nuptial preparations... What would you encourage a bride who has just got engaged to think about first? The budget! Only joking girls, this is your moment to dazzle in the spotlight so, just soak up every second of your engagement and we will worry about the budget later! What advice would you offer a bride who feels totally overwhelmed by all the details of her wedding planning and doesn’t know where to start? Don't panic! Hit my website and check out the 12 month planner which you can adapt to your own timescale. Remember, if you are not the most organised girl in the World get a best friend on board who is! What are the advantages of having a wedding planner? We’re like soluble aspirin, we take away all the pain! In your professional role as a wedding planner, have you ever come across a bride who has gone into complete meltdown because she feels so swamped by the stress of it all? It does happen and quite often it is just a symptom of anxiety, once you recognise this you can take control of your stress levels and get on with enjoying the biggest day of your life. Step outside your World and take a reality check. If the flowers are slightly out of sync nobody will notice and your day will not end in hideous disaster. The moments of madness should be embraced as they are what make a day memorable! And finally, can you give me YOUR top tips for how to guarantee a glitch free dream day...? Just let the day unfold, if you do this then I guarantee you will enjoy every second - even the dramas! Don't pile the pressure on by trying to enforce a fairytale day on yourself or your family. The magic happens naturally because of the unique bond between you and your partner. Sounds like a total platter of cheese but it's true. If all that fabulous advice has made you want to get stuck in, but you’re still not sure what to book first, why not look at UKbride’s vast range of wedding suppliers in your area and see if anything takes your fancy! And finally, remember to enjoy your engagement! Don’t let the sometimes stressful process of planning take away from the excitement of the fact that you’re getting married!
And Finally... Zoe McKeown from Cherish Wedding Planning recommends these top tips if you’re feeling the pressure of the planning process:
1. Decide on 3 main priorities that you don’t want to compromise on.
2. Think about things you REMEMBER from other peoples’ weddings.
3. Have a fun, planning evening with family and friends, cut out pics and share ideas early on, to avoid confusion later.