Essentials To Book In Advance When Planning A Wedding

Getting married is a special occasion in every person’s life, but planning your wedding is a big task. Often daunting, occasionally overwhelming, and guaranteed to be all-consuming.

Sometimes having a wedding planner isn’t an option and you will need to consider several things when arranging it yourself, from the guest list to the theme of the day and everything in between (and there is a lot. Sorry, best you know now!).

My advice is to get it done early, split some tasks between you. Enlist those willing members of the bridal party (bridesmaids and parents are all usually happy to be involved to ensure your special day goes smoothly and is unforgettable for all the right reasons.

There are a few essentials that you need to book well in advance to ensure your ultimate wedding goes without a hitch. So here, we’ll take you through these main items and how you can prioritise them to ensure nothing is missed. And best of all, we have written detailed guides for all of these.

The wedding venue needs to accommodate all your nearest and dearest

Wedding Venue

The first item on your wedding checklist should be to book a wedding venue, but it helps to have a rough idea on numbers of importance attendees. Choosing your right place for the ceremony and reception sets the tone for the entire day and is often the most expensive part of the wedding. Popular venues can book up months or even years in advance, so you should start looking as soon as possible.

This decision is influenced by the key part of the wedding, the religious or civil ceremony. The former is usually at a church or place or worship, the latter in a registry office or permitted location (you will need to hire an officiant). Either way, this is where you walk down the aisle, say your vows under the loving eyes of your God, family and friends as applicable.

The second part of the big day is the wedding reception, where you celebrate your marriage and nuptials with these same key people in your lives, and usually some additional evening only guests. This may be all in one venue, or in two different venues either hours or days apart depending on circumstances.

Now, size matters folks. The capacity of these venues will influence who you invite. And naturally, the bigger the venue, the more people will be invited, and the greater the overall cost. Obviously, the more grandiose the venue, the more it will eat away at your overall wedding budget when you haven’t actually found out what other costs will be yet.

If you want a guideline, allocate £100 a head for each guest for catering. It can be cheaper or more expensive, but at this stage we are ballparking just to avoid shocked tears later on.

Research the type of venues available, and what to look for before starting your visits.

Knowing the place and date of your wedding is the first step in your planning and will enable you to send ‘save the date’ cards early on to your guests before the wedding invitations. This is especially important for anyone who may need to travel to your wedding or book time off work, and ensuring the attendance of key people that need to be there.

If you need to save or spread the cost of your wedding venue, booking it early will make this easier as well as provide you with the final dates for any payments that need to be made.

Booking your venue will set the date which dictates everything else in your planning from the pre-wedding meals, Hen and Stag parties, to your honeymoon.

At this point, it is also worth considering starting a wedding website where guests can access all the necessary information they will need.  Let them know the date and place of your wedding, dress code, order of the day, travel details and anywhere nearby they can stay. You could ask them to contact you via this page with any information on allergies or catering choices or with any other questions they might have.

This will make things easier than answering several different emails, voicemails or phone calls.

Now is also the time to work out if there are any permits or legal requirements needed for the wedding ceremony to take place as they may take several months to finalise.

Before you book anything though, do have a long hard think about the pros and cons of a destination wedding.

The wedding catering team serve drinks during the meal

Catering

Good food is a vital part of any wedding, so it’s essential to book your catering in advance if it’s not already provided at the venue. Whether you’re looking for a formal sit-down meal or a more relaxed buffet, there are many excellent catering companies to choose from, although it can be costly.

Most venues will have a directory of wedding vendors and caterers that they have worked with before, but it is worth researching them and any others yourself to ensure you are happy before selecting any. Look at reviews and see if you can find any recommendations, ask them what their policies are on cancellations, and whether they cater for allergies, vegetarians, vegans etc. You will also want to discuss numbers and whether or not to have a few extra meals provided in case anyone has been missed or made the wrong choice when originally asked.

A lot of caterers will allow you to try a selection of their food before you book them and it is well worth doing this. Make sure you read your contract carefully before signing, check all the dates and details match with what you require and if necessary add in a stipulation that they contact you in the weeks leading up to your wedding with updates and confirmation the order is in place.

The wedding cake is usually separate to the catering team.

Professional photography ensures your magical day is captured

Photography & Videography

Your wedding is one of the most special days of your life. Booking a talented wedding photographer and videographer is essential to make sure every moment of your unique wedding is beautifully captured, and you need to choose the right one for you.

Take your time to research your photographer as there is a huge amount of choice, each with their style. Like with your venue and catering you will want to look at their reviews and any recommendations, as well as their location. You will need to know if they are willing to travel to your location if they are not nearby and any extra travel costs this will incur on top of their photography fees. This will help you keep on top of your wedding budget.

Meet with your photographer well in advance and ask them to show you their portfolio and how they will work around you on the wedding day. Discuss your style of wedding and any specific shots you want. It is also useful to know how long it will take for your wedding photos to be ready afterwards and how they will be presented to you.

When you are happy with your choice you will usually need to secure them with a deposit and sign a contract. Make sure you read this thoroughly and ask questions on anything you are not sure of.

Not all photographers will provide video as well so you may need to book a videographer separately. Ask your photographer if they have worked with anyone they would recommend as this will help things run smoothly on the day between the two.

