Wedding Planning - Do It Yourself...

It can be tempting to avoid the whole wedding planning fiasco by hiring a professional, but these individuals do not come cheaply, so taking charge yourself can be an excellent way to save a great deal of cash. Wedding planning is an art and a lot harder than it looks, so don't underestimate the time and effort that you will need to put into even the most basic of weddings. Wedding Planning - The Basics The basics of wedding planning is to be organized and thorough; it is well worth having at least one extra person to help you with the arrangements, two heads are most certainly better than one when it comes to wedding planning. A great way to start is to make a list of the dates and items that simply cannot change, for example the venue or the key guests. This is fundamental, as all other aspects can be altered and planned around the key items. Secondly, when it comes to wedding planning, it is important to decide on the 'feel' that you want for your wedding. For example, do you want your wedding to have a relaxed or informal theme? Is there a common hobby or activity that you can draw on as an underlying idea for your wedding? For instance, do the bride and groom both love dogs or do they both enjoy water sports? A very simple lead can be just enough to get you started! Wedding Planning - Behaving Like a Professional Wedding planning professionals are generally individuals who are full of ideas, are organized and can get the most out of providers. Whilst a professional may have many ideas at their fingertips you will have to look around and think carefully about what you are hoping to achieve. Why not get ideas by asking friends and relatives what they have seen in recent weddings that worked particularly well (or indeed did not work at all), so that you can take the best ideas and ditch the worst! Stay organized. Keep accurate records of everything that you see and do. Go overboard with your records as, at some point, you are almost certainly going to be in the position of not being able to remember where you saw that special item! When it comes to wedding planning, communication is key. Make sure that all providers are fully aware of what you expect, when you expect it and what you expect to pay. Get everything in writing and ensure that you tell everyone if there is any change (no matter how small it may appear). Be professional, be realistic and keep the suppliers informed; believe you me it will really help to ensure that everything runs smoothly.