Wedding Planning Tips: Everything You Need to Know

Let’s be honest, wedding planning can be very stressful.  while many couples choose to do the majority of the planning themselves, especially if their wedding is a large affair, professional planners are frequently hired by couples to assist with managing their weddings. Since there are so many unique personal considerations, only you may be able to see them more clearly. Additionally, even if you hire a wedding planner, you must remain involved all the way through. It is therefore advisable to make a checklist and check each item off individually rather than taking everything at once. We’re here to remind you that while planning a wedding can be a little challenging, it is still possible to pull off the wedding of your dreams if you keep a few Wedding Planning Tips in mind.

First and foremost, organisation is essential to keeping the planning process on track. While making judgments about various aspects that affect the wedding, you must keep in mind the deadlines and checklists. And don’t forget to  Include your significant other in this phase as well. Your marriage need to be symbolised by your wedding.

Most probably, you’re confused about where to start. We’ve got you covered, though. Just keep in mind one extremely crucial thing: Try to enjoy yourself! After all, this is your wedding.

Here are some tried and tested Wedding Planning Tips that will surely aid you in executing your big day flawlessly.

#1. Set Your Wedding Date:

Setting a wedding date is the first step in planning an Indian wedding. You will most likely be given a date that will be a favourable day for wedding after taking into account all the customs and conveniences. Setting a date for your wedding will make it easier for you to plan for things like guest travel and traffic flows. A fixed date is also necessary to easily schedule vendors.

#2. Best Is To Start Early:

Everyone agrees that you should have enough time to prepare your wedding, and this is the one thing we all stand by. This implies that you should begin early and spread out your planning. Make sure you leave yourself enough time to arrange the wedding before you start any kind of planning. Your buddy is always a longer timeline. Aim for around a year, if you can. In this manner, you will also have enough time to make backups of everything.

#3. Set A Budget Before You Begin:

It’s essential to set your budget before you start the planning process. The wedding’s style will depend on your spending plan. Include your partner in this process so that you can decide how to divide costs and select things like design and venues, among other things. Make sure the overall wedding budget includes expenses for your attire, hair and cosmetics, shoes, accessories, nail treatments, etc. Determine your spending limit, look for wedding locations, and within that limit, choose your meal menu, aesthetics, and general appearance. It will also enable you to narrow down your choices.

#4. Discuss The Budget With Your Family:

You can begin planning the remaining tasks once you have a budget. Involve your family and the family of your spouse in the budget decision-making process instead of making it alone. Take their suggestions and see how much they can help, especially if they have experience with the wedding tango. Also, if any of your family members want to contribute to the budget, think about asking them to make a contribution to a particular wedding vendor or aspect over which you feel comfortable delegating responsibility, like flowers, music, or one of your costumes.

#5. Create An Estimate Guestlist:

Whether you’re planning a destination wedding or one that is more regional in scope, you must always create an anticipated guest list. Estimating the size of your wedding will be simpler if you have a guest list available. This will also make it easier for you to plan who you want at the main wedding banquet or reception as well as who you want at all of your other events. You will be better able to understand your vendors, such as your photographer, caterer, venue management, etc., with the aid of this projected guest list.

#6. Decide A Theme:

Themes, locations, wedding venues, and guest lists are among the big concepts that go into wedding planning. There are also minor things that can make a stunning difference. Therefore, once your wedding’s budget is determined, you can begin thinking about a theme. Either an overarching theme that sets the mood for your wedding or a theme broken down by functions where each function stands for something. Additionally, you may always come up with colour schemes for your wedding if you’re not set on having a specific theme (if you find that kind of thing too restrictive). This will enable you to pay closer attention to details such as décor, clothes, venue, food, etc.

#7. Use Wedding Apps To Help You Plan Better:

We have benefited a lot from the digital era. Apps for wedding planning are one of them. There are several free apps available that offers wedding planning tips and can assist you in planning your wedding. They can help you choose the theme, decorations, outfits, and locations. Additionally, they assist you in managing the procedure without stress and staying on schedule!

