The INSIDER Summary:
- Planning a wedding is stressful, so INSIDER spoke with several wedding planners to find out their best advice for engaged couples.
- They recommend fixing a budget from the start, setting priorities, and making your wedding personal in creative ways.
Planning a wedding is notoriously stressful. But for wedding planners, putting on a huge event is a piece of cake.
With wedding season coming up, INSIDER consulted a number of experienced wedding planners to find out their best advice for engaged couples preparing for their big day.
Here's what the professionals say you should absolutely do.
Set a budget.
"Having a budget is super important," Amy Shey Jacobs of Chandelier Events told INSIDER. "Money is a really tough thing to talk about, especially when it is your money," or there are "multiple parents contributing to the wedding."
"My big thing is don't leave the money discussion 'til the end," she said, adding that the wedding budget informs the shape of the event, down to the type of venue and size of the guest list. "You want to understand how much you have before you go shopping for the wedding you’re going to have. Once you have that structure it allows you to figure out your priorities."
Prioritize.
Celebrity wedding planner Andrea Freeman of Andrea Freeman Events said she asks her couples to think of five wedding "must-haves," around which they can begin to plan the wedding and spread the budget accordingly. "For example, if fashion is really important to the bride, we’re going to make sure that a good portion of their budget is allocated towards bridal" style, she said.
Jacobs' approach to planning is similar. "If food and a great band and photographer are your big three priorities, then that’s where you put the bulk of your budget," she said. "If your priority is more about having as many people in the room as possible... you could have a wedding during the day on a farm, because you can fit so many people in the space and the food might cost less."
"Pick your priorities and map it out with your budget, with your nuts and bolts."
Consider your guests.
Yes, the wedding is about the couple — but it's also about the guests.
Jacobs recommends sorting out your guest list early on in the planning process, so you know how many people you can comfortably cater to.
Planner Amy Katz of Amy Katz Events advises her couples to consider their guests when they pick their wedding date. "Avoid wedding dates close to holidays, especially in the summer," she told INSIDER.
Where your guests stay is also important. "Do give your guests several options for accommodations when traveling," Katz said. Giving multiple accommodation options should suit a range of budgets, and make your guests feel more comfortable.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider