Planning a wedding a can be stressful. However, in this blog, I break down what you need to do to plan your wedding in manageable steps.

I know that many couples choose to hire professionals to manage their wedding plans, but there are also plenty of reasons to take a more DIY approach. 

Whether it’s because you have a tight budget, or you’re creative and it’s been your dream to plan your own wedding or a different reason entirely, you can create your own dream wedding. 

Give Yourself Time

Ideally, aim to give yourself as much time as possible. This enables you to make decisions without feeling either rushed or pressured. 

You will appreciate time to speak to people, get references, meet your wedding team and overall, help you to feel confident about the decisions that you are making. 

Get Organised

Being organised will be a great advantage if you are planning your wedding yourself. 

You can use checklists, spreadsheets, Google Sheets, notebooks, beautiful wedding planners and apps that can help you stay organised. 

The apps and planners will have ‘To-Do Lists’ with checklists that you may not have thought of before! 

Did you know that you can also use Prismm (previously AllSeated) for visualising seating charts and venue layouts – so much better than a oversized piece of paper and hand drawings that we had over 20 years ago – I’m not an artist so this wasn’t pretty! 

Stay on Track with Your Wedding Expenses

Starting with a budget is one of the most important things you can do when starting to plan a wedding. Use a Wedding Expenses Planner like this one. It’s easy to use and as it’s a Google Sheet, you can share it with each other! 

Look at how much money you have. How much do you already have saved? How much could you contribute each month? Will anyone else contribute? 

Once you have the numbers, you can be clear how much you can spend. But before you do, reduce that final number by 15% and leave that as a buffer. You never know what extra costs you will have to pay for. 

I clearly remember paying for the wedding dress but then the alterations cost more! I had no idea! 

Talk to friends about their wedding experiences and ask them what they remember and what they would do differently. 

I would highly recommend a weekly ‘meeting’ with your future spouse. Just time where you can touch base, look at the numbers using this Wedding Expenses Planner and discuss your thoughts, ideas and plans. 

Make a List of Your Wedding Priorities

Sit down with your partner and think about the most important aspects of your wedding. 

Think about;

The date: spring, summer, autumn or winter? Think about the weather! 

Day of the week: Typically, week dates are less expensive than the traditional Saturday.

Time of day: Would you like to get married in the morning or in the afternoon?

The venue: will you get married and have the Reception at the same venue? If you have a particular venue in mind, you’ll want to book early. Popular venues and dates fill up quickly.

The photographer: do you have someone in mind?

The music: DJ or live band?

Who are the most important people to have at your wedding? If they live overseas or have already booked a holiday – make sure that they can make the date! 

Discussing all of these things will help you to discuss the budget and help you keep on track of the spending! 

Make a wedding guest list

One thing that you need to discuss is what size of wedding would you like?

Do you want 10 people on a beach or 2000 people in a very big house in the country?

The main thing to remember is that the number of guests that you invite will have the greatest effect on your wedding budget. 

Who would you like to invite?

Sit down separately from your partner and create a list of everyone that you would like to invite. 

Start with the obvious list – parents, grandparents, siblings and best friends. 

An important point here is that if your parents are paying for the wedding, they might like to have some of their friends attend too. This is always a good point to check! 

Check your budget and calculate how many guests you can have. 

Then you can start adding other friends to the guest list – depending on spaces available and how many friends you have! 

Another thing to consider is: do you want children at the wedding? This may be controversial but if you would like an adults only wedding, that’s your choice. However, you will need to know that this could cause conflict with guests who have children. It’s important to be very clear on all communication and be prepared for some guests to decline your invitations due to the ‘no children’ rule.

Take engagement photos

Your engagement will only last a few months of your life, so I encourage you to take some engagement photos!

Not only will these photos help you to remember this time of your life, they will also help you to feel comfortable in front of the camera too! 

Plan an engagement party

An engagement party is a fun way to introduce friends and family to meet and get to know each other… as well as celebrating your engagement! 