#8. Choose a Venue:

The next phase in your planning is selecting a location/venue. Whether it’s a local wedding or a destination wedding, picking and reserving a location is essential. Therefore, you must conduct some market study before deciding on a location. Read online reviews, visit multiple wedding locations, request price quotations, and make sure to compare the services they offer. Additionally, think about your wedding’s theme. Does the location fit your sense of style? Are the amenities there what you want for yourself and your visitors? Do they offer catering or décor? You have a lot of expectations for your venue. Make a list of these requirements and check each off at the locations you’ve chosen.

#9. Prepare A Wedding Checklist:

You can stay prepared by making a wedding checklist. You can write it down in a diary or wedding planning notebook, use Excel or Word, or even go the old-fashioned method. Once you have your list prepared, you may work on one problem at a time while keeping track of what has been completed and what is still pending. You’ll notice that certain items drop to the bottom of your list as you organise and prioritise your list. Do yourself a favour and entirely cross them off your list if you don’t think they’re required or significant. You’ll wind up saving time and money in this way.

#10. Planning According to the Weather/Season:

Every season is wedding season when it comes to Indian weddings. So, You must therefore make necessary preparations whether your wedding is in the summer, monsoon, or winter. You must make arrangements for an air conditioner or perhaps an indoor venue if the wedding is in the summer. You must get ready for rain if the wedding is during the monsoon, and you must get ready for the cold if it is during the winter. Similar to this, you must create a backup plan in case the day of the wedding is marred by unpredictable weather. No matter the weather, choosing a banquet hall is always a safe choice, but if you have an outdoor event, you should be ready to transfer the party indoors.

Also Read: How To Plan Your Dream Wedding: The A to Z Guide

#11. Don’t Be In A Hurry:

Never being in a hurry is one the most important Wedding Planning Tips to keep in mind. We frequently goof things up when we’re in a hurry. For this reason, we advise that you begin the planning process early. Whether it’s your bridal lehenga or the drinks at your bar, always do your research and weigh your options before making a final choice.

#12. Discuss & Create Your Menus:

The next stage is to plan the cuisine for your wedding. In general, wedding venues will assist you with catering; however, if they don’t or if you have a certain catering company in mind, it’s time to get in touch with them. Verify your catering service’s availability during your wedding festivities, the types of foods they serve, and whether they can deliver the menu you desire. You can also choose the type of meal you want at this time, such as vegetarian or non-vegetarian options, vegan cuisine, or food free of onion and garlic. Determine whether or not you want alcohol on the menu and which events need a bar while choosing your menu.

#13. Streamline & Limit Your Choices:

We are aware of your desire for perfection. However, it’s common to become overwhelmed by the countless options available on the wedding market in the pursuit of perfection. So instead of continuing your research—or, should we say, spending too much time scrolling through Pinterest—time it’s to stop. Concentrate on one idea or the concepts you have already chosen, and stick with them.

#14. Reshuffle The Guest List:

Your bookings and purchasing will take you somewhat above the planned budget by this point. So now is the time to go back and start rearranging the guest list. You can cut some unnecessary guests from the list to make it a little shorter. If you reduce the number of guests attending the banquet a little, it might help you stay within your budget because the venue or caterer will likely use a per-plate billing system.

#15. Design Your Wedding Invitation:

All of your wedding invitations should be designed and ready in advance. You may easily DIY a digital invitation for your wedding and even add choices for particular occasions thanks to all the different creative tools available. Alternatively, you might follow convention and work with a wedding invitation designer. While keeping in mind that your invites should be sent out at least a month before your wedding, you will still need to design your wedding invitation and stationery well in advance.

#16. Compare Your Vendors:

Always request quotes from many providers during your study and evaluate the costs of the services they offer. You can also consult your friends and relatives, who may be able to recommend vendors based on their prior dealings. Additionally, constantly examine internet reviews and testimonials to determine a vendor’s reputation and dependability. Today, the majority of vendors are active on social media. Look up their digital presence on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. You can learn more about their job and reputation via their social media posts and comments.

