Top tips for planning the perfect wedding celebration by Zainab Alsalih, managing director of Carousel weddings.
The most important tip I can give for planning a great wedding, is simple: pick a good planner, and then enjoy the ride. However, I know you are expecting a bit more advice – so here it goes.
Whether you want a big traditional day or a small and intimate affair, your wedding planning doesn’t have to be stressful. Whilst it can seem an overwhelming task to be planning the biggest day of your life, there are many ways in which you can make your wedding preparations easy and hassle free.
Begin your wedding planning as early as possible. Whilst it is perfectly possible to plan a wedding within three months, most couples will have a planning period of six to 12 months. Beginning early will give you the best possible chance of being able to book your first choice for venues and vendors such as photographers, especially as the best of these can be booked up many months in advance.
Decide on your wedding date first, as everything you do from that point forward will depend on your chosen date. If your budget is tight consider having your wedding on a weekday, which are usually less expensive than the popular weekend wedding, and always choose two or three dates in case your first choice is unavailable.
Download as many tools as possible from the internet to help you with your wedding planning. Look for budget planners, checklists and free websites and apps to help you get organised and to keep your planning on track within your chosen time frame.
Delegate some of your wedding planning to others. Get your groom to order the suit for the groomsmen, book the wedding transport and organise the entertainment. Ask your maid of honour to help with the other bridesmaids, help you make the wedding favours and decorate the venue before the wedding day. Ask your mother in law to organise the rehearsal dinner and the best man to collect the flowers and wedding cake.
Double check everything. Two weeks before the wedding day ring all your vendors and suppliers to ensure everything you have ordered will be ready and on time. Call them again the following week or a couple of days before the wedding. When you make a booking double check all the details and get them in writing before signing any contracts and always ask about anything you are unsure of.
Choose a style and theme for your wedding party as it will help you to coordinate all the details. Styles can be traditional and formal or semi-formal and informal, whilst themes can range from historical events/periods to glitz and glamour, natural, flowers and romance. Choose a style and theme which reflects your personality and taste and try to coordinate colours and details to it.
Again, hire a good wedding planner. You can hire a wedding planner to organise the entire day or just a part of it such as the ceremony or reception. This can be useful if you are very busy with other things such as work or have a very short timeframe till your wedding, and not only will your wedding be a well planned affair, it will also be one you are able to enjoy thoroughly, and look back upon fondly.
Carousel plan weddings and baby showers among other events.
