First of all, if you’ve recently got engaged, congratulations! Once you’ve finished celebrating your engagement, your thoughts are likely to move to the wedding itself, but knowing where to start and what to do first can be a bit daunting.
Having been established as a wedding venue in Harrogate for 30 years, we’ve hosted countless weddings and we’ve learnt a few things along the way. Here are our top 5 tips for getting started with your wedding planning:
- Agree Your Priorities – We always recommend to start by thinking about what’s most important to you? Do you want all of your family and friends to be there, or do you want a smaller, more intimate gathering? Are you imagining a child friendly occasion or do you want a more funky grown up vibe? Do you dream of getting married outside in the summer sunshine, or a cosy winter wedding? There are also lots of wedding traditions to consider from cars and three-tiered cakes to wedding favours and formalwear. Remember though that you don’t need to include them all. There’s much more flexibility for weddings today; it’s your wedding and you can do it your way. Decide what’s important to you and what’s not – it will also help you to create a budget plan – see our next tip!
- Create a Budget Plan It might not sound very romantic, but once you’ve thought about what your ideal wedding will be like, setting a budget plan is really important. Try and build a little wiggle room in if you can – just in case! At this point, go back to your priorities list – if something is a “nice to have” rather than a “must‑have”, place it further down your budget plan.
- Create a Timeline
Again, it might not be the most exciting thing to do, but a timeline will really help to make the planning process more manageable – and enjoyable. Booking your venue and securing key suppliers, such as caterers, photographers and florists, are typically the first steps. If you’re exploring wedding venues in Harrogate, remember you’ll need a rough idea of guest numbers before you book – you don’t want to run out of space for someone important! Once you have your venue and key suppliers in place, you can then move on to think about things such as wedding attire, transport, entertainment and invites. There’s lots of finer details to consider and planning guides like Hitched may help you along the way – and provide some inspiration as well. - Choose Trusted Suppliers – And while we’re on the subject of your main suppliers, you don’t want to spend your big day worrying about whether they will deliver your dream wedding the way you want, so try to choose people or companies you know and trust. Perhaps you’ve seen their work at other weddings or they’ve been recommended by friends. Your venue will also be able to suggest trusted local Harrogate suppliers who know the space well and can help bring your vision to life.
- Enjoy Your Wedding Preparations! – With a clear plan in place you should now be in a position to relax and enjoy the process of preparing for your wedding day. This is a once in a lifetime experience, so try not to let it become stressful. Do it your way, and your wedding day will be everything you’ve dreamed of.
Good luck with your planning, and if you’re beginning your search for wedding venues in Harrogate, our friendly and experienced Weddings Team would love to help – email enquiries@eventscentre.co.uk or call 01423 544544.