The Wedding Avenue

The wedding planning edition

Wedding planning.
One step at a time.

Start with what matters to you both. Work through the big decisions, find the guides you need and leave room for the parts of the day that make it yours.

Find your starting point →

Wedding planning notes and inspiration
01 / Start here

Put the first decisions first.

Before a long list of bookings, agree the kind of celebration you want, a comfortable spending limit and an approximate guest count. Those decisions give the rest of your planning a direction.

Begin with three priorities. Separately write down the three things you most want to remember about the day. Compare your answers before deciding where your time and budget will go.

02 / Budget & guests

Two lists that belong together.

Your guest count affects the space, food and many of the smaller costs. Work on the budget and guest list together, then revisit both as you gather real quotes.

Keep one shared record. Note the quoted total, what is included, any extras and payment dates. A clear record makes different options easier to compare.

03 / Find your venue

Choose a place that fits the day.

A venue should work for your guest count, your ceremony and the atmosphere you want. Take those priorities to each viewing, alongside the photographs you have saved.

Thinking of celebrating abroad? Explore the Destination Weddings edition →

04 / Book your team

Bring the right people into the plan.

Decide which jobs you need help with, then compare suppliers against the same brief. Your priorities should shape the team you book.

05 / Invitations & ceremony

Bring everyone into the plan.

Help guests understand the day, choose who will lead the ceremony and decide which traditions you want to include. Keep the practical arrangements together before turning to the words you will say.

Before invitations go out: check names, dates, arrival times, venue addresses and reply details. Make clear which parts of the celebration each invitation includes, and ask someone else to proofread it.

06 / Share the jobs

You do not have to do everything yourselves.

Talk about what help would actually be useful and what each person is comfortable taking on. Wedding-party roles can be adapted to the people in your life.

Make an introduction, not an assumption. Give each helper a clear task, the information they need and a named person to contact. Check they are happy to take it on.

07 / The final details

Let the plan make space for the day.

As the wedding gets closer, bring the separate bookings into one shared picture. Then turn your attention to the personal touches.

Make the details personal.

Choose the words you want to share

Find a poem, a passage or a reading that feels like you in our Poems & Readings edition.

Find the rings you will wear every day

Explore fit, materials and styles in our Rings & Jewellery edition.

Planning with less time?

Our last-minute wedding tips offer another starting point when you need to focus the list.

Useful wherever you are in your plans

Planning Essentials

Browse all Wedding Planning