10 Things To Think About When Planning A Wedding
Getting married is one of life’s big milestones. And as is usual with these milestones, there’s a lot of work involved! If you’ve met the one and you’re ready to tie the knot, then you’re in for one of the best days of your life. But before you get there, there’s a lot to think about, and a very long to-do list to get through before you walk down the aisle.
To help you get there, here are 10 things to think about when planning a wedding - and not just the wedding day itself.
1. Are you really ready?
Before you get ahead of yourself, you need to ask yourself if you’re truly ready for marriage. While you may be at the stage of your life where your friends are settling down and getting hitched, you need to make sure it’s with the right person - for your sake and theirs. Most of the time, you’ll know if it’s right, and if it doesn’t feel like the right thing to do, take a step back and think about your next steps.
When you are ready, start planning the perfect proposal and set the wheels in motion.
2. What does the future look like?
In addition to planning a wedding and marriage, you need to think about what the future looks like too. Do you both want children? Do you want to stay in the same place or move to a different city or country? There’s a lot to figure out about the rest of your lives together.
It’s also good to protect yourself in case something goes wrong. Knowing the details of a good marriage lawyer could come in handy one day. You might also want to think about setting up a pre-nup and having some open conversations about your finances.
3. What is your budget?
Planning a wedding is a lot of fun, but it’s also incredibly expensive. From the venue and food/drink costs to elements like photography and a band, things will soon start to add up. Do your research on typical wedding costs to help you work out what you’re up against, and help you cut some costs. You’ll then have a realistic idea of what you can spend before you start looking at venues and vendors, avoiding disappointment down the line.
4. Who should be on the guest list?
Writing a guest list for a wedding can be highly stressful. Ultimately, you want all of the people you both love in one room, but it’s important to draw the line somewhere. Do you want to keep it to close family and friends, or are you willing to open it up to other relatives, work colleagues, etc? You may have some tough decisions to make based on how big you want your wedding to be and what’s realistic and affordable.
Just remember that a small wedding can be as special and magical as a large wedding.
5. What responsibilities will you take on?
Many people (mistakenly) think the wedding planning is all up to the bride, but it’s important for the groom to play a part too. Work out between you who is responsible for what, and play your part to make sure you do your share. There are plenty of things you can do to help cut wedding stress and make sure everything goes according to plan.
6. What personal touches can you bring to the day?
Your wedding day should be what you and your bride-to-be want it to be, so how can you make it unique and special for the two of you? From your music choices to your decor, bring in elements that celebrate both of you and your relationship for a day that you will really enjoy.
7. How can you support your partner?
Brides can experience a lot of wedding stress. There’s a lot of pressure and a lot of decisions that need to be made. But it’s easier than you might think to be the partner she needs during wedding planning. Listen to her, support her, and only try to fix things if she wants you to. It won’t always be plain sailing, but you can get through it together.
8. Who’s going to be in the wedding party?
Here’s a fun one to decide as the groom - your wedding party! Here’s where you get to decide on your groomsmen and your best man, which are important decisions to make. Assign the roles sensibly to make sure it’s not only someone you care about, but someone who can do the role justice, too.
9. What will you do if you encounter some problems?
Hopefully, your plans will go smoothly, but it’s always good to be prepared just in case. Think about having a plan for:
What happens if you go over budget (this is where a contingency fund can come in handy!)?
What if the weather isn’t great on the day?
What will you do if you encounter problems with guests in the lead-up?
How will you manage problems with suppliers?
Having a plan in place for these types of events can be a big help if something goes wrong. Talk with your partner about how you’ll tackle problems, and most importantly, try not to panic. Most things have a workaround that will mean everything turns out fine, or better in the end.
10. What happens after the wedding?
And finally, once the big day is over, what comes next? Will you go on a honeymoon? Take some time off from work? How will you settle into married life? The post-wedding blues are real, so it’s good to think about what the next six months to a year looks like to give you plenty of things to look forward to, so you can really make the most of the newlywed period.
As you can see, there’s a lot more to planning a wedding than simply popping the question. With so much to consider before, during and after, it’s good to prepare yourself for what lies ahead. When you do decide the time is right, you can prepare for one of the best days of your life, followed by many more adventures as you embark on married life together.
Related:
