Happy New Year! Did you get engaged over the Christmas period and are now planning a wedding for 2020 or 2021? If you are one of the newly engaged couples from over the Christmas period then massive congratulations to you. This is such an exciting time so treasure these early days before you dive head first into wedding planning.  Flash the ring, take some ring selfies, celebrate with your fiancé and start dreaming big. Trust us once the wedding planning commences your free time will become a little more limited.

Couple tip – take some time to dream about the wedding before you start planning

This is the time to discuss your individual expectations of your day. One of you might want a fantasy destination event with 20 guests on a gorgeous sandy beach while the other might want a rustic, countryside wedding of 200. You want to make sure your ideas are in sync right from the start, and if they aren’t, find room for compromise where you need to. Talk about what the most important aspects of the wedding day are to both of you – perhaps it’s food, headcount, location or music. It’s crucial to know what your future spouse is hoping for to make the big day special for them.

“Make sure your gorgeous new ring is insured! Doesn’t cost much to add it onto your contents insurance” Louise Wearmouth, Your Fabulous Wedding

Take some time as a couple to arrange an engagement shoot

On your wedding day you will need to become comfortable with your photographer taking photos of you all day, and at times this can feel intimidating. Therefore booking an engagement shoot allows you to feel confident about having your photo taken, but also gives you a chance to “practice” before you pose for real at your wedding!

“On the wedding day time can be tight for photos, so having done an engagement shoot can mean that we can leap into the photos a little quicker and you will relax into it straight away. I will have had a chance to see how you are in front of the camera so can guide you a little more quickly to capture those perfect relaxed and natural photos. The other reason to consider having a pre wedding shoot is to celebrate the special time that is your engagement. It can fly by in a flash of wedding planning, so having a reason to take some time out together and have photographs taken is a great excuse.” Fiona Kelly Photography

We asked some of our members for their advice for the newly engaged and this is what they said.

“Have the difficult conversations early on. It’s easier to do it before emotions and stress levels start to rise. For example, you might want to an open discussion about who is contributing financially and what influence over things they expect in return?” Caroline Sian Weddings

“Marriage guidance can often be forgotten amongst the excitement of planning a wedding. But getting married is a serious thing, you are committing to spend your life with this person. Consider whether it would be useful to have pre-wedding classes. A great way to work through key things like communication, how to deal with conflict, your families and your plans, where will you spend Christmas! You can arrange this through your church or if you are having a civil ceremony through signing up for pre-wedding counselling. A wedding is a day, but marriage is for life!” Natasha Grant, Pearline Weddings

“One of the first things you should think about when planning a wedding is your budget. It can often be difficult in the early stages to understand how much a wedding will cost. Think carefully about how much you are willing to spend and consider what things are going to be important to you.” Senel Besim, Bride and Belle

“My biggest tip is to NOT rush head first into wedding planning! Take time to enjoy being engaged. Celebrate with family. Celebrate with friends. But most of all celebrate together.” Mary Briscoe, Weddings by Mary

“Establish the budget very early on in your wedding planning. There is no point in beginning the planning of your wedding without an idea of the level of budget you can commit to it. The budget level will determine your abilities for your venue and from there the rest of the planning can follow. Obviously engage the services of a super wedding planner at the get go and you will be on the right track!” Melanie Egan, Bellissimo Weddings

“When thinking about the design and style of your day, don’t get lost down the Pinterest rabbit hole. Sit down together first and work out what kind of wedding day, feel and vibe, you want so you can establish what your priorities are. I would also pick 3 words that describe the overall feel and look too e.g. City chic, boho, relaxed, decadent etc. Then when you do start looking for inspiration you have a starting point that means something to you both.” Andri Benson, Always Andri

“Flexibility is one thing but don’t feel pressure to compromise. Remember it’s your wedding day and it should reflect who you are as a couple. Don’t be pressurised into choosing something you really don’t want because it’s part of someone else’s vision (whether that be a supplier telling you it “comes as part of the package” or friends and family pushing you in the direction of their ideas of the vision they have about your day.” Val Mattinson, Benessamy Events 

Hire trusted and vetted suppliers for your wedding

Need help identifying a reliable wedding planner, venue or supplier? Save time and gain confidence by consulting our directory. All UKAWP members have proven their dedication to the wedding industry before being accepted and each is committed to continuing their training wherever possible to become the best they can possibly be. Please be assured all members have met our entry criteria and must comply with our code of business practice before being accepted into the UKAWP.

Further Support

For further support on hiring your wedding planner or supplier, these guides might be helpful.

 

Photos by Photographer members

Simon Fazackarley

Neli Prahova

Nishit Parmar 

Fiona Kelly