Sound Out Availability From The Outset
A year is the minimum amount of notification you’d usually give for a wedding to ensure all the people you want can make it. But you might need longer for service providers or professionals. If you were looking at Christophe Viseux Photography, or a key DJ or wedding entertainers, you might want to sound out their availability right away. This doesn’t necessarily mean booking them, as you might want to price up a few businesses to see what's going on but being able to rule them out from the outset can narrow your mind. Avoid disappointment and do your research. Only part with your deposit if you are absolutely sure you want to go ahead with them. The same applies to your nearest and dearest. Don’t slap down deposits if you wouldn’t want the wedding to go ahead without close friends or relatives. Check with them first. They might already have a holiday booked or maybe they might even have another wedding to go to. Check the availability of bridesmaids, groomsmen etc. A lot of people will send out a save the date before they actually send invites, so they can be sure the recipient will be able to attend, or at such an advance date that there is likely nothing else that they’ve already committed to.
Home or Abroad?
Getting married abroad has become more popular over the last few years. Primarily because the cost of domestic weddings has skyrocketed. It means you can get abroad for a similar price. Use caution, there are a lot of aspects you need to be aware of. Are you paying your airfare for guests? If not, you might want to give them more notice so that they can book appropriate flights at decent rates. There’s a lot to think about with a wedding that’s abroad. You need to look at the legal side of things too, to ensure everything is done above board. You can find a specialist planner to make sure all of this is done right, but you can do it yourself too if you’ve got the time to apply the research. Just make sure you get it done properly. You wouldn't want to come home to find out you aren’t legally married.
Consider Off Peak
If you were looking to save a little money, see if you can get married off peak. This means either side of the popular summer periods. You risk adverse weather of course, but this can be mitigated if you plan ahead and choose the right venue. A place which has the inside space to utilise just in case you get rain on the day. You can set up to enjoy the outside, but if the worst happens have an alternative. It isn’t always available, but it sure is better than just keeping your fingers crossed. You could also just try to go with the weather. You see a lot of winter wonderland weddings happening these days. They’re a great idea, especially if you live somewhere where you get guaranteed snowfall.
Keep Proper Notes
Throughout the planning of your wedding it’s a good idea to keep a proper, up to date notebook. Here you can ensure all the key data is kept in one tidy, organised and easy to manage place. Think about key dates, phone numbers of caterers or venues etc. You can make a list of people who have been invited and whether or not they have RSVP’s. Think about dining plans and colour schemes. Are people vegetarian? There’s a huge chunk of information you need to consider and may need to refer to when speaking to other people. Be organised. It makes such a big difference.