Firstly, CONGRATULATIONS!!! You are now in the official Bride or Groom-to-be club and wow are you in for the best time of your life. There is nothing more exciting than preparing for both of you saying ‘I DO’ and having a party with your most loved.
As I write this, of course we are going through a pandemic and that must be very daunting for newly engaged couples as everywhere you turn there is a lot of chat about how Covid 19 has messed with many weddings. What I would say is, Park all Covid thoughts and just enjoy your planning journey. There will be challenges particularly around viewing venues etc but there are ways and means around all parts. Thank god for the good ‘oul zoom as most wedding businesses are able to meet online and help you through your enquiries.
You’re probably wondering where to start…..
Before you pick up a phone to a supplier or starting throwing deposits around the place, I strongly advise that you sit down together to start mapping the day you both want and look realistically at budget. Those first few engaged days can sweep you away and you may end up going down various rabbit holes only to be disappointed.
When you sit down, you both need to decide: Numbers, Time of Year, Style, Home or Away. I have a complete list in my book. The big piece is that you both agree your non-negotiables. By this I mean, one might be dead set on a particular band and another of a season (e.g. Christmas). Once both of you get your piece in and can agree funds and numbers then you are ready to take the step of engaging with suppliers.
Once you define the numbers of guests, you are going to be multiplying this number by the venue price per head as this is going to be the main bulk of your costs. If you are looking at a venue that charges €99 per head and your numbers are 100, straight away you are hitting €10,000 without adding on the other pieces. The average cost of a wedding is between €24,000 to €30,000. You will need to have a straight conversation about how you will fund this. Some of you will have savings already sitting there and others will have to save. Some parents may assist but ultimately you need to know how you are going to fund and be clear on what both of you need to bring to the table.
I have a section within my blog for couples starting out and you can read through the posts that will help you at the earlier stages. On top of that, I offer two free downloads – A budget template and a check list. My ebook is €4.99 and hard back is €14.99 and all of the above will keep you on the straight and narrow as you plan the biggest day of your life.
I hope this was helpful xx
Tune in to my Instagram where I regularly do Q&A’s and Lives to help you on your journey.
Good Luck xx
Sara
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