Getting married is still one of the most exciting, exhilarating and stressful times in a person’s life. There is so much to think about, to plan and to organise that it is easy to be caught up in a mad frenzy of detail, forgetting why you are doing what you are doing. So a few wedding planning ideas to help you plan and organise your wedding.

Wedding Organisers:
If you would prefer not to undertake the entire job of planning your wedding there are wedding organisers who can do the job for you. They can shorten the process and the stress factor simply because they know who to call, where to go and what to ask for. But it comes at a price.

Wedding Planning Advice:
Everyone will have an opinion as to how you should proceed, what you should wear, who you should invite, and how the day should proceed. And everyone’s opinion will be right – to a certain extent. When they have finished giving their advice, some of the best questions you can ask are:

• What went wrong?
• What did you plan that didn’t work out, and why didn’t it work out the way you had hoped?
• If you were to get married again, what would you do differently?

Make a note of the advice, suggestions and opinions as they may come in useful as you begin the process of planning your wedding day. In this particular case a wedding planner book is a useful tool to have with you.

Wedding planner books:

• Organise a page for each of the main items. For example:
• Wedding venue
• Reception venue
• Stationery – Invitations, orders of service, menu’s – ideally these should follow the theme of your event.
• Accommodation before / after the event – for yourselves, for your family and friends
• Travel arrangements – getting to the wedding venue, getting from the wedding venue to the reception, post reception to overnight accommodation.
• Honeymoon
• Clothes: Wedding dress; Bridesmaids dresses, groom, best man, groomsmen
• Shoes: Don’t forget to take the price tags off the base!!
• Theme of the event – this may impact on all of the above. So it is a good idea to choose your “theme” / colour scheme before making any of the arrangements and purchases.
• Catering: Pre-reception drinks, Sit down / buffet, Cake, Post main reception food eg., food / drink at the Disco / Dance during the evening “do”
• Photographer / Video / Disposable cameras for guests
• Guest book
• Gifts for parents / organisers / helpers / keepsakes for guests
• Jewellery – including wedding bands
• Priest / Officiate / Celebrant
• Licences
• Flowers – including – Wedding venue, reception, brides bouquets, bridesmaids, corsage.
• MC – Someone to make sure the event runs on time.
• Audio – microphones may be needed especially if the speeches will be made to a large audience or in a large venue.
• Entertainment / Music – What will be played – by whom and when

Wedding speeches:

• Who do you need to thank
• Who needs to speak?
• And in what order?

Wedding gifts:
Make a list, and have it available from a number of sources. Many of the larger stores provide wedding planning services. Like wedding organisers, these organisations know what to do and can save you time and stress.