Wedding planning guide (4)
Congratulations you’re engaged! You’re on glad nine, your fiancée has declared his love and asked you to become his wife, you excitedly talk about the future and your wedding day. You dream about the dress, partying with your friends and of course becoming husband and wife.
But, then the panic sets in. Just how do you plan a wedding, where should you begin? In our fortnightly series we will break down how to organise a wedding like a professional wedding planner.
Tom & Mel
In our 4th instalment of our planning guide we talk about getting all those fabulous suppliers on board. The type of suppliers you could be hiring include:
- Photographer
- Videographer
- Cake
- Stationer
- Transportation
- Entertainment
- Nanny/crèche
- Décor specialist
- Beautician/hairdresser
You can find suppliers through personal recommendation, bridal magazines, wedding directories, blogs, twitter, wedding fairs and venue recommended supplier lists.
Don’t rush into any decisions and make sure you make all the appropriate checks before confirming any. Don’t assume a wonderful website means they are a fabulous supplier, someone make be excellent at PR & marketing but have very little experience of the job itself. Ask to see references and when necessary copies of their insurance. Of course one of the best ways to select a supplier is via personal recommendation but, because a florist was perfect for say your cousins wedding, does it mean they are perfect for yours?
When comparing suppliers do so on a like for like basis, shortlist down to 2-3 before making your final decision. Once you have hired a supplier add them into a payment spreadsheet detailing when deposits are needed, final payment details, address & any special instructions. This helps you keep track of your wedding expenditure.
Stay in touch with your suppliers advising them of any changes to your wedding like design but esp. if you have changed the date or venue!
Photo credit: Lloyd Dobbie