Wedding planning - Top 5 tips!

Bridesmaids getting ready for the wedding

“what does our perfect wedding look like?”

Congratulations, you’re planning your wedding!

To start with, congratulations! The fact that you’re here means you’re engaged and planning a wedding. That’s something to stop and celebrate. Its not long after the engagement ring has slid on that friends and family start asking the questions… So… When’s the wedding?

Sometimes it’s nice to ‘smell the roses’ though and enjoy the just engaged feeling before getting stuck in to the planning. But you’re hear and that means you’re on the path to an epic wedding day, no matter what it looks like.

Starting Your Wedding Planning Journey

Before you go researching wedding venues, photographers, celebrants and every other vendor you want for your wedding, stop and think “what does our perfect wedding look like?” Do you long for a big wedding with all your family and friends, a ton of celebrations and an epic dance floor at the end of the night? Perhaps you can see yourself hosting a smaller, more intimate wedding with your nearest and dearest, slowing down and having a casual afternoon. Lastly, elopements are becoming more and more popular particularly because of the pandemic! You could be hiking up a mountain or sipping Margerita’s on the beach.

Once you have the overall ‘vibe’ of your day in your mind, it’s time to move to the next step!

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Your Must Have Wedding Vendors

Reach out to your must have wedding vendors. You could have your heart set on a particular venue, or perhaps your wedding photography is your absolute number one priority. Start by doing some research within that domain. When it comes to wedding venues, sometimes there’s some golden opportunities you haven’t heard of before. It’s best to decide on a region you love and want to get married in first, then look through the wedding venues around the area. If you love the Mornington Peninsula, take a look at my previous blog on 10 Must See Mornington Peninsula Wedding Venues.

Start with a shortlist of venues that you love the look of (judge that book by it’s cover!) then head out and see the venue and meet the people behind it. You’ll often have a ‘ah-huh’ moment when you’ve found THE ONE! Hear more tips on Finding The Perfect Wedding Venue.

Still contemplating on the right venue for your dream wedding? Here’s a little something to help you out. Read more by clicking How To Choose A Wedding Venue That's Right For You.

Lock In Your Date!

Popular wedding dates are booking out faster than ever. I don’t really need to mention what’s been happening over the last two years, however it’s created a huge imbalance between supply and demand.

Now how soon is too soon? Well, as a popular wedding photographer, currently my 2022 calendar is filling up and 2023 bookings are not far behind. The popular weekends around November and March are typically the first to go so if this is your goal it’s never too early. Be creative though… week day weddings are so much fun! They’re the modern day ‘guilty pleasure’ to know you and your guests are having the time of their lives whilst your colleagues are still at work!

Tortoise and the Hare - Except This Time the Hare Wins!

Book your must have vendors in quick succession. Commit to planning your venue, celebrant and wedding photographer one after the other. It would be such a shame to find out your dream wedding photographer had only just booked another couple for your day when you’d booked the venue 5 months prior.

Reach out to your vendors and check their availability, track it on a simple spreadsheet such as doodle.com or a simple Google Docs Page and find the date that your vendors are free on. Look at that, you’ve just had your cake and eaten it too… You’ve found your perfect venue, photographer and celebrant that are all free on the one day.

Lean On Your Wedding Vendors For Advice

Guess what. We’ve done this before. A lot of times! I’ve helped so many couples plan their perfect day, and I sometimes forget how much knowledge we have that can be easily passed on. It’s hard enough planning a weekend away with your friends let alone an event like a wedding but do not fear, because WE are here to help!

I became a wedding photographer after leaving the healthcare industry because I wanted to have an impact on the BEST day of people’s lives rather than the worst. I’m not the kind of guy to simply turn up, take photos and send you an album. I’m invested in each day and each couple and here to help as much as you want. Recently, I helped a couple plan a wedding in 3 weeks! From location, celebrant and reception and guess what, it went off without a hitch!

So reach out, ask questions & for recommendations and let your wedding vendor work as a team to help you create your dream day.