Planning a wedding
Things to consider when planning a wedding
Planning a wedding can be an overwhelming process, but with the right guidance and preparation, it can also be one of the most memorable and enjoyable experiences of your life. To ensure your special day runs smoothly, it's important to consider various key elements and make informed decisions along the way.
In this article, we'll be sharing our best tips as you plan your wedding, from ceremonies to transport to food and drinks.
Vendors
Hiring the right vendors is crucial for a smooth wedding experience. Consider engaging a wedding planner to help ease the pressure of making all of the arrangements and to ensure you don’t miss anything. Planner’s are also great for coordinating all the suppliers and moving parts on the day. Additionally ensure you select reliable and experienced professionals to supply services at your wedding, don’t be afraid to ask for testimonials or references.
Guest list
Choosing who you would like at your wedding isn’t always easy. Take into account your budget, the capacity of your chosen venue, and the desired number of guests you wish to accommodate. Carefully curating your guest list for the ceremony & wedding meal and then inviting additional guests in the evening will help create an enjoyable atmosphere.
Wedding party
Choose members of your group and give them duties on the day! Jobs such as arriving ahead of time to check set up, manage timings on the day, ushering guests, being a point of contact for venue/suppliers whilst your getting ready, organising taxis or transport & cleaning up and taking home gifts or personal items at the end of the night. This will help to ease stress as you can’t do everything yourselves, nor should you want to on your big day! Select individuals who are close to you and will support you throughout the wedding planning process and on your special day.
Ceremony
Determine the type of ceremony you envision, whether it's a traditional civil legal ceremony or a religious ceremony or something more personalized and unique like handfasting or humanist. Choose your vows, readings, and any special rituals or customs you wish to incorporate. Plan additional details such as music and lighting to create the desired ambiance. Due to marriage laws please keep in mind that civil ceremony cannot incorporate any religious content this includes music, symbols or readings. For more information on civil ceremony legalities please contact the Hackney Registrars
Food & Drinks
Decide on the type of catering that suits your preferences and budget. Options like canapes and a sit-down dinner are traditionally chosen for weddings with cocktails and an open bar, however if you are on a budget then opt for a hot fork buffet or sharing platters for the table. Provide an arrival glass of prosecco or mocktail, some wine and soft drinks on the table for dinner and then ask your caterer to operate a cash bar beyond this. Weddings are personal and choosing a cuisine from your cultural backgrounds is a great way to celebrate.
Music & Entertainment
Ask your DJ to provide the PA system & Speakers themselves and ask them to arrive earlier on in the day. That way you can be assured they are loaded in, set up and have sound checked before your guests arrive. You can also then utilize them for music throughout including welcome guest entrance music, wedding meal and party. If you have any other live amplified musicians planned they may allow these to plug into their system. Tip - Most will also have a microphone you can use for your speeches!
Travel & Guest comfort
If you are having your ceremony and reception in one place then job done! However if you have chosen to get married and celebrate the reception in different places you will need to consider how long the gap in between is and the travel. Although summer months are always popular for weddings, the UK weather is unpredictable. If there are periods of time where guests will need to wait around ensure an indoor place is available to them. If guests are travelling from far for your big day ensure you have arranged a cloakroom with the venue where they can set their baggage down. Consider transport methods such as coach hire or vintage routemaster bus and ask the drivers to take a scenic route to get some sightseeing of East London in!
Recycle and Reuse!
Having some epic floral decor for your ceremony? Take it with you to the reception! Members of the wedding party can help carry or call a courier to assist with transportation. Some florists will even wait around, load it back up and re-deliver to your new location. Also a handheld bouquet doubles up nicely as a registrar table arrangement during the ceremony as you will not be holding it during the vows.
