Weddings are the happiest of all social occasions. It’s the time to bring two separate groups together to celebrate something in common. It’s also one of the hardest social events to plan.
There’s a huge range of variables on offer when it comes to planning your wedding. Many people struggle when it comes to knowing what to do, and whether to lean more towards the traditional or try something different.
We’re going to give you a complete rundown on everything you need to know about planning your own wedding. From the service to the reception to the speeches, we’ve got everything there is to know about this special event.
Make sure you tick all the technical boxes
Naturally, the main focus of the wedding is the actual service itself. If you’re looking at planning your own wedding, the odds are that you’re not planning on putting together a religious wedding.
However, even if you’re leaning more towards the humanist aspect of things, there are still certain boxes that need to be ticked for a wedding to be official.
- The celebrant, the official that conducts the service, needs to ensure they introduce themselves by name and make it clear that they have the legal authority to carry out the wedding.
- A legal vow has to be spoken allowed by both bride and groom, and the wording is pretty specific.
- Two witnesses over the age of 18 will have to be present, and it’s a role the bride and groom often choose to delegate to someone special to them.
- Each of the couple’s names need to be spoken at some point, generally during the actual exchanging of vows.
- And the celebrant needs to mention, at some point in the proceedings, the serious nature of marriage.
These five things are required for the ceremony to be official. Beyond that, you can really do what you want.
Keep things moving, and stay flexible
One major mistake that many people make with their weddings is timing. Generally, you’re far better off trying to make things short and sweet, rather than letting things drag out. This is particularly true of the speeches.
While you yourself probably have limited control over what people put into their speeches, it’s worthwhile mentioning to the bridesmaids and best man that you’d rather things are a bit shorter.
In general, it’s probably a good idea to try and ensure that the proceedings move along at a fair clip.
Naturally, things need to be done properly. And if you’re bringing a large number of people together, it’s not always easy to ensure that things move along promptly. But careful planning should mean that you can get the logistics of the thing down as well as possible.
That said, as far as possible, it’s worth your while trying to make sure that things are flexible wherever possible. At the end of the day, the odds are that something is going to go wrong at some point. If you’re able to roll with the punches, you can ensure the day is a success.
Try and plan your reception around your guests
Once the ceremony itself is wrapped up, things can move on to the reception. Most people find themselves working to a fairly tight budget for their wedding, but that’s no reason that things have to be excessively limited.
If you’re creative about how you do things, you can probably put together a fantastic wedding on even the most limited of budgets.
Within reason, try and make use of your friends and family. For instance, if they’re able to do makeup for the bridesmaids and bride, you can save a huge amount of money while also enjoying a top job.
The reception, as with the wedding, should probably be kept simpler rather than more complex.
Ultimately, people are there to have a good time and celebrate your wedding.
You don’t need to go overboard when it comes to arranging entertainment or pushