5 Ways to Save Yourself From the Hassle When Planning Your Wedding
As a bride- or groom-to-be, you may be finding out that planning a wedding may not be as easy as you thought. You may have this dream picture in your head, but are fast realizing that you have a lot to do to achieve it. In order to have an easy and lovely wedding you may need to go to the drawing board and execute things better.
Below are some ideas to help you along the process:
1. Make the budget first
This is especially for important for brides, because as you leaf through magazines and fairs, it’s easy to get carried away on non-essentials, and you’ll end up without money for more essential things. Begin by honestly assessing how much you have as a couple, and how much you can expect from other people. This should be done as soon as possible after the engagement, even before setting a date.
Make a list of the must-haves e.g. you must have food. You’ll need wedding equipment (tents, chairs, venue, decor, etc.) and arrangements for photography, entertainment and transportation. Vendor prices vary in different areas, and by starting early you have time to compare vendors and products extensively before settling. You also need how much your wedding dresses will cost.
2. Have an off-season wedding
Try to set a date for the least sought-after seasons of the year, which will help you get lower prices because there is less demand. In addition, off-peak seasons give you a long list of vendors to sift through. For instance, a winter wedding might be an option to consider; there are plenty of indoor décor themes that are just as beautiful, and things will cost less compared with having a spring or summer wedding when most people want to wed.
3. Organization is everything
Event success depends on planning and little else. For a wedding, you should have running lists of things to do and get, such as the equipment rental list, shopping list, service providers to contact, guest list and contributors among others. Apart from these, have a master list outlining all tasks and arrangements being made. In this age of smartphones, much of the hassle can be taken out by setting to-do reminders for everything. It’s easy to forget to call back for feedback or an appointment you made with a supplier as the day of the event approaches. Set up reminders as you book them, and add everything to a diary you carry everywhere. Having someone you trust to assist can help take the pressure off doing everything yourself.
4. Work with a theme
A theme takes care of many of the planning nitty-gritties. Most rental equipment suppliers have everything you need for various themes, so that you can source for all your equipment from one person (fewer suppliers means less to track). There are endless theme possibilities, and you can also work with the supplier to create your own unique theme. Themes make weddings more enjoyable for guests, and provide useful ideas to base all aspects: food, entertainment, activities, dress code etc.
5. Think about the food
No one will remember anything good about your wedding if your menu was wanting. If you’re having caterers, consult them early on to design a menu that fits into your budget. Your theme will also dictate the foods you can have. You will need to know if the caterer provides waiters to serve guests or you will have a buffet-style self-service. Remember that less manpower translates to fewer costs. If you’re on a very tight budget, you can have servers at the buffet to regulate how much guests take of each type of food.
You can also make arrangements to have a separate supplier for drinks to be served with meals and drinks that customers can buy for themselves. If you’re having an open bar, talk to a wine supplier about how many drinks you’ll need to buy for guests to have a good time. He/she will help you with a selection of wines/drinks based on their experience and your budget. Go the extra mile and make plans for guests to get taxis from the event to avoid instances of the guests driving home drunk.
Weddings mostly happen once in a lifetime and so you need to have a memorable one. This will be achieved if you plan early enough. You also don’t need to kill yourself with tasks, you can have family and friends to help you with the planning if you can’t afford to pay a planner. Take as much rest as you can and avoid stress, for you need to look beautiful and glowing on your special day.
