1)      Setting your BUDGET

Before you start planning your wedding, you need to know what you’ve got to spend and who is paying for what. This may involve a slightly awkward conversation with your families, but being up front now is essential. The largest part of your budget will be spent on your reception venue, food and drinks followed by your wedding dress, décor, entertainment, photography, videography and any other smaller miscellaneous expenses, although not necessarily in the same order. Add 10% to your budget for contingency in case of inevitable extras which may arise along the way. Once your budget has been set, be sure to keep track of costs and know when payments are due to each supplier.

2)      Stage by stage PLANNING

Viewing your wedding in its entirety can sometimes be a little or somewhat overwhelming, therefore seperate the day into key elements; the ceremony, drinks reception, wedding breakfast etc. For each element consider the décor, flowers, catering, entertainment etc. We create mood boards for each element; this is something you may also find useful to do.

3)      Perfect TIMING

Timing is everything to ensure your BIG day goes as planned. When booking your venue allow for set up time either the night before the wedding or the morning of, some venues may charge you extra for this but it will be money well spent.  Arrange for your suppliers to be onsite at least 60 minutes before they are required, it’s best to get them there early! Lastly, create a detailed running order, the one we create is minute by minute which ensures that nothing goes a miss and the day is seamless.

4)      Clear COMMUNICATION

Clear, concise communication with your suppliers is essential, bullet point your exact requirements ensure they know exactly what you want and likewise be sure of what they will deliver.  Carefully review your supplier contracts to avoid any nasty surprises and do not be afraid to raise any points you are unsure of or are not happy to agree to. One week before the wedding reconfirm the arrangements with each of your suppliers to check that all is ok, do not leave anything to chance.

5)      CO-ORDINATION

To enable you to truly relax and enjoy every moment of your day, appoint a reliable and organised person or team to oversee and make sure your day happens as planned. You will need to provide whoever you appoint with the running order, details of who is doing/providing what and a contact list for all your suppliers. They will also be the main point of contact for all your suppliers should they have any issues. Most venues include an Events Manger for the day, but they tend to only deal with aspects pertaining to the venue and what they are providing, this therefore leaves other important aspects such as flowers, décor, entertainment and sometimes catering (if you are using external caterers) etc managed only by your suppliers with no one to oversee them.

Helpful, hints & tips provided by Perfect Events.

For assistance planning your wedding contact us on 07866 364 436 or nicole@perfectevents4all.com