*a snapshot into my planning process circa 2013*
Yup! I was that kind of bride. Before the happiest friday ever, we had already planned to get married that year and *gasp* I had actually already hired my photographer and worked out our wedding date around her availability. Maybe it was the planner in me or that I was already pretty submerged in the wedding industry but I promise it wasn’t as pragmatic and un-romantic as it sounds.
Perhaps you’re sitting with a new sparkly accessory on your finger and you’re already feeling totally on top of the planning process. But if you’re coming out of the celebration daze and you’re suddenly feeling overwhelmed and you don’t know where to begin, then this post’s for you!
So let’s start at the beginning…not the real beginning of a thousand ideas, a little bit of overwhelm and a few discussions that may spark the idea of elopement. No! For now, let’s talk about the start of the planning process, the pros of hiring a planner (my absolute top tip for stress-less wedding planning) and some of the steps to take to kickstart your planning process.
GET STARTED
I don’t mean completely get ahead of yourself or get all crazy like I did and download almost every free wedding downloadable online. No matter how near or far your wedding day is, start a bit of planning right away with a draft of your ideal guest list and your intended budget for the day.
Next, schedule a date night and decide what makes your list when you ask yourself what the “top three most important aspects” of the day would be. Decide what’s important to each of you and start the process of planning around those aspects accordingly.
Then…hire a planner. Yes, a chunk of your budget will go toward them, but they will help you save on hours & any wasted costs along the way. Totally worth their every cent in my opinion (and every other vendor you hire along the way will breathe a BIG sigh of relief to know they will be dealing with a totally chill bride on the day!)
DON’T OVER-INSPIRE YOURSELF
Says the Pinterest addict herself! Seriously though…choose a method of inspiration and try to limit and narrow down ideas as you go along. By all means, indulge. Think out the box. Gather cut-outs, brochures and as many samples as your poor fiancé can handle. But narrowing down your inspiration channels will help you stay clearer with your thoughts & ideas.
HIRE A PLANNER
I’m not going to sit here and give you a sales pitch. I’m not going to tell you that your wedding won’t be perfect without one, because it will. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you can’t do it all on your own, because you can. And I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you need to take a home loan to fund your wedding. But I am going to tell you that it’s a piece of my own advice and the advice of so many other suppliers in the wedding industry, that I took and never looked back.
A huge perk of hiring a planner is that every idea/thought/inspiration you have can be bounced off someone with experience and objective, un-attached knowledge. Sharing that secret board of yours with your planner will help them pull ideas, pics and inspiration for the suppliers they help you source and all those quotes? They will be narrowed down for quick options and this alone will save you hours of planning time.
But mostly, a planner will help with the more “admin” side of things and allow you to just enjoy the first few weeks of celebrations while also helping you plan ahead to stick to an agenda of what needs to get done in order to focus on more important things for your day.
DO THIS
When it comes to weddings, there’s no getting around it, you’ll be spending money…and probably a lot of it! No matter what your budget is, how hard you try or how DIY/intimate you make yours, weddings cost money! But while I was very thankful we were in a position to not go into debt for our wedding, one of my biggest getting started tips is to do your budget. Personally, the “B” word is on the same list as all the other “starts with a letter of the alphabet” words. But keeping an updated budget will help keep you on track even if you are a bride like me (with a very financially-savvy Fiancé) who you need to convince about a) buying cute custom cake toppers for a cake you weren’t going to order or b) booking a videographer you weren’t going to book or c) finding the best bridesmaids gifts ever and going kinda crazy with giving gifts on your day.
SYSTEMS THAT SPEAK TO YOU
Something else I did back when I was a bride was set up a wedding – specific Gmail account. This way all my wedding correspondence, all of our quotes and all the updates from our planner was recorded in one accessible place. Of course, I colour-coded my heart out! But find a system that works for you so you can have a quick “at a glance” snapshot of where you are in the planning process.
MANAGE EXPECTATIONS, ESPECIALLY YOUR OWN
You are allowed to have as many wild, wonderful, beautiful, crazy, fun, dreamy ideas as you like. (Your planner will most likely sit, listen, absorb and indulge you!) But then, most likely, they will help you re-align your expectations according to your budget and help you set realistic visions for your celebration.
STAY TRUE TO YOU
While it’s important to manage your own expectations (and let someone help you with that) it’s also important to manage the expectations of others. Most importantly your groom of course, but also your bridal party, your family and guests. It’s tough “these days” wanting a wedding that is unique, different and special but also finding a way to match that with traditional expectations.
While it’s really really important that while you love, honour and respect those around you, you need to stay true to the ideas and vision that’s closest to your heart. Whether it’s a wedding dream you have had since you turned 4 or a new idea that you think, and really believe, will add an aspect of “you” to your wedding, do it. Bonus tip: Plan it all out with your planner. Ask for help to make it happen. Listen to advice. Consider opinions. But always stick to your gut and stay true to you.
Need more help bringing your dream day to life? Schedule your complimentary consultation with me and let’s get chatting!
