Wedding tips are a financial shield

Putting together a to-do list for your wedding sounds impossible, but with a bit of forethought and logic, you can plan your wedding systematically. Make sure all licences needed are in hand before the date and check with your local registry office about times.

Before you even consider the venue, do your guest list. You will have a venue that can accommodate the number of people you and your bridegroom will invite to your wedding. This is your number one priority. Do a tiered guest list, with the bridal party, close family and best friends at the top, next comes aunts, uncles, colleagues, and other friends, then on the bottom tier, place parent’s friends, and all others. When cutting your list down, start from the bottom.

The date you set is very important, take note of what weather conditions are prevalent on your special day, and what your guests will be experiencing, especially if it is an open-air event. Also, note if any events of major importance are happening at that time in the area for congested traffic and overbooked hotels.

Always ask your wedding vendors for recommendations to other vendors you may need. They are in the business after all and should give you some good tips. Find out from the caterer if the waiting staff you hired will be served the same food as your guests, and if so, change that clause, to make a hearty but less costly meal for them. Feeding these extra 10 or 15 mouths can significantly eat into your food spend budget. Remember, the cost of the reception alone will be in the region of 50% of the budget.

Booking a Friday or Sunday date can save you 30% off your venue spend as Saturdays cost more. Also waiting until closer to the date can work in your favour, as cancellations may happen. Always have a plan B if the plan A does not work. Make sure your guest have good directions to the venue, with a map from the venue emailed to them. Test out the route to be certain it is okay. Plan your seating well, and make sure your vendors can be on time for the set up at the reception.

List your priorities in number order for your budget, and action dates or follow updates to be taken on each item. Keep a running total of your budget, as it really can get hectic, dealing with the many people who go into making up your wedding day.