The Diary of a Wedding Planner
Grab a coffee, notebook and pen. Sit somewhere comfy while we dive into planning
your dream day.
Some people dream about their wedding from growing up, some people have clear
ideas of the cake or dress they want, and others haven’t really thought about it before
getting engaged. Whether you’re already organised with your plans, or just starting to
pin a few ideas together, these wedding planning tips especially put together by our
Haybales Barn staff are going to ensure you feel calm, confident and ready to have
the perfect wedding for you!
First things first, GET ORGANISED…
Easier said than done, we know. But it’s the little things than can make your wedding
planning a lot easier. Start by building a timeline between now up until the week of
your wedding, most couples leave a year between starting planning and celebrating
their day. Buy yourself a notebook/ folder to keep all things wedding in one place,
perhaps setting up a digital folder is more you. Another idea we give to our couples is
setting up a separate email address. If you are anything like me, you receive
hundreds of emails a day and keeping track on the most important ones can be
tricky! With a separate email address you both can log on and keep hold of the
important bits and bobs you need. It is also essential to involve your significant other
in the planning process. After all, your wedding day should be a reflection of both of
you as a couple.
Lets get into the top tips…
1. Pinterest is an amazing tool for anything you need inspiration for especially
wedding planning – not only can you look for things that you like, you can also
make your own inspiration boards that you can share with your wedding
suppliers. You can get ideas for your overall wedding look, and you can also
show this to your chosen suppliers to help them understand and appreciate
your vision. Most venues and suppliers will also have an account so check out
what they have posted too.
2. Check out your wedding suppliers on Instagram too – not only to see
whether they are a good fit for you, but so you can see the latest trends and
styles to give you extra inspiration for your own wedding.
3. Lets talk traditions, make a note of a few that pop into your head. There’s so
many wedding traditions that you might want to include in your wedding, but
lot’s have become less popular in the past few years, being replaced with more
modern traditions or even left out altogether. There’s no rules here, it’s YOUR
wedding so don’t feel like you should do things a certain way just because it’s
traditional. But similarly, if you connect with a tradition or it’s important to
your family then that’s absolutely fine too. Make this day your own.
4. Style… there are lots of these you can follow or create your own! Are you
going for a relaxed festival vibe? Colours? Or traditional white? Once you’ve
decided on a wedding style, whether it’s for the whole wedding or for your
dress – stick with it. The more you keep looking, the more overwhelmed you’ll
get by all the possibilities. Once you’ve found something you love, trust your
decision and stop shopping.
5. Wedding Fairs are an amazing place to meet suppliers and gain inspiration
for your wedding too. You’ll get to chat to lots of local businesses and see
what’s available, don’t ever feel pressured to book on the spot. You are allowed
to go away and do your research and book in the future.
6. Get wedding insurance. This is something at Haybales Barn we always
recommend! Whatever size of wedding you are planning, you need to make
sure you’re covered in case something goes wrong.
7. Guest count… Count the family, friends, aunty Susan's, uncle Dave's and
maybe plus ones. Get a rough idea of your wedding numbers before you start
looking at wedding venues. You don’t want to fall in love with a venue that
can’t accommodate your numbers and then have to turn it down or trim your
guest list.
8. Work out a budget. There’s lots of advice online and tools that can help you
factor in all of the different expenses. Many of them will also allow you to put
in any quotes and booked suppliers so you can easily see if you’re on track.
Break up your budget into the main parts of your day and ensure to include a
side budget for any extras that may occur in the process, even smaller things
like tea lights and candles, it all adds up!
9. Send Save the Date cards early. These are especially helpful if your wedding
isn’t going to be a while and can ensure that your guests keep the date you’ve
got clear before the official invitations arrive. We would highly recommend
this especially if your wedding is in summer season, when people usually book
holidays.
10. Try not to book everything all at once! It’s so easy to get caught up in the
engagement excitement and book the first things you see but take your time.
It’ll be much more fun. Yes, there’s things to prioritise such as the wedding
date, venue and photographer first, followed by the dress, outfits,
entertainment, decorations, stationery and then everything else will follow.
11. Time management is key, give yourself plenty of time to think and talk to
each other before making decisions. Don’t be afraid to spend a bit more where
it’s needed and on things that are important to you both as a couple. This can
be time or money, you want amazing memories of your wedding and your
guests to really enjoy the atmosphere and the day for all of the right reasons.
12. Put together a wedding day timeline/ plan of the day and remember to
factor in any travelling time. It’ll be a really handy thing to have when
deciding on key factors of your day such as to serve extra food and what time
your evening reception should start.
13. Make a shortlist of wedding suppliers you’d like to meet and have
consultations with, with up to 3 options for each. If you are having multiple
meetings with different suppliers it can quickly become overwhelming and
makes it much harder to make decisions for your day. Ensure to book in for
taste tests too where applicable. If you are struggling to find local suppliers,
ask your venue!
14. If you are having fresh flowers, speak to your florist and let them know what
time of year your wedding is. They’ll be able to help you choose flowers that fit
with your colours and style and that are in season which will be a more
sustainable option and save you money too!
15. Make sure you have a contract with each of your wedding suppliers and
check it thoroughly to make sure the details are correct before you sign.
These aren't designed to be scary. This should outline what you require from your
supplier and in turn what your supplier requires from you as a customer.
16. Finding the perfect wedding dress and suit is a process all in its own. I
recommend starting your search and collecting inspiration after you choose a
venue and completing anything that needs to be ordered in at least 9 months
before the big day. This will give you enough time for fittings and alterations
too. Shopping for suits can be scheduled for around the 5 month mark.
Wedding dress shopping can be daunting, but our advise is don't discount anything.
A lot of Brides have a style and end up with the total opposite. Don't stress, your
dress will choose you!
17. DIY Wedding Décor elements can be cost effective and a nice way to add
some incredibly personal touches to your wedding. However, don’t go
overboard, or you’ll end up with more work than you know what to do with!
Some DIY projects can be done well in advance such as welcome bags, any
photographs you’d like to display etc. but for the wedding day things like food
and flowers, professional help is best.
18. Try and set aside some time for family and friends who’ve come a long way
to celebrate your wedding. You may not have a lot of time during the wedding
itself so it’s nice to make an effort to see them for a drink in the days before
the wedding or maybe invite them for some lunch the day after too. At
Hayables Barn we have accommodation onsite for 10 people for the whole
wedding weekend, some other venues may do the same!
19. Don’t put on anything that might leave marks on your skin on the morning of
or week before your wedding if you are getting a spray tan or lucky enough to
see some natural sunshine – thing about your dress and potential tan lines!
On the morning remove socks, bras or putting a hair band around your
wrist. You don’t want bra marks showing above your lovely strapless dress,
similarly remember to remove your Apple Watch.
20. Once your wedding day arrives, forget everything else! This is
your day, so relax and enjoy it!
20 tips may sound like a lot, but it’s these small hints and suggestions that’ll save you
mountains of worry and stress whilst you’re in wedding planning mode. Trust us we
have been there!
Above all, remember don’t waste your time trying to make your wedding
perfect by someone else’s idea of what a wedding should be.
Make it a day that’s all about you both as a couple, with all the things and people you love.
Haybales Barn xx