A wedding is one of the most important days in a couple's life. While a wedding is very exciting, there's a lot of planning and details that need to be tended to. To ensure your wedding lives up to your expectations, consider these wedding planning tips.
Stick to Your Budget
From the venue and menu, to the wedding dress and flowers, wedding expenses can quickly add up. Before you start planning, it's important to set a realistic budget that you feel comfortable with. From the get go, plan to stay under the amount you've budgeted. Create a list of your top priority items, including must-haves and big-ticket purchases, and handle those first. Save your wish-list items for later on in the planning process. Should you come close to your budget cap, then those items can easily be cut out.
Determine Your Number of Guests
Before you book a venue, you need to determine how many guests will be on your invite list. While you don't need your guest list finalized, you should at least have an estimate of how many people you will invite. Also consider whether you will grant your guests a plus one. This helps ensure you have enough space for your guests, the tables, waiters, band and dance floor. Once you have your guest list mapped out, you can start to consider wedding venues.
Develop a Timeline
Develop a timeline to map out due dates for all your tasks. Maintaining a schedule helps keep you on track, as well as minimize stress. Many wedding websites and apps have wedding planning checklists you can utilize when creating your timeline. Allow yourself enough time to get everything done.
Optimize Your Spending
Get the most out of your wedding budget by making every dollar count. Most couples don't have the cash to pay for their entire wedding upfront, so they need to use credit. Designate a specific credit card for your wedding purchases, and use a card that offers rewards, such as cash back or airline miles for your honeymoon. Don’t forget to pay off the balance in full to avoid additional fees.
Don't Let a Friend be the Photographer
When planning a wedding, it's always good to look for areas where you can save. But, choosing an amateur photographer is not one of those areas. It's best to hire a professional photographer and videographer, rather than giving the job to a friend. Your wedding pictures and video serve as a timeless reminder of your special day, and you want to make sure they come out perfectly.
Your wedding is an important milestone, and planning your dream day is supposed to be fun. When planning your wedding, don’t lose sight of what's most important— celebrating your love!