Communicate expectations

Communication is key. 

During this time of preparation and planning, it’s always best never to assume. Always ask questions and over communicate with friends and family, wedding planners and vendors too. 

It’s Okay to Ask Questions

You may have 1001 ideas running around your head. Be sure to write down any questions that you may have – and don’t worry about how silly they may sound. Write them down to ask friends, family and wedding vendors. 

When working with vendors, be sure to ask questions, check and double check that they can provide what you want. And another top tip is to read every contract before you sign it. I would highly recommend that you get a trusted friend to read it too, just in case you miss anything! 

It’s also ok to ask for advice. Seek out friends and family whom you trust and whom you can go to for advice. 

Choose your wedding party

A wedding party isn’t necessary, however, many couples want be surrounded by their best friends. Asking them to be your bridesmaids and groomsmen is a great way to involve them in your big day! 

Make your wedding registry

You can never make your wedding registry too early. Although we didn’t want at registry at our wedding. – we wanted guests to donate to our favourite charity, guests still wanted to bless us with gifts too! 

My one tip would be to make your registry early. Everyone will appreciate the time that you have given them to choose a gift for your special day! 

Create your wedding website

Wedding websites are so helpful for both yourselves and your guests! 

A wedding website is a helpful tool as it is where all the relevant details of your wedding day are! It’s a one stop shop!

The website holds all the key information: date, time, dress code, transport, hotels and much more!

It’s also a place where you can show off your engagement photos!

Just don’t forget to update it! 

Insure your wedding

Wedding insurance is an insurance that can help protect you from unexpected issues on your wedding day. It can cover a range of events, including:

Cancellation

If the venue cancels or a supplier fails to provide their services, you can receive a payout to rearrange your wedding

Loss or damage

You can be covered for loss or damage to your wedding dress, rings, gifts, cake, and other items

Illness or injury

If you or a close family member falls ill or is injured, you may be able to postpone your wedding

Extreme weather

If severe weather occurs on your wedding day, you can be covered for rescheduling expenses 

You can buy wedding insurance up to two years in advance of your wedding date. It’s generally recommended to buy it as soon as you’ve booked key parts of your wedding and have an idea of the overall cost.

It may also be worth considering insuring your engagement ring and wedding rings too. You can can purchase jewellery protection as an extension of your homeowners policy. 

Consider a Pre-Nup

A prenuptial agreement, or “pre-nup,” can be a practical consideration for couples looking to protect their financial futures and establish clear expectations before marriage. While it’s not the most romantic topic, a pre-nup can help safeguard individual assets, clarify how debts will be managed, and outline financial arrangements in case the relationship ends. For couples with significant assets, business interests, or children from previous relationships, a pre-nup can provide peace of mind and reduce potential conflicts. Ultimately, it’s about fostering open communication and ensuring both partners feel secure as they embark on their married life.

Have money conversations

Getting married is one of the most significant decisions you’ll ever make. While love, commitment, and shared dreams often form the foundation of a marriage, finances play an equally critical role. However, many couples shy away from discussing money, thinking it’s not romantic or that it might cause unnecessary tension. Yet, research shows that financial problems are one of the leading causes of divorce. 

So, read the blog below and start talking about money!

Read more: 10 Money Questions to ask your partner before you get married.

Plan your honeymoon

After your big day, you’ll both enjoy some much needed rest and relaxation. So take time to think about what kind of honeymoon you’d like and when. Remember, you can take a mini honeymoon and plan a bigger get away at a later date. 

Keep Perspective and Have Fun

Finally, remember to enjoy the wedding planning process. While details matter, don’t let the small things get the better of you. 

This is your wedding, and it’s meant to be fun! Focus on what truly matters, take deep breaths, and enjoy! 

If you’d like to work with me to find out more about my coaching programme, Discover Financial Success As A Married Couple, leave a comment below and we can schedule a call for the week ahead.