The date that you set for your wedding will determine what you can really tie down in terms of details. Particularly if you’re having a longer engagement. How far in advance is the right time to start planning your wedding?
Guest List
Having a good idea of how many of your friends and family you want to have with you on your special day will help you with working out your budget as well. Sometimes this step is one of the last to be decided. But it is very important especially when decided the size of your venue.
Generally if you are inviting people from out of town you should expect approximately 60% of the guests invited to attend whereas if you are inviting people who live close-by 75% of people to attend is a rough estimate. So this is definitely one part of the planning you can think about as soon as you get engaged.
Budget
Your budget is what will ultimately dictate most of the important aspects of your big day. This is the vital aspect you should focus on before thinking about venues or caterers. Sit down with your fiancé and have the conversation before you get too excited look at photographers or venues. Decide what you have already saved and what you can save together for your big day. With a little research, you will be able to find wedding planners who can offer you great value.
Style
This is something that you really want to have established before you start planning anything else as it will set the scene for everything else. There are so many different styles of wedding its impossible to list here. Everything from the type of venue to your invitations will be influenced by style. Therefore style should be the first thing you and your fiancé think about.
Venue
We recommend booking as a priority. This confirms your date and putting down a deposit will guarantee no-one else grabs your dream venue. Do not forget that venues can often be filled up a year or more in advance. That being the case it is a good idea to make enquiries early. A full year out is a good timeframe for choosing a venue. Anything over 2 years may be a little too far in the future for some venues to consider you. Its important to know how many people you are going to invite as some venues may have a capacity due to health and safety laws. Most likely the venue will heavily influence when and where you have your wedding. For instance, if your ideal date is quite a way away it is more likely you will get that venue.
Vendors
Aspects for which you need to hire a professional such as photographers and videographers, bands and DJs, and florists should be booked at least a year in advance, so you should start thinking about this early. Hire those vendors that are important for you, such as the perfect photographer to capture the moment are vital to arrange early. (For more in-depth explanation of how to organize all of the above check out The Wedding Book by Mindy Weiss).
The Dress
One of the things it is generally safe to leave for a little later is your dress. As you would be surprised how many brides dislike their dress. That does not mean that you cannot start looking at dresses as soon as you get engaged, resisting doing so would be difficult. But ordering your dress and scheduling any fittings should generally begin a couple of months from the wedding. Although you should bear in mind if you prefer a designer dress it can be up to a 9 month wait. As for bridesmaids dresses you should give yourself roughly 6 months, this also gives time for your chosen bridesmaids to purchase the dresses.
Timing
A year is probably a realistic point for the majority of your planning. As a lot of vendors will be reluctant to speak to you before then. But there’s no reason why you can’t think about your style, budget, and guest list before then if you need to have a long engagement for whatever reason. And of course, it is never too early to start saving up.
Remember, for some couples planning a wedding can be exhausting and overwhelming and difficult to know exactly where to begin. As a general rule of thumb 50% of your budget should go towards the venue, the cake, catering, and rental. 12% will typically go to photography and video capture, 9% to hair, make-up, and wedding dress. 8% to décor involving floral and lighting, 7% to entertainment be it a DJ or if you decide to hire a live band. 3% of the budget typically goes to the wedding planner. A further 3% to the invitation cards and the remaining is shared between miscellaneous expenses.
This of course is not a hard-and-fast rule but more of a rough guide as to how to break down the respective wedding expenses. This is important of course as when you contact various companies and professionals whose job it is to organize weddings. Their initial query is most likely to be what your overall budget is. One thing that is frequently over-looked in the wedding preparations is transport. Especially if the ceremony and reception are in different locales. And is also a good idea if guests are staying in the same hotel or accommodation as the wedding couple. Another thing that is occasionally over-looked is rentals, for example: tables, chairs etc.
Final Thoughts
Will special lighting be used? Will the band/DJ require a stage and if so, how big? Will the venue have a PA system? If you are wanting a dancefloor for the reception that is another thing to consider. A handy tip is to hire from as few hire companies as possible. As most hire companies will have a minimum rental clause so keep it to 1 or 2 companies if possible.
Last but certainly not least. The minor considerations such as the wedding accessories and gifts for attendees. Invites etc. it is preferable to order these things all at once as some vendors may offer promotional codes where you can save a stack of cash. Of course, there is no ‘right’ way to organize a wedding. But hopefully this rough guide helps you to decided how far in advance you should begin planning your wedding and what to do to make the day memorable.
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