Organising your Wedding - Top 10 Tips

Organising a wedding is a daunting experience. Here are ten tips to help you:

Write a To Do list:

1. Start now. List all the things that you MIGHT have to get organised. Leave plenty of space between each To Do so that you can make notes about it as your enquiries develop. Some people find it effective to divide a piece of A4 into eight boxes and have a To Do in each.
   
   
2. Spread the load
   Dish out the To Do list to people who you trust. Each person could be given a specific task such as "get flowers and options for flowers". Spreading the load will take pressure off you and make the experience enjoyable.
   
   
3. Agree a budget and stick to it
   It is very easy to let costs run away if you have not agreed a budget.
   
   
4. Speak to friends and families
   You will know many married couples. What advice do they have? Think through the weddings you have been to - what did you like? What did you dislike? List everything that you think could work for you. I really liked the guitarist at............ The reception at.......... etc.
   
   
5. Trawl Professional Wedding Organiser websites
   There are many companies that will organise your wedding for you. You might choose to use a wedding organiser or to simply trawl their website for useful tips, resources and reference sites.
   
   
6. Decide where you are going to get married and book it
   Many of the arrangements for the day will depend upon your chosen location and date. The people who will support your wedding are likely to be booked many months in advance. Getting the when and the where sorted out will give you a solid foundation for the rest of the important details. It will be difficult to arrange anything else until you know the WHEN and the WHERE. When planning the date consider:
• The weather
• The availability of the important people
• Whether some huge event may interfere with your wedding location or reception
  
7. Book the reception
   Do you know where you would like the reception? Try to visit a few possibilities and speak to the staff. Will the reception work well if the weather poor? How far is the location from the wedding? How will your guests move from the wedding to the reception? Is there a local hotel?
   
   
8. Prepare your guest list
   Not always easy. The number of guests will be determined by your budget and choice of location. Remember it is YOUR day; invite the people you want to be there,
   
   
9. Make sure you know (and like) everyone who will be supporting on the day .
   You must know and trust your vendors. A lot will be depending on them on the day. Employ experienced professionals and try to politely turn down offers from well meaning friends and family to take the wedding photos or video.
   
   
10. Plan for every detail.
    Plan everything that must happen between today and the wedding. Re-write your To Do list in time order and work through it with tenacity.