Your top wedding questions … answered
From someone who has been to more weddings than Elizabeth Taylor
Your top wedding questions … answered
1.
How much does a wedding cost?
According to Hitched, the average wedding in the UK costs £18k (with ~50% of couples spending over budget). The venue is the biggest spend (~45%), followed by the wedding dress (~7%), wedding photography (~7%), wedding band/DJ (~6%) and flowers (~6%).
You should set a realistic wedding budget early on in the planning process and identify what things you want to prioritise
2.
Who should I invite to my wedding?
This is always a tricky part of a wedding, and unfortunately there will always be people you wish you could invite but can’t make the numbers work, because of budget or venue capacity.
Once you have a budget in mind, start with your ideal guest list, which will then focus your search for a venue, catering etc.
3.
How to choose a wedding venue?
A lot of people start with just googling: wedding venues near me … but it can return an overwhelming and excessive number of choices that are hard to wade through.
Choose a venue that reflects your style, budget, desired location and guest list. You may also need to consider availability, with many venues getting booked up months in advance.
Get a wedding venue shortlist together based on your worked through priorities around budget, location and guest list, and visit them all, if you can: only by seeing the venue in person will you know if it’s the one for you
4.
How to plan a wedding?
Get the big things sorted early on in your wedding planning - venue, catering, dress, photographer, wedding hotels, band. These are the things in demand and you don’t want to miss out on the one you want by leaving it too late to book.
Other things you will need to consider - like bridesmaids outfits, favours, wedding decor, table details, logistics (e.g. getting guests from the ceremony to the reception) - can all be sorted nearer to the time of your wedding day
5.
How to find a wedding dress?
My brides have often said when it comes to wedding dress shopping:
Go in with an open mind and be willing to try styles that you might not at first think would be what you want
Don’t completely forego comfort for style … it’s a long day and you need to feel comfortable
Trust your instincts … you will know when you are wearing “the one”
6.
How to choose a first dance song?
Choosing a first dance song is a personal thing, and it will be different for each couple.
Think about music that has meant something to you, maybe early on in your relationship, a band you both like, or a gig you have been to together.