Thousands of weddings happen across the country every day. Some will have been the result of years of planning, while others may have been pulled together in the space of a few short weeks. In any case, each wedding needs the perfect ingredients to make your big day extra special. With the year drawing to a close, people are already making plans for their 2019 weddings. Promises of new wedding dress trends, exotic honeymoon destinations, and fresh color palettes are keeping every bride and groom on their toes. To make sure you start your planning off the right way, it’s wise to follow some essential tips.
Establish the basics
Numerous people start their wedding preparations without any ideas in mind. This can lead to confusion, stress and rising costs, which is why it is always recommended that you find out some key basic features of your day before planning is in full swing. For example, knowing the size of your wedding: whether you want a large one, or a more intimate gathering.
To make sure you remain organized throughout your planning, it’s a good idea to store your wedding ideas in one place, keeping magazines, contacts and inspiration in a scrapbook. If you start off on the right foot, you can be assured that you will encounter minimal stress along the way.
You must always remember that your wedding should be about what you and your partner want, rather than what everyone else is telling you. Although taking on some advice is valuable, it is ultimately your wedding.
Once you have determined the key elements of your wedding, you can then set a budget. This budget must account for every aspect of your big day, but you should also set a back-up budget. This back-up fund will be your saving grace in times of financial stress, where problems can be solved without eating into your everyday savings.
If your budget is not within your ideal price range, you can use it to see where you can cut costs. Some people find that re-working a vintage dress, or pulling in favors from friends and family can be a huge help. However, if you wish to have each small detail of your dream day, you can always start saving in anticipation. Yard sales and couponing are both great ways you can do this. You could even set a later date for your wedding, which will give you more time to save.
Keep track of new trends
The fashion industry evolves to new heights every year, and weddings are no exception. If 2018 was anything to go by, 2019 is also set to be full of new wedding ideas. You can use these to bring your visions to life. The easiest and most affordable way of doing this is by investing in wedding magazines, which will chart all the up and coming trends for the months to come. Some people also like to visit wedding showcases, where dresses, shoes, and floral arrangements can be seen. The best thing about these trends is that you don’t always need to spend lots of money to recreate them.
If you have no time to dedicate to keeping up to date with modern trends, there is no need to panic. In fact, there are some timeless pieces in most good wedding stores that will enable you to plan a classic, beautiful day.
Consider the best time of year
Some people envision winter wonderland settings for their special day, whereas others would rather have their ceremony blessed by blue skies and warm weather. With people wishing to plan a local wedding, this is often the deciding factor in when people set their wedding date for. For those choosing to ignore seasonal regulations, you can always head further south for better weather conditions. If not, overseas weddings have always been a popular option for those seeking vivid sunsets and sunny days.
There is nothing quite as magical as a winter wedding, meaning some wedding planners will choose to venture up north or wait until the holidays. The only thing to bear in mind when planning a winter wedding is that there are many national celebrations occurring around this time, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. These dates are something to take note of if you want your entire guest list to attend.
Don’t forget the honeymoon
When you are caught up in planning your wedding, it is easy to forget about the romantic aftermath. Your honeymoon is the first vacation you will be taking together as a married couple, so it should never be neglected. Some people even prefer it to their big day, with honeymoon planning acting as a fun break from wedding planning.
As with weddings, honeymoons have changed over the years. Where they used to be reserved exclusively for couples, they now encompass what it means to be married in the modern world. This means that some couples choose glamping retreats over beach getaways, and others may choose to bring the whole family along to share in their memories. Those hoping to do this can find a blissful family-friendly resort to stay in. If you are hoping to take a much-needed break from wedding planning, you can always visit some prospective destinations to help you decide.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.
kristen visser says
Great tips and post! I will share this with a good friend of mine who is getting married late next year
Stephanie says
Thanks so much for sharing!
Julie Barrett says
When you first get engaged, most people have no clue where to start with planning and organizing the biggest day of their lives (unless they’re lucky enough to afford a wedding planner) so these tips are really helpful!
Stephanie says
Thanks! With weddings I think you need all the little tips you can get!
Amie says
I just love weddings ! There is some really great tips here ! Im sure the planning can be crazy , following tips like this could really help make your day and the time leading up to it so much better ! Love your tip about the honey moon to , I agree , don’t forget the extra time planning it and making it just as wonderful ! Both will just as memorable that way !
Stephanie says
I think my next post needs to be about Anniversaries. We need to celebrate those too 🙂
Nicole J says
Really important to not forget the honeymoon when budgeting!
Stephanie says
The honeymoon, when planned properly, can be the sweetest way to kick off that married life.
Angela Chiao says
Great tips for wedding planning! 💕
Stephanie says
Thanks so much! It was a pleasure to share them.
Holly Daniels says
Great tips! We kept our wedding small, and even then it was a bit overwhelming. We were married the beginning of October, 2 days before Thanksgiving. Thankfully that wasn’t an issue for us. The weather that year though… terrible. It felt like it was August. So much for fall, lol!
Stephanie says
Isn’t crazy how you can really never count on the weather! I’m sure your wedding was still wonderful.
Jason S. says
Great tips!
Stephanie says
Thank you Jason!
athena says
I definitely had a check list for mine!
Stephanie says
I even had check lists for my check lists!
Jay M says
Great tips! I had a super small wedding (every thing was written down on one piece of paper 🙂 ) but I can appreciate all the work that goes into a big wedding! So much preparation! It kind of stresses me out just thinking about it (aaand that’s why I had a small wedding!)
Stephanie says
I adore that you know exactly what you wanted and went for it. Every wedding should be exactly what the bride and groom dreams of. 🙂
Cheryl Grandy says
So many things to do to plan a wedding. I used lots of checklists for mine.
Stephanie says
So did I! Checklists and budgeting were key to keep that perfect day on track.
Katherine O says
I miss wedding planning. Looks so beautiful
Stephanie says
Wasn’t it the best! I can chat wedding, wedding planning and travel (ok and babies) forever!
kathy downey says
Thanks for sharing all the tips,I do love Summer wedding !
Stephanie says
Thanks for reading! Wedding planning can be so much fun.
nicolthepickle (Nicole Graham) says
So much planning goes into weddings. Thanks for your tips.
Stephanie says
It’s a pleasure to share! Thanks for reading 🙂
Roxanne Cossette says
These are such great tips! Well it looks like my husband and I forgot to take our honeymoon haha! It’s out of the budget now!
Stephanie says
Never too late to have a Honeymoon 🙂 Maybe you can start saving for that next year!
lori says
these are great tips for those about to get married
Stephanie says
Wedding planning can be overwhelming, sometimes you just have to start 🙂