Here are five tips for planning your wedding.
With the cost of weddings on the rise and more and more couples trying to tackle the big day on their own, planning a wedding can be overwhelming. Trying to navigate the internet can be mind-boggling at times too. There is so much information out there that it’s difficult to find sound advice. Where does one even start when it comes to planning your wedding?
Our company has coordinated and catered hundreds of weddings. We’ve seen it all. Whether we’re coordination or simply catering a clients wedding, we try to share as much advice as we can to help the couple out. We understand the stress of planning a wedding and wanted to share some sound wedding advice with all of you.
Here are five tips for planning your wedding.
5: Budgeting Your Wedding
After the two of you have celebrated your engagement and kissed one another till your lips were chapped, the best place to start is planning your wedding budget. A good rule of thumb is:
50% of your budget goes to your reception (venue, food, drinks, etc)
10% for attire (bride, groom, accessories, hair and makeup)
10% to flowers and décor
10% to music or DJ (ceremony, cocktail hour, dance, sound equipment)
10% to wedding photographer and/or videographer (prints and photo books)
3% to favors and gifts
2% to ceremony (site fee, officiate, miscellaneous)
2% Stationary (save the date, invitations, programs, thank you cards)
2% to wedding rings (bride and groom)
1% for transportation
4: Whom Do You Invite To Your Wedding?
When couples first daydream about their wedding they often want to include everyone to celebrate this special occasion with. However, having a large wedding is a sure way to add dollar signs to your day. Cutting 50, 20, even ten guests from your list can greatly cut down the cost of your wedding.
It’s good to make two lists.
Create one list for the people that must attend your wedding. These people might be family members, best friends and loved ones. This list does not mean your next-door neighbors or your best friend from elementary school that you haven’t spoken to in four years, only the nearest and dearest. The people you can’t live without.
Create a second list that includes extended friends, colleagues, classmates, along with your next-door neighbors and that best friend from elementary school that you haven’t spoken to in four years.
Now take a look at your budget. With fifty percent of your total wedding budget going to your venue, drinks, food, can you afford to invite 300 people? No? Than it’s time to start cutting people from your second list until you get down to what you can afford.
It might feel harsh to cut people out of your wedding. You might also feel like they may be hurt that you didn’t invite them, but chances are you won’t miss them for one day and they’ll get over it. After all, this is your day, not theirs. You will also find that a small wedding allows you better quality time with the people you love.
3: Make a Date Night of Your Weekly Wedding Planning
It’s good to have regular wedding planning meetings to stay on top of your wedding. Chipping away as you go will be much more enjoyable than scrambling to tackle it all in the last few months. Instead of sitting around the dinning room table staring at a computer screen together, why not have a little fun and make a date night out of it.
Grab a note pad or your tablet and brainstorm your wedding at a coffee shop, a picnic at the beach, or over dinner. This is especially helpful during the brainstorming faze of planning your wedding.
2: Combine Catering and Coordination
One of these easiest ways Eco Caters helps wedding couples is by catering and coordinating their special day. This allows you to cut out the middleman between your coordinator and catering company, it’s one less person to hire, and this ensures that your wedding timeline and your food and bar timeline are in sync. It’s a no brainer.
Eco Caters offer several different levels of wedding coordination to help fit your budget and needs.
1: The Number One Tip to Planning a Wedding? HAVE FUN!
Planning a wedding is a lot of work and it can be stressful at times. You and your partner will more than likely butt heads on some tastes, expenses, and traditions, that’s normal and to be expected.
It’s good to remind yourself that this is your and your partner’s wedding and not to fret about what everyone else will want and expect. Have a good sense of humor and enjoy the ride! Planning a wedding is a rewarding experience and its nice to enjoy it along the way.