UK Wedding Planners

Share Their Top Wedding Planning Tips!

Planing a wedding must be a both exciting and daunting task I’d imagine. I get to go to a lot of weddings as a wedding photographer though I’m never really involved in the planning process. Although I’m married myself I don’t really remember the planning stages of the wedding that well. I’m always trying to think of ways to help my brides when it comes to their wedding but I’m pretty limited with most of my knowledge being based around photography. I’ve written articles such as How to find the right wedding photographer and How to look amazing on your wedding day. Though these articles and the others I’ve written don’t really help you “plan” your wedding.

So I went and found people who did know how to plan a wedding and have had lots of experience in doing so. These wedding planners below who have been super kind to share with us. Have been hand picked by me. I really wanted planners who could really add value to brides and grooms.

I hope you enjoy this tips from these incredible UK Wedding Planners and I’m sure they would love to hear from you if you have any questions.

Please make sure you give them a follow on social media! They’ll be giving away more advice and inspiration there too!

Wedding Planning Tips From Mirabella Weddings

Take your time – and be clear on what you want

Once engaged, it’s easy to get swept up with wedding planning and jump straight in. But first, enjoy your engagement! Celebrate, celebrate, celebrate – and then let the planning begin.

Before you start booking anything, make sure you do your research and be really clear in terms of what you both want (and don’t want!). With engagements typically ranging from 12-24 months, it can be a long time, during which your tastes and preferences can change. Browse Pinterest, Instagram and blogs galore to find out what you do and don’t like, and create a list of priorities for the day. Whether it’s focusing on food and wine, a big blow-out party with music galore, or all about the flowers and styling, by establishing your priorities up front, you can make sure you allocate budget accordingly and reserve enough for what matters most to you.

By being really clear on what you want, you can also ensure your wedding remains exactly that way – your wedding. Once you start planning, you’ll often find lots of family and friends will want to offer input and opinions. Whilst this is often valuable, it can sometimes be overwhelming – so be clear and stick to what you want. It’s your day, so do it your way!

Start with the budget!

It may not be the most exciting or glamorous parts of wedding planning but coming up with a budget is always one of the most important places to start. Be clear not just in terms of what you can spend, but what you’re prepared to spend (after all, we all have houses, cars, holidays and other expensive purchases we need to juggle alongside!). Factor in any existing savings you have, any contributions from family, and anything else you can save between now and the wedding – then allocate a rough split against the key suppliers, ensuring your priorities are covered.

Keep a record of your budget throughout to ensure you’re staying on track – and always factor in a buffer as there are always little ‘extras’ that add up!

Enjoy the process

Getting engaged should be one of the most exciting times of your life – and yet once the wedding planning begins, it can quickly become stressful. Whilst social media may make it look easy, the beautiful photos of the end result don’t necessarily show the countless hours of hard work, prep and decision-making that have gone in behind the scenes.

The average wedding takes 200-300 hours to plan. Support each other as a couple and divide and conquer when it comes to tasks. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed, whether from a wedding planner or family and friends.

Avoid wedding-overload by allocating specific times throughout the week to plan – and try to have some days where you don’t mention the ‘w’ word! By setting out clear time to sit down together and discuss (opening a bottle of fizz helps!) you can ensure the process stays enjoyable, and that you both have equal input.

Even if you’re comfortable with the planning side of things, make sure you enlist plenty of support on the day. The day is yours to enjoy, and you want to be able to relax and enjoy it fully (champagne in hand!) without worrying about whether your suppliers have arrived yet or whether everything’s running to time. Hand over the reins to someone you trust and enjoy the day you’ve been looking forward to for so long!

About Mirabella Weddings

Run by Rachel Overall, Mirabella Weddings plan laidback luxury weddings and honeymoons for style-conscious, fun-loving couples. Offering straight-talking, honest advice and support, Rachel works closely with couples looking to design their dream wedding or honeymoon – guiding them through the process and ensuring it is as smooth and enjoyable as possible, managing all the logistics and details, and turning their visions into reality, to create lifelong memories.

