The question of how to begin the wedding planning process is a common one. No matter how far in the future your wedding is, whether it’s 6 months or two years,  the place to start your planning, is always your with budget. Most of the stress that couples encounter regarding their wedding has to do with overspending. The other main two areas that cause stress, are the couple not really understanding what it takes to plan a large event such as a wedding and finally the couple thinking they can do everything by themselves and not asking for help.

The way to resolve these three common but fundamental pitfalls are:

 1. to work out the budget right from the start and stick to it.

 2. Give yourself enough time to plan the wedding.

 3. Delegate as many tasks as you can.

Deciding what to spend your wedding budget on is all about give and take, especially if you are planning a wedding on a small budget. Your priorities will be your guide on which items you are not prepared to compromise on. Once you’ve decided what your priorities are you will then need to adjust the remaining elements of the wedding to fit the remainder of the budget.

A wedding is a big project, so think of yourself as the project manager. It’s important that you give yourself enough time to research each element of the wedding and make sure you do your homework with regard to cost and the best company to supply the services you require. Taking the time to do this should mean you get what you want, at the right cost from the best suppliers within your budget. Never forget though the best laid plan do sometimes fall off the rails, so always have a contingency plan or plan B, in the event that you slightly over spend or a supplier let’s you down.

No project manager works alone. They will always have a team who they will delegate tasks to, as they recognise that it’s all about team work. Just think for a moment – your getting married, how many people do you think will refuse your request for help?  99% of those you ask will be really happy to help, as you are trusting them to get involved in your big day.

Remember:

BUDGET - Not only is it important to figure out what your budget is, but also how you want that money to be spent. What are you priorities? Your dress? The  reception? Your photographs? Everyone’s priorities are different, you just have to discover what yours are.

TIME – It takes an average of 250 hours to plan a wedding. So the longer you have to plan your wedding the better it should be.

DELEGATE – No bride or groom for that matter is superhuman. You need to understand that it’s impossible for you to do everything yourselves, so learn to delegate. We understand that there are going to be tasks you will want to do yourself, but there are lots of tasks, others will be able to help with. You just need to recognise your limits.

If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please email patricia@weddingacademy.co.uk or call us on 0800 0467009. Or you can become a fan on Facebook or follow me on Twitter@weddingacademy1