Tips from over 1000 Weddings
Your wedding should be the happiest day of your life. A day in which you celebrate love like never before. A day in which you make thousands of magical memories that will last the two of you a lifetime because you’re only planning on doing this once!
Whether you’re planning on hiring a wedding planner or not, there are a LOT of things that can go really wrong on your wedding day, which is why I’ve put together a Wedding Guide – the perfect gift for any bride, maid of honour or bridesmaid to help plan and support for the most spectacular wedding.
Before I take you through 10 tips for planning the perfect wedding, you might be wondering why you should trust my advice. Well, as an award-winning wedding photographer, I’ve been involved in over 1000 Irish weddings and have over 20 years’ experience in the industry. I’ve seen pretty much everything that can go wrong happen, and I’ve also witnessed the most incredible fixes, to these problems. In short, I don’t have theoretical experience in weddings; I have hands on, tissues out, practical experience to share with you that will not only ensure your day is successful but will also introduce you to the best Irish wedding suppliers and show you how to save money.
So, without further ado, here are 10 tips for planning the perfect wedding.
1: Get yourself a copy of The Wedding Guide
Your wedding day is extremely important, so having a step-by-step guide that provides you with an easy-to-follow wedding planning checklist, dozens of tips and practical how-to information is a great place to start. Whether you are the Bride, the Mother of the Bride, the Maid of Honour, a bridesmaid, or someone helping to organise the wedding, the advice, information, supplier information, and tips in this book are priceless. Have fun, save money and organise the perfect wedding with the Wedding Guide.
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Wedding Guide Book€19.00
2: Planning Your Wedding
So, you have the date and a million dreams that all need to come together into a cohesive plan for your wedding day. Daunting to say the least! Our first step is to put a rough outline together for your special day. Where to start?
The season you’d like to get married in.
Different people have different reasons for choosing a season. For some, it’s a specific plan they have, perhaps an outdoor wedding, and for others, it’s nostalgia or perhaps the colours associated with the season.
Once you’ve chosen the season for your wedding, you can move on to point #2.
3: Wedding Timelines
Now that you’ve chosen the season you’d like to get married in, it’s time to have a look at wedding timelines. To begin with, you need to make a list of the people who are most important to you. This list may inform the date of your wedding as important people in your wedding party may be overseas, having a baby, or unavailable because of work commitments. Once you’ve pinned down the date, you can put your wedding timeline together (a lot more about this is available in the Wedding Guide.
4: How to plan the perfect Hen and Stag Night
This is where you need to hand your Wedding Guide over to the Maid of Honour and Best Man. We’ve put together a fantastic guide to planning the perfect Hen and Stag Night. Here are a few pointers.
Plan something the bride or groom will enjoy. This is not the time to have YOUR dream party, but rather something they will cherish.
Chat to the bride and groom about who they absolutely want at their hen or stag night. This will help you choose the venue and activities better.
Keep the marriage in mind. The bride and groom with whom you are celebrating are starting a marriage, so keep this in mind and avoid awkward, hurtful photographs from inappropriate activities.
Keep it light and fun. Hen and Stag nights are as much a part of the wedding tradition as clothing or rings. Keep the evening light, fun and safe.
5: Choosing the right suppliers
There is so much to say about choosing the right suppliers for your wedding because they are ultimately responsible for delivering your wedding vision. As a wedding photographer myself, there are a few things to consider. First, your supplier’s availability. Make sure they have plenty of time for you. I make a conscious effort to be fully present at every wedding I photograph because I know that is the most important day for that couple. Second, read reviews. Google reviews are a marvellous source of honest feedback. Finally, do a trial run to make 100% sure you are happy with the supplier’s work.
6: Avoiding Bride and Groom regrets
There should be absolutely NO regrets on your wedding day! But to get that right, you do need to plan. Wedding Guide has many more elements to think about, but I’ve chosen 2 to whet your appetite.
Time:
Time, on your wedding day, is your greatest enemy. You need to fit so much into such a short time. Planning what you want to do and when will help you to squeeze everything out of the day while enabling you to be fully present.
Delegate:
Good delegation requires planning and then trust. Choose people you trust, whether it’s a friend or your suppliers, to take over and get things done for you so that you can relax and enjoy your day.
7: Managing your Wedding Budget
Deciding how much money you want to spend is so important, but even more important is choosing what is most important to you and allocating extra money to those elements. Every couple is different, so making sure you spend money on what means the most to you will help you to feel like you’ve made good wedding choices.
8: Finding the Perfect Wedding Dress
Now this one can be a tricky one, but here are a few things to think about. First of all go through your current wardrobe and pick out the dresses that make you feel the best. Take a good look at the cut, the fabric and the design and then take those ideas to a few bridal shops and try on dresses with a similar feel.
Taking two trusted people with you (not necessarily people in your bridal party) who will give you an honest opinion about the dress can be helpful too.
Finally, make sure you choose a dress that makes you feel like one in a million. You will only get to wear it once!
9: Choosing an ideal Wedding Venue
Your wedding venue should be closely linked to the season in which you’d like to have your wedding, as the two go hand in hand. Once you’ve determined the type of venue you’d like, take a look at the options available in the location you’ve chosen for your wedding. Remember to keep the number of guests in mind and the style of a wedding too.
10: Choosing a Wedding Photographer
Our biggest tip for choosing a wedding photographer is to look closely at the gallery available on their website. Each wedding photographer will have a particular style which you can get a feel for on the website. Also, ask lots of questions with regard to the number of photos you get, the format of the photos, and the flexibility of the photographer. Finally, book a trial shoot so that you can make 100% sure your photos are what you’re looking for.
For dozens more tips, checklists, and real-life examples, be sure to buy your copy of the Bride’s Guide and make your 2023 wedding the perfect day.
Would you like to book a photographer for your wedding day? Call us now at 087 780 7297 or contact us now by email – contact