Testimonial

“From the moment we met her she was extremely organised, listened to everything we wanted and made the planning process fun! Rachel made sure that we were completely relaxed and were able to full immerse ourselves in our special day. Everyone needs a Rachel!”

Jenni & James, December 2018

Find Out More About Mirabella Weddings

www.mirabellaweddings.co.uk

www.instagram.com/mirabellaweddings

Wedding Planning Tips From Hall & Co Event Design

Think about what is important to you and your partner. Don’t think about other weddings you have been to, wedding ’traditions’ or other people’s opinions. Every wedding should be unique in some way as it should reflect the people getting married.

Have a realistic budget from day one of planning. Whether it’s a little or a lot then work with what you have. Receive quotes from suppliers you want to use to see what you can afford. Get yourself an incredible photographer & videographer before inviting 200 guests! Why not have a smaller day celebration and a larger evening party so you can spend the budget in other places?

Our final top tip, work with the seasons! From food to flowers, when you decide to get married speak to your suppliers about what your vision is. So many flowers are only available at certain times throughout the year, design a menu with your caterer to use the best produce available and something everyone will enjoy whether it’s snowing or the hottest day of the year.

About us:

Hall & Co Event Design are a multi-award-winning full-service events company offering planning, catering, styling & floristry. Based near Cambridge, travelling across the East of England and Internationally, they specialise in wedding weekends at multiple venues, private homes as well as destination weddings. They offer a Fresh, Imaginative & Personal service tailored to every client and their budget.

Past review:

“WOW – what a weekend!! You guys were nothing short of amazing, we wish we could do it all over again. Your efforts made sure we had the wedding day of our dreams! Watch this space for the 5-year anniversary”.

Find Out More About Hall & Co Event Design

https://www.hallandcoeventdesign.co.uk

https://www.instagram.com/hallandcoeventdesign/

Wedding Planning Tips From Your Fabulous Wedding

Agree Your Budget 

I think it’s really important to sit down before you do anything else and agree the budget for your wedding.  

You need to work out how much you are willing to spend on your wedding as well as being realistic about how much you can afford to spend.   Take into account any savings you have, any contributions from family as well as how much you can spend each month.  

You don’t need to have all your budget in place up front but you will need to pay deposits to secure suppliers so you need to be comfortable that you have enough money available to do this. 

I think it’s crucial to agree your budget right at the outset of your planning so you don’t face difficulties further down the line.  You both have to be comfortable with the cost of your wedding.  

Create a way to track your spending and any upcoming payments you need to make.  A simple excel spreadsheet will work well for this and ensure you can easily see how much you have spent and how much you still owe.  

Breaking Down The ‘To Do List

Now I’m all about a good list but having one enormous list can be totally overwhelming and actually stop you making any progress.  

So break that list down into small chunks.  Maybe think about what you need to achieve each month and just focus on one month at a time.  From there you can break it down further into weekly priorities.  

And don’t be afraid to ask for help/accept offers of help, especially as you get closer to the big day.  

Be Yourselves

I always encourage couples to have a wedding day that suits their personalities.  Don’t feel pressured into having the type of wedding day that your family or friends think you should have.  

You don’t have to comply with wedding traditions if you don’t want to.  It’s fine to mix things up and have the day that you want. 

About Louise

Louise is a professional wedding planner based in South Yorkshire.   She works throughout Yorkshire but is happy to travel further too. 

Louise offers a range of planning services which are all tailored to your needs.  So she will do as much or as little as you need and you’ll never pay for services which you don’t need.  

She’s friendly and supportive and will ensure you enjoy planning your wedding with her by your side.  

“Louise has made our wedding journey an absolute joy” Rosie & Scott. 

Find Out More About Your Fabulous Wedding

www.yourfabulouswedding.co.uk

https://www.instagram.com/yourfabulouswedding/