#17. Get Advice From Your Recently Married Friends:

It’s always beneficial to seek advise from your friends and newlywed family members. They have already made the commitment, so they can give you a decent and honest opinion of wedding vendors. They can also recommend trustworthy vendors to work with. Ask them for advice on the planning procedure or the ideas that worked well for them. If their wedding was more like your ideal wedding, it would be beneficial.

#18. Grab Yourself Some Deals:

Many times, people will hesitate from requesting bargains, discounts, or freebies out of concern that they would appear unprofessional. On the other hand, you spend a lot of money on weddings all at once. You shouldn’t be afraid to ask for discounts or offers on services like venues, caterers, and decorators. On a variety of platforms for wedding preparation, you can also find some great offers.

#19. Read The Fine Print!

Make sure you properly read the contracts with your suppliers before finalising your vendor or making any payments. When signing a contract, pay close attention to the small print. Check for any unexpected fees or commitments. The seller should be well briefed on every aspect.

#20. Spare Some Time Between The Wedding & Honeymoon:

Going on your honeymoon immediately after the wedding is not allowed at Indian marriages. Additionally, the entire wedding celebration can put a dent in your wallet for a while. You also have some after-wedding customs that you must follow. Therefore, it’s advisable to avoid taking a honeymoon just after the wedding. You’ll be able to concentrate on one thing at a time and keep the budget under control.

#21. Organize An Initial Planning Meeting With Your Vendors:

having initial planning meetings with vendors: “Prior meetings lay the foundation for the success of the wedding in all aspects where you get to understand each other. By doing this, you can control expectations around budgets, wedding dates, and other key wedding event elements. In order to sleep well and receive a response by the time you wake up in the morning, you might also send emails to hotels, airlines, etc. at night following discussions with planners. You can explain your expectations to the vendor and learn their expectations through these discussions.

What thoughts do they already have? Do these concepts fit the wedding’s theme? How do you make the most of them while staying within your budget to add memorable elements to your wedding? To better grasp your partner’s tastes, brainstorm together. The one that need to demonstrate both of your characteristics.

#22. Hash Out Your Services’ Delivery Date:

You need to make sure you have the delivery date of your products worked out with vendors like wedding card designers, photographers, bridal outfit designers, etc. Find out from the photographer when the wedding photos and videos will be delivered. Get an approximate delivery date for your wedding cards and your lehenga. It can be stressful to fulfil orders before and after the wedding, so be sure to notify the vendors in advance of the delivery date.

#23. Set Aside Some Extra Money:

Every planner, spouse, and parent will tell you at some point or another that you should always set aside some extra money. for unexpected circumstances, such as last-minute increases in the number of guests, additional preparations for unpredictable weather, or even even transportation! Unexpected events always arise at the last minute. Therefore, having this extra money will always be useful.

#24. No-Show Guests:

It’s normal for some guests to skip your wedding. You may guess that approximately 10-15% of the people on your guest list won’t attend your wedding. This may rely on a number of factors, such as the venue of the wedding or their prior obligations. Therefore, always check in with your visitors, even at the last minute, and adjust the guest list as necessary.

#25. Check The Restrictions:

After Covid, we understood the importance of celebrating small weddings despite the limitations. Similar to that, each location has its own set of guidelines that you must be aware of and abide by. Alcohol may not be permitted at some locations, and some may not allow pets. Some places forbid the playing of music beyond a certain time. Therefore, be sure to review these limitations and choose your place properly.

Also Read: 10 Do’s and Don’ts For Getting Ready on Your Wedding Day!

#26. Decide Your Financing Sources Beforehand:

Make sure your payment method is arranged in advance. Your method of payment should be simple, whether you decide to use loans, credit cards, family support, checks, digital platforms, etc. Additionally, you should keep a record of every payment you make for future reference.

#27. Get, Set Shop!