Wedding photographers and videographers usually need to be booked up to a year in advance.

The wedding dress will likely be the most personal decision

Wedding Dress & Suit

A huge area of anticipation for guests is seeing what the bride and groom are wearing. To make sure you get everything you want, it’s important to book appointments in advance. You may need to book appointments with several boutiques to find the perfect dress or wedding attire for you.

It’s advised to start looking around 12 months before your wedding as it can take several months for a dress to be made or shipped in. You then have to allow time for any alterations or customisation. There will be trends, but take the time to find the perfect style for you.

Before you start looking set your budget and any payment plans so that you know exactly what you can afford when you walk into the shop. There will be lots of beautiful dresses to suit everyone so try not to be swayed by something out of your budget. If you are trying to have a wedding on a particularly small budget you could consider trying on dresses to find the style you like and then source a similar dress from a preloved selling site or store.

When you purchase your dress look at the expected timelines within the sales contract and what will happen if there are any delays or unexpected problems.

Men’s wedding suits do not need to be organised as early and the general rule of thumb is to have them ordered 4 months before the big day. This depends on where you get the suits and whether you are choosing to rent suits or buy them. Rental companies will need your order a certain amount of time in advance so it’s worth visiting and asking around 6 months before the wedding. 6 months before is also a good time if your groom decides to buy a suit that needs any alterations.

Wedding flowers will be integral to your big day

Florist

Flowers are a beautiful and important part of any wedding. From bouquets to centrepieces, a talented florist can transform any venue into a magical wonderland. Flowers that perfectly match the wedding theme can elevate your day massively and provide maximum impact for your guests.

Choosing the right wedding flowers can take time and knowing your colour scheme early on is helpful, plus you need to take into account seasonal flowers. Once the venue is booked start the planning process by looking at styles and arrangements you might like. Browse magazines and websites for wedding ideas and inspiration and keep pictures of anything specific that you want.

It’s a good idea to start looking for a florist early on, ask friends who might have been married recently for recommendations and visit local vendors to see if any fit your vision. Having someone recommended is always best and they should be able to show you their reviews or any awards they have received.

Once you find someone you will want to book them in around 6 months before the wedding. This is particularly important if you are getting married in August or September as they tend to be the busiest months of the wedding season and florists will be booked up months in advance. It is also worth booking them early so they have plenty of time to source the flowers you would like, as some may be more difficult to find depending on the time of year.

Make sure you check in with your florist around 4 weeks before the wedding to ensure they are ready for your wedding and have all the arrangements in place for the day.

Dancing at your wedding is a core memory

Music and Entertainment

Music and entertainment are essential to get the party started and keep guests entertained throughout the day. Booking a band or DJ in advance is crucial to ensure they are available on your wedding day. Including a band, DJ or other entertainment like a magician can create an incredible and memorable party for you and your guests.

Lots of wedding entertainment needs to be booked around 6-12 months before the wedding. Make sure they are a reputable company with good reviews or recommendations. Take time to listen to any bands or musicians beforehand and always meet with them before booking to ensure they will play music to your requirements.

You will want to meet with them again around 4 weeks before the wedding to go over specific songs or music to be played at certain times, such as walking down the aisle or your first dance.

Check your contract with them and make sure it’s clear to you both the specific times that they will be providing entertainment and when this will finish.

Wedding transportation is more than just the bridal car

Transportation

Transportation is often overlooked when planning a wedding, but it’s essential to ensure guests arrive at the venue safely and in style. Booking transportation in advance is crucial to ensure that there are no last-minute hiccups. By organising busses, wedding cars or other unique transportation (some people like to go for alternative transport like tractors or even helicopters for the bridal party!) you can ensure the whole wedding party get to the venue in style.

Unusual transportation will need to be well thought out and you will need to make enquiries early as to when they may be available, tractors are great fun but may not be available if you are getting married at harvest time.

If the transportation companies will let you then it’s best to book them as soon as you have booked your venue. Some may not allow it more than 6 months before the wedding date but you must arrange any transport as soon as they let you. This will significantly reduce the amount of stress you have as you get closer to the wedding day.

Make sure you have a contract with them that also stipulates what will happen if the transport becomes unavailable at the last minute, will they provide a replacement etc.

This also is critical for countryside weddings where there is little public transport available for non-driving guests.

Should you get wedding insurance?

Wedding Insurance is relatively new to the UK and not mandatory. You may come across a wedding venue that will suggest you have it but more often than not wedding insurance is an extra cost that many brides and grooms would rather avoid.

Insurance will cover you for several aspects such as cancellation or postponement (it is a big commitment which does bring doubts and nerves), ceremonial attire, arrangements and suppliers, problems with the venue, lost or damaged items such as rings and photography and videography.

As weddings cost so much it makes sense to have a policy in place that would stop you from losing any money should something not go to plan.

If you can include it in your budget, it is worth it. If not, make sure you have read your vendor contracts thoroughly so you are aware of what services they will provide should anything affect your booking.

Wedding Planning Checklist

12 months before the Wedding

• Venue
• Transport
• Catering
• Photography & Videography

6 Months before the wedding

• Florist
• Music & Entertainment

4 Months before the Wedding

• Brides Dress
• Grooms Suit

1 Month before the Wedding

Contact wedding venue and suppliers for an update and ensure all arrangements are in place.