With two years of Covid cancellations and postponements 2022is bound to be a big year for Weddings. Couples can finally have the day they envisioned although they may find themselves feeling understandably anxious about their ideal day when they start to plan.
We’re likely to see weddings get even bigger this year as they double as family and friend reunions after such a long time apart for many. 2022 won’t see a traditionally quieter season for the industry – there will be lots of full-on celebrations! So, how do you get started planning for a Wedding in 2022?
Plan
After a while, even the most organised and efficient people can become tired of planning, but the first step to any successful wedding is budgeting. You can have a beautiful and perfect wedding regardless of the budget, so you should never feel pressured to pay more than you can comfortably afford.
When you’re organising a wedding, there is no end of things waiting to be bought, planned and requiring attention, so it’s important to keep track of where you are with everything. I used an excel spreadsheet when I was planning my wedding but if you’re more comfortable with a planner, or notepad and pen use that. Planning may seem boring and time-consuming, but it’s a more than worthwhile exercise.
Venue
2022 is going to be super booked up for weddings, so think non-traditional venues, flexibility with dates and plenty of compromises. It all comes down to your must-haves, where you’re willing to adjust your ideas and how badly you want to get married this year. Think outside the box and explore open-air venues like fields, farms and gardens of family or friends.
Catering
Whether you’re planning a sit-down meal or a traditional buffet-style feast, make sure that there are plenty of choices and everything is organised and finalised in plenty of time. Before you settle on catering, you need to get a quote. This will help you plan how many guests you can comfortably afford to feed! Ideally, you will be able to invite everyone you want to be there. Not only will you be able to cater to their needs, but they are sure to appreciate the extra special care and thought you have put in for them.
Invite Your Guests
Once you know how many guests you can invite, it’s time to send out the invitations! I made my own invitations, but looking back now it would have been less stressful to have bought personalised printed wedding invitations from someone like Aura Print. Be sure to include key information: your names, the hosts, the venue, time, date, reception details, gift list information and RSVP details required. You might also want to gather allergy or dietary requirements via an RSVP. That way, once your guest list has been decided, you can then return to the catering company and ensure that your food is not only delicious but that everyone can eat it.
Consider the Kids
Will you be inviting families and children to your wedding? If there will be little ones present, it’s important that you are fully prepared to accommodate everyone from your oldest to your youngest guest. Young children can easily become bored at weddings, particularly if there is no one else to play with or their parents are busy paying attention to the bride and groom instead of them! If you can, it might be a good idea to sit families with children of a similar age together to enable the kids to play together and entertain themselves. Alternatively, you could set out colouring books, pots of bubbles or small (and quiet!) toys as wedding favours on the tables where children will be sitting. Not only will things go smoothly, but their parents are sure to thank you for thinking ahead too!
Let the wedding party choose their outfits
No matter what way you go a wedding outfit is going to cost money, particularly for any groomsmen and bridesmaids, so look out for outfits that are not going to be a once-worn phenomenon. National Or Cultural Dress can make for a particularly memorable event! Bridesmaids, pick out prom dresses for your body type and at the very least you can use them again for future weddings or formal events. Gentlemen, if you get a good suit that can be a usable work outfit as well then you are really on to a winner.
Extras
The last part of any wedding is the “extras”. These include the flowers, the decorations, the music, and any activities you wanted to include. Work with the venue to see what they can provide, consider DIY projects, and remember that what you’ll remember of the day is being around your loved ones, not whether you had the fancier tablecloth.
Weddings should be personal, and they shouldn’t put you into debt. That is why you need to work with your budget. It is entirely possible to have the wedding of your dreams, no matter whether you have less than £5000 to spend or all the money in the world.
Remember
If you are feeling stressed out by wedding planning checklists, budgets, and a seemingly never-ending to-do list, it’s important to take some time out and remember the reasons why you are going to all this effort in the first place. Your wedding is an incredibly special time – the perfect opportunity to tie the knot and agree to spend the rest of your life by the side of the person you love.
Just remember – when you look into their eyes and say “I do”, all your hard work will be more than worth it.
