Five Steps To Planning A Wedding

Every year in January thousands of couples start to plan their wedding.
For many couples this process can feel like a job, the very last thing they want when planning their wedding. It should be fun after all! So, with this in mind I am going to present five simple steps which can help to make the planning of a wedding so much easier.
Step One:
Planning.
Like Santa Claus - make a list. The old adage, fail to plan, plan to fail comes into play here. There's a whirlwind of activity going on, but as soon as you have a date, start planning out what you need to have accomplished, and by when. Most elements last around twelve months, which may seem like a long time. However remember that if you're planning on getting married in the Summer, there are a limited supply of venues which may be suitable. The sooner you have a plan, the sooner you'll be able to have a clear idea of what you need to do. Once you've read through these five steps, you'll have a good idea of what to include on your plan.
Step Two:
Venue.
As I mentioned, there are a finite number of venues in which you can get married. Some of the more popular places can be booked out years in advance. Don't assume that the venue you have your eye on will still be available at the last minute. As soon as you have a date set for your wedding, start looking at venues. Go and see the one's you like and get quotes from them. Check what is and isn't included in the figure they quote. Most venues will require a booking fee of some description. Make sure you budget for this.
Step Three:
Suppliers.
Like venues, many of the good suppliers are booked up for the popular dates ages in advance. Again, it's a good idea to get in contact with those you are interested in as soon as possible. A lot of suppliers are date specific. In other words they can only handle one wedding on one day. So book them as far in advance as possible. Most noticeably, caterers and photographers. These two suppliers will only cover a wedding per day. There are many to choose from, so do your homework carefully - especially when it comes to photographers. Always ask to see recommendations and full examples of weddings they have photographed in the past.
Step Four:
Guest lists.
Who are you going to invite? Again, sit down, make a list. Check it twice. Every person on that list is going to cost you money. It maybe a great idea to have thousands of guests at your wedding, but do you really need to invite Penny from accounts and Jeff from sales? Think carefully about who you'd like to invite. A good number is around 100 - of course this will depend on the size of your families. Guest lists can cause some friction, so it's best to pick a number and stick to it. Alternatively, just have a family only wedding.
Step Five:
Relax.
So many blogs, so many 'expert's', so many 'specialists' - all of them telling you what you need to do. You must have this, you must do that. Relax, it's your own wedding and the only people whose opinions matter are you and your partner. It can be stressful, but if it gets too much, just sit back and remember why you're doing this in the first place. To be husband and wife, not to impress all your friends.

Alex Kilbee is a wedding photographer who has been shooting weddings both in South Africa and his native England for 10 years.