Planning a wedding can be overwhelming at times and with so many elements to complete before the big day arrives, it is easy to become flustered. However, we are here to help you organise your big day step-by-step with our 12-month plan.
Find The Venue And Pick The Date
When looking to choose a venue it is paramount that you have a time of year in mind. With a rough date, you can look at the potential venues and picture them in your chosen season. Although the weather conditions are not always predictable, it is important to be aware of these factors when choosing the location for your big day. For example, an outdoor wedding in the UK could present issues during the winter months as it will be cold and uncomfortable. We also recommend that couples book the ceremony after they book their wedding venue date, as time slots can be taken up very quickly with registrars, especially during peak wedding season.
Find The Perfect Dress
Arguably one of the most important elements when organising a wedding is the all-important dress! Although you may think that you can leave this until closer to the wedding, this is something that should be chosen early on. This is due to the possibility that it may take considerably longer to find your dream dress than you originally thought, but you may also need some alterations made to your dress.
Organise And Send The Invites
By this point, you will have a venue and a date set in stone, so it is time to design your invitations and send them. When you design your invitations, make sure that they fit in with your theme, if you have one, and take your time making sure that they are exactly how you want them. Additionally, you need to make sure that you have given your guests plenty of notice to increase the chances of them being available for your big day, so send them with about 8 months to the wedding.
Confirm Your Guests
You must find out how many guests are going so you can make any alterations to your catering. What’s more, you will need to create a seating plan at this point, so will need to know how many chairs and tables you will require.
Pick the Hair And Makeup
Hair and makeup are crucial for your big day as they help you to feel even more like a princess. With planning and preparation, you can have your chosen hair and makeup artist booked in advance and have a number of consultations with both scheduled to ensure that you know exactly what you want. Whether you decide to opt for a natural look or something a little more daring, the choice is completely up to you. If you leave booking this until the last minute, your favourite artist may be too busy, plus you won’t have as much time to have a practice with different hair and makeup styles.
Book The Band!
During the halfway point, most of the key elements of planning should be completed. The dream dress should have been found, you should have the date finalised and the venue booked, which means now it is time for the band! It is important to ensure that you book the band way before your wedding. Therefore, if they are not available for some reason, you can find an alternative that you like, instead of just choosing any band at the last minute.
Order The Wedding Cake
Once the band has been booked it is time to actually order the wedding cake. Since the sample date, you will have had plenty of time to think about which flavours you and your fiancé liked the most.
In addition to booking your wedding cake, now is the time to book your catering menu. Once again, sample sessions are suggested to ensure that you are going to enjoy the meal on your wedding day. Booking your favourite foods should be done sooner rather than later so that we can make any last minute adjustments if needed, in good time.
Organise Your Bridesmaids And Ushers
By now, you will already have chosen your bridesmaids and ushers and informed them. With 4-3 months to go, it is important that you ensure that they have something to wear. This is particularly important to do at this point as the suits or dresses may need any alterations made to them.
Buying Gifts For Guests And Trial Runs
During this stage of the planning process, run-throughs of both hair and makeup for the bridesmaids is crucial. Plus, if it has not been done already, the bride-to-be must also have a trial run of her chosen hair and makeup designs. This is key as this ensures that you have time to change anything that you don’t like before it is too close to the wedding date.
It is also important to ensure that you have purchased gifts for guests, including the Best Man and the Maid of Honour to say thank you to them for helping out with the big day. By buying these in advance, you can make sure that this little detail does not get forgotten.
Final Touches
With only 2 weeks left until the big day, all that should be left to do is make any final touches, such as table settings and any additional decorations. Make sure that your dress fits, you have shoes and check through your list to make sure that everything has been ticked off of it.
As you can see, there is plenty to be done ahead of your big day, but don’t think you have to take it all on alone. Accept help where needed and make the most out of those around you. This day is supposed to be a stress-free celebration of the love between you and your significant other so remember that and try to enjoy the planning of your wedding.
Need help with booking your wedding venue? Get in touch with our team to book a viewing at St Audries Park, today!
