Now that ring’s on your finger and the date is set, the fun can really begin. This is where you get to decide all of the lovely details you’re going to choose to make your wedding day wonderful.
You might be the sort of person who’s had a firm idea of what they want since childhood. Or you might look back on those plans and think yuck, time for something more realistic/age appropriate.
Or, like most people, planning colours, themes and styles for your wedding is something you haven’t got firm ideas about – and haven’t really had to until now.
It might be tempting to reach for the wide expanse of ideas that the internet has to offer. Then again, while there are umpteen sites dedicated to beautiful wedding ideas, images and inspiration galore, unless you are very disciplined you may end up with an uncoordinated mishmash of ideas that end up causing your more hassle in the long run as you try and incorporate them into something cohesive for your day.
The important thing to remember is that this is about you and your partner – which is a great place to start. Make some time for both of you to sit without distractions and start creating a list of things that you like.
What colours do you both like and do you want to have them into your planning? Maybe you both like orange, but do you necessarily want an orange-themed wedding? Maybe, maybe not. Did you have something very formal in mind? Or perhaps you both love festivals and would like to create a celebration that draws on your love of a relaxed atmosphere with live music and hay bales for everyone to sit on.
Do you plan a church ceremony or maybe a celebrant on the beach? A sit-down dinner for 100 guests or maybe a registry office with two witnesses and your very nearest and dearest meeting up at the pub for pie and mash?
It’s really important that you work the framework out as a couple. You’ll undoubtedly discover things about each other that you didn’t know before and you might even find there’s a bit of conflict if you both have very firm but opposing ideas. This is a baby step to planning the rest of your life together so be prepared to compromise but not bend over backwards completely and deny yourself just for your partner. Talk, listen, try and meet in the middle.
When your list is ready and you know the where and the how and have an idea of what colours and themes you’d like, now is the time to hit Pinterest or wherever you’re sourcing your ideas from. Try not to get overwhelmed or veer off course too much because there is an abundance of choice. Stick to what you both agreed and then move on to choosing suppliers and service providers.
Remember to consider your guests and making the day memorable for them too. You might think that splurging your budget on decor is a great idea, but the things your guests will remember about the day are more likely to be things like the food and whether the DJ/band were good than the cute but very expensive table decorations.
