When it comes to wedding planning you might feel a little bit stressed and overwhelmed, and it's ok, it's part of the process, and trust me if I say it's a long process.
Planning a wedding, or better, your perfect wedding, takes time and organization.
We have been working in event planning for a while. Countless weddings gave us the necessary experience to write down a guide on how to plan a perfect wedding to help you navigate through this beautiful and exciting journey.
Don't forget that these stages will likely be spread across 12-18 months so you will have time to get your head around it.
I don't think I need to tell you that before planning your wedding you should know the date and the number of guests you are planning to invite.
This is a guide focused on helping you to understand what are the main stages that you have to know if you want to plan your wedding in Italy, or abroad.
1- Set your wedding budget
One of the first things to consider is your wedding budget and how much you are willing to spend.
It's very important to have an open conversation with your partner about your finances.
How much can you afford to spend? Are you gonna use your savings? Is there somebody else, like your parents, that are going to help you to pay for the wedding? How much can you save during the next months before the wedding?
Write everything down. Being financially organized is the first step to avoiding stress later on in the process of planning your wedding.
2- Are you gonna need a wedding planner?
That's a tough question, but you should know whether you are gonna need one or not as soon as possible.
First of all, planning a wedding is way more complicated than you can imagine, and I know what I'm talking about. Endless calls with suppliers, venues managers, vendors, photographers, videographers, make-up artists, catering, it's something you should take into serious consideration. And if you are planning your wedding abroad having someone who understands that language it's extremely important to avoid stress later on in the process.
3- Choose the venue
When it comes to choosing the venue keep in mind that you should book the venue you want at least 1 year before the wedding, or even earlier ( some venues want to be booked 2 years before the event itself).
Start calling the venue you like to see their availability as soon as possible, and be flexible on the date if you feel like you found the perfect venue for your wedding.
4-Plan before and after the event
Especially if you are getting married abroad you should figure out whether you are gonna have a one-day event or three days event.
A one-day event is basically only the day of the ceremony while the three days event includes the rehearsal dinner/cocktail party, the day of the ceremony, and the brunch after the wedding day.
Based on what is your wedding budget you should talk with your partner about how you wanna manage the whole wedding puzzle.
5- Decide on the wedding theme, decor, and details
Each wedding is individual, wedding theme, decor, and details are what make a wedding unique. Go on Pinterest, Instagram, or any other weddings blog and search how you want your wedding to look.
What is the wedding style you want? Classic, Rustic Elegant, Green, Boho, Luxury Classic, Modern, Modern with dry flowers, Modern extravagant, Tropical.
Create a lookbook, it helps to put all your ideas together and see what is that you are looking for.
6-Make a wedding website
Creating your own personal website is a game-changer for couples getting married.
It's not only easier than sending emails over and over again but guests can access all the information they need in advance of the big day.
A wedding website generally includes a space for your story, wedding day schedule, information on your gift list, details on the venue, and so on.
7- Don't forget your marriage license
Planning your wedding might be overwhelming, especially when you are getting married abroad.
Make sure to prepare all the documentation to obtain your marriage license otherwise the risk is that your marriage will not be legal in your country.
If you are getting married in Italy here's a useful website about what documents you need to obtain the marriage license.
8- Read every contract closely
Before signing a contract it's important to do your due diligence. Read contracts closely, especially it's important to understand what might be included in the contract and whatnot.
The vendors should spell out the services they provide, how those services are gonna be provided, and when.
9-Help out your guests with accommodations and transportation
Especially if getting married in a different country, there might be people who never traveled out of the country, they might not be familiar with traveling itself, the language, booking a place, and so on.
A wedding should be an enjoyable moment for everyone, so make sure your guests are feeling comfortable and settled with the accommodation.
It's also important to know how you and your guests are gonna move around to get to the rehearsal dinner, the wedding ceremony, and so on.
Don't forget to rent a bus/cars/ boats to help everyone to get around.
10- Entertainment
Last but not least is the entertainment.
You definitely don't want a boring wedding, you want something unforgettable, something that everyone will be talking about even months later.
Choose the right entertainment. Do you want music? what type of music? Should you look for the band? a singer?
Planning events it's way more complicated than it seems, our biggest advice is: ask for help when you feel like everything overwhelming you. Don't overstress yourself, this should be the most enjoyable moment in your life.
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