How to Plan a Wedding in North Wales.

The most important part of planning a wedding is to organise all of your tasks beforehand and make it as simple and stress-free as possible. Here’s a guide you can follow to help you keep on track and avoid those stressful moments, and most importantly help you enjoy this incredibly exciting time!

Budget!

Setting a budget, and sticking to it is number 1 on your to-do list. This will determine the maximum number of guests you’ll have to work with, type of venue you can afford, how much you can spend on flowers, a dress, entertainment and so on. Planning a budget will give you a realistic idea of what you can expect and help avoid any disappointment later on in the process. It will also safeguard you from potential financial stress later down the line.

Work out together how you’ll raise the money needed for your big day. If you need to save, allow yourself a realistic time frame to reach your goal, and make sure that you’re not putting any unnecessary financial pressure on yourself. If you already have a savings pot that you’re planning on using, make sure that you don’t leave yourself short once the wedding has passed. 

If anyone else is contributing towards the wedding's costs, sit down with them and make sure that everything is clear in how much they’re contributing, who pays for what etc. Although these conversations can feel incredibly awkward and daunting to approach, it is much better and less stressful to get them out of the way early on and iron out the details, rather than have them lingering above you for the whole process. 

The look and feel!

Once you’ve worked out your budget, it’s time to move on to the exciting part - inspiration! We highly recommend using Pinterest to create your very own mood board and gather all of your favourite ideas and themes. Try to categorise each aspect of your day by creating boards so that you don’t overwhelm yourself will endless amounts of photos to search through each time. Split each board into categories, ie decor, dress, cakes, flowers and so on. Try to settle on one style/theme here and stick to it, whether that’s a colour scheme, theme (rustic, festival style, modern) and so on. Choosing many different styles or themes will only confuse you later down the line and will make the decision-making process much harder. One thing to bear in mind is what type of venue you have in mind, and try to imagine how you can implement all of your ideas to create your perfect style. 

Top tip! - Remember, you can always share these Pinterest boards with your suppliers later down the line to show them exactly what you have in mind. 

Start writing your wedding guest list. 

It’s a good idea to start writing down names early on as you’ll probably remember about an old school friend or an old colleague that you bump into on the street as the weeks go by. Start a spreadsheet and write down all the names of the people you’d consider inviting to your wedding. It’s easier to have a full list and cut it down rather than to start small and add later. 

For a full guide on how to write your wedding guest-list, click here to read our ‘how to write a wedding guest list’ guide. 

Venues!

Budget - Set. Theme - Set. Let’s go choose a venue! 

You should, by now have a clear idea on the theme and look you want to create. You’ll also know what budget you have to play with. The next step is to find a venue which fits in with everything that you have you in mind. You will have a rough idea of the type of venue you’re looking for from the Pinterest boards you’ve previously created. Try to narrow down the initial search top venues that fit within your style, then work outwards and look elsewhere if need be. Things to bear in mind are whether or not you want on-site accommodation at the venue, the venue’s maximum/minimum capacity, will you be using your own caterers or the venues caterers, any early curfews etc. 

One important thing to remember is that until you book a venue, you won’t have a date set for your wedding, so hold off from booking anything else until you have put a deposit down a confirmed a date with your preferred venue. 

To view some of North Wales’ best weddings venues, click here!

The Legal Bit!

Probably the most boring part of organising any wedding, but it’s the most important bit. After all, you won’t be married unless it’s registered legally. 

Once you’ve set a date, you should research what you need to do to get your marriage licence, in line with your local constituency’s rules. Allow plenty of time to research this, and don’t put it off for too long. Normally you’ll need to contact your local registry office and arrange to ‘give notice’. You’ll then need to sign a legal statement saying that you intend to get married or form a civil partnership. 

Depending on the type of ceremony you’re having, the chances are that you’re going to need a registrar present if the venue doesn’t have an authorised person to register the marriage. Again, allow plenty of time to plan ahead as you don’t want to find yourself in the position that there isn’t a registrar available at your preferred time for the ceremony to take place. 

The Bridal Party!

You’ll probably by now have an idea of who’s going to be part of your bridal party. If not, don’t worry. It’s important that you take your time to decide and not feel rushed into making a decision.

From your maid of honour, bridesmaids, best man, ushers to flower girls and page boys, the list could be long! Or maybe you only want a small wedding party, that’s absolutely fine too! 

One thing to bear in mind here is that the more people you have in the bridal party, the more the cost of outfits, bouquets and buttonholes, thank you gifts. Remember to check back to your budget and work out what you can afford. 

Once decided, it’s time to ask the question.

Outfits. 

Now for the fun, exciting and probably the most emotional part of the planning process - let’s go wedding dress shopping! 

Again, I’d imagine by now that you have more than a few Pinterest boards of dresses that you love. Now it’s time to hunt down your favourite and put your name on it. Bear in mind that designer dresses and tailored suits can take months to make, so make sure that you’re clear with the supplier the time frame you have to work with is possible for them to get the dresses/suits ready. 

To take a look at some of North Wales’ best bridal shops, please click here. 

Wedding suppliers!

Now that you have a date, venue and dress all booked in, it’s time to piece together all those ideas and Pinterest boards and bring them to life. 

It is important not to feel overwhelmed here as this is probably the biggest step of the planning process. Write down all of the suppliers you think you’ll need. Photographers, videographers, florists, entertainment, wedding planners, stationery makers, cake makers and so on. 

Make sure that you explore all avenues and suppliers in each category before you pay a deposit to save yourself from any disappointment. 

Your venue may well supply you with a list of their recommended suppliers, but if you’re looking for something a little different, follow this link here to explore the full list of suppliers on northwalesweddings.com 

Be sure to have a good conversation with each of the suppliers you choose so that they have fully understood what you and your partner have in mind. Don’t be afraid to keep asking questions until you’re completely satisfied and confident in your decision to hire them. 

Write down the day’s schedule.

There’s much more to the schedule than the ‘order of the day’. 

You should start with working out what happens when. Then, once you have a rough running order you’ll need to zoom out and view the day as a whole. Write everything down in the order that they need to happen, from what time the make up artist arrives in the morning, when the vendors will arrive, what time the ceremony will take place all the way through to what time the band play the last song and the bar shuts. Things to think about here are allowing plenty of time for the photographs and speeches, what time you’ll cut the cake and take to the dance floor for the first dance. Work with your suppliers if you’re unsure of how much time to allow for things. 

Once you’re happy with the full running schedule, make sure that all the suppliers, best man, ushers, maid of honour or anyone who need the schedule, have received it.  

Send out the ‘save the date’ cards and invitations!

After all the discussions, planning and arranging, it’s now time to make it official by informing your guests of the date!! 

Try to give your guests as much notice as possible for them to keep the date free. Your invitations should be sent out around 3 to 6 months before the wedding date but if you’re well ahead of the game, try to send out Save the date cards as soon as you have the venue booked. Remember to include a note stating that the official invitations are to follow. 

Remember to set an RSVP’s date on the Invites. 

Create a seating plan. 

Once you’ve received back all RSVP’s and filled any vacant spaces with guests who didn’t make the first cut, you’re now ready to create a seating plan. 

Think about whether or not you want to mix up your guests or keep them in their friend groups. If you’re not keen on the idea of seating people who don’t know each other on the same table, then list your guests into friends and family groups and play around with a few different options to see who will fit where. 

Top tip #1 - Write the names of your guests down on small, individual pieces of paper. On a large piece of paper or cardboard, draw out the tables so that you can move each name around from one table to the other and play around until you find a seating plan that works. Remember to take a photo of the final plan and write it down so that you have a safe copy.

Top tip #2 - If you have any guests with young children or elderly guests who are likely to need easy access in and out of the room, try to seat them nearer the doors so that there aren’t any obstacles in their way should they need leave quickly. 

The final pieces.

Now that all the hard work has been done and all of the arrangements are in place, start putting the final touches together and make your day extra special. 

Things to think about - wedding readings and songs during the ceremony, background playlist music during the wedding breakfast, who’s going to do ‘speeches’ at the wedding breakfast, first dance song, whether or not you need to buy thank you gifts to those who have helped you during the planning process and on the wedding day.

Be sure to put your stamp on the day. You really don’t have to follow the traditional wedding style. If there’s something that you want but are worried that it’s ‘too outside of the box’, just go for it! Your guests are much more likely to enjoy something that shows off both your personalities. 

Contact Us!

Got any questions? Feel free to get in touch and we’ll point you in the right direction.