Most engagements will take place between Christmas and Valentines. If you are recently engaged and about to start your wedding planning journey, I always recommend starting as you mean to go on by getting organised the right way.
By asking these four questions, you should get a clear vision to what your perfect wedding day looks like:
- When do you want to get married?
Time of year can affect the style and budget. It is important to a have an idea of what time of year you would prefer. There can be price differences between peak times of year versus slower months, and mid-week versus weekend.
2. How many people do you want to bring?
Ah yes, the ultimate debate! Here lies the first wedding planning quarrel! You will need to decide if you both want a big or small wedding. Once you start to think about size, start logging all names in a spread sheet. This will be your blue print to coordinating your budget, table plan and invitation list. The first question every venue will ask you is ‘how many guests?’. This will define price and suitability of venue
3. What type of venue or location are you thinking of?
Once you know the size of your wedding, you can start to rule out certain venues or locations. By type of venue I mean; castle, hotel, marquee or stately home to name but a few. Location could be abroad or within Ireland. Many couples are opting to go abroad for an intimate reception but returning home for a larger, less formal party.
4. Do you have a budget in mind?
This question works in tandem with the previous questions. What you want and what you can afford can be two different things. At this point you may want to start to think about how much you can both save and the timeframe available to do so. If the average Irish wedding costs twenty four thousand euros, and you wish to get married in a years’ time, you will both need to save two thousand euros per month. You may have savings already which will take the pressure off your main total to save. You may also need to understand if you need financial support from family? Or will you need a loan? You may not know how much to expect to pay, but once you start shopping for your wedding items such as venue and band, you will start to get an idea and then establish if it is affordable.
Once you have answered the initial questions, you should have a better idea of what you want. This will allow you to focus your time more effectively.
An example of what could be established:
- Autumn to Christmas Wedding
- Friday or Saturday
- Wedding ceremony at the venue
- One hundred guests. No more than one hundred and twenty and no less than eighty guests.
- Venue style is a castle, exclusive venue or stately home.
- Location is a maximum of 1 hour from Dublin
- Budget is total twenty thousand euro’s including honeymoon.
Having a summary like this allows you to focus your efforts.
If you would like to learn more about planning your wedding day, I have written ‘The Ultimate Wedding Planning Guide’ which is available in Eason’s Book Stores and online at here You will learn how to plan your wedding with ease and save some money along the way.
Comments are closed
