Once the excitement of your engagement starts to settle down, the realisation that you have a wedding to plan can seem very daunting. You’ll probably have a lot of noise around you: other people’s ideas, the never ending stream of Instagram and Pinterest images, not to mention discovering how vast the wedding industry is. 

So, take a deep breath, grab a pen and paper and follow these steps: 

Write a wish list

The first step is for both of you to write down the top three things that are important to you at your wedding. This is a good way to check you are both on the same page and you can then combine your individual wish lists into one. 

Look at your finances and set a budget 

Next, I know it’s painful, but you’ll thank me later. Go through your finances, talk to anyone who has offered to contribute and set a realistic budget – with a contingency.

Thank you to the wonderful Tanya Flannagan Photography for the images on this page

Compare your wish list to your budget 

Now, pick up your wish list again and compare it with your overall budget. Do you think you can realistically achieve what you want with the budget you have set? Obviously you can’t magic money out of thin air, so this is a good time to consider your compromises in order to avoid disappointment later. 

Create a Pinterest board 

Head back over to Pinterest and start a board for your wedding. Even if you don’t know exactly what you want, just start pinning images you like and you’ll soon see a style developing. Your Pinterest board is also really helpful to share with suppliers as it helps us to quickly understand the style you like. Honestly, when a couple send me a Pinterest board I do a happy dance!

Choose 3 venues to visit 

Finally, now this is a big one and I could do a whole blog just on this topic. Collate a shortlist of venues, then pick your top three and arrange to visit. Be prepared to not be able to visit straight away, especially if you are looking during the spring/summer, as lots of venues won’t show you around when they have a wedding on. Hopefully you’ll find your dream venue from your top three, but if not, reconsult your list and start again. Focusing on three at a time should help the overwhelm! Your venue is your anchor, so once you have it booked you can start sourcing your other suppliers. 

So, when you get home from work tonight, grab your pen and paper and get started. There’s nothing to be scared about and if you get stuck, send us your questions through our enquiry form and I’ll be in touch.