Top tips for planning a wedding

From visiting venues to choosing suppliers, planning your wedding is an exciting time. But with so much to think about, it can be difficult to know where to start. To kick-start your preparations, read these wedding planning tips.

The average wedding can cost between £18,000 and £30,000, according to MoneySavingExpert.¹  But before you start paying for anything, work out a budget that suits you. Some of your larger costs may be:

• venue 
• food and drinks
• photography 
• flowers

You’ll also want to think about outfits for yourselves and the bridal party, as well as wedding rings and a potential honeymoon.

If you’re covering part or all of the cost, consider taking some extra time to build up your savings in a savings account. If you’re not able to save the full amount, there are borrowing options you may want to consider.

These can include taking out a loan which you can repay over a number of months, or a 0% interest credit card if you think you'll be able to repay within the interest-free period. Remember the more you’re able to save, the less you’ll have to borrow and less you may end up repaying in interest.

Whether you’re getting hitched in 12 months or 3 years, start doing things early so you have plenty of time to find the best suppliers for your day and your budget. Decide what you must have to make the day your own – this can be anything from a certain venue to a specific band.

Once you’ve got these secured, you’ll be able to focus on getting everything else sorted. If you’ve recently attended a wedding, why not ask the newlyweds for their advice? They’ll be able to give you an honest idea of what to expect and what to put your focus on. You may find some stuff you feel is important while you're planning may not matter so much on the day.

It doesn’t have to be an exact number, but having an idea of how many people will be attending your wedding will help you find the right location. You’ll also be able to budget more effectively as you’ll have a clearer idea of how much food and drink you’ll need.

Planning a wedding is a team effort, so don’t forget your other half when you’re choosing a venue, or deciding on your centrepieces. It’s also a good idea to work through your budget together to help you stay on track with all your costs.

With so much going on, it can be easy to forget one of the most essential steps – making your marriage legal. You’ll need to give notice of your marriage, or civil partnership, at your local register office and have your ceremony take place at least 28 days after.²

Give your guests plenty of notice of your upcoming nuptials by sending save the date cards. Typically, these are sent around 6 months to a year in advance and can help prevent people booking holidays, or making other plans. It will also give anyone travelling to your wedding plenty of time to organise themselves.

Managing your finances after the big day is important. You could look at setting up a joint account which you and your partner pay into to make any repayments or, if you want rebuild any savings, you could look into setting up a joint savings account.

Start saving for your wedding so your partner and yourself can enjoy the day without worrying about money.

^{1 https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/cheaper-weddings/}

^{2 https://www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships/what-you-need-to-do}