How to Plan a Successful Wedding
Weddings have a ton of moving parts. There’s the project of sending invitations, the RSVPing, the menu, the budget, and the attire. Not to mention there’s always seating chart struggle. You can’t put Aunt Sally at the same table as your college friends because, well, you actually want to enjoy your wedding day - and you want them to enjoy it, too.
Everyone wants their wedding to be memorable - in a good way. And I’m telling you it’s possible to have an amazing, stress-free, fun wedding. When it comes to planning for your big day, there are a couple things you want to keep in mind so the whole event goes off without a hitch.
Let’s talk about how to plan for a successful wedding.
Five Tips for an AWESOME Wedding Day
Pick a budget and stick to it. Going over budget or having money fights is a quick way to put a damper on a celebration day. The best wedding budget is the most thorough wedding budget you can come up with. Instead of being vague about costs, lay out a miniature budget for every part of your wedding.
Pick an appropriately sized venue. This is a big one, and it gets tricky because everyone may not RSVP like they’re supposed to, or they’ll bring more people than expected, or you’ll invite extra people along the way. On top of that, you don’t want a huge venue with a handful of people. It’s a balancing act for sure. You and your future spouse need to take some time to list all of your potential guests before looking for a venue.
Know how everyone’s getting fed. Whether you decide to cater your wedding yourself or you hire professional caterers, this is another spot where careful planning and concrete expectations can save you from a wedding day disaster. If you’re catering your wedding yourself, buying in advance and in bulk is going to be a key ingredient to success. If you’re hiring a caterer, push your guests to select their dinner choices before the big day. This can help entree costs and prevent an excess of wasted food.
Music. Music. Music. If you’re hiring a DJ, you need to book them well in advance of your wedding, so there are no scheduling conflicts. You also need to sit down with them and make sure you both are on the same page when it comes to songs. If you have a specific song you want to hear, your DJ needs to know. On the other hand, if you’re DIYing your music, then you need to make sure you’ve tested your wedding day tech. You don’t want any malfunctions at your wedding reception.
Have a day-of coordinator (unless you want to herd people around). Trust me here, you don’t want to herd people around the day of your wedding. If you’re sticking to a tight wedding budget, you can hire a family member or good friend to be your day-of coordinator. If you want all of your friends and family to relax and enjoy the party, you can hire someone to make sure the whole day runs smoothly.
But ultimately, don’t forget to have fun!
There are so many details involved in wedding planning that organization is the absolute key to a successful day. Making sure you develop a concrete budget and have an accurate idea of how many guests will be coming to your event are essential parts of the planning process.
While all these things can feel overwhelming, the most important element of a successful wedding is making sure you remember why you’re going through all this trouble. You’re getting married to the love of your life, and you get to celebrate your union with your friends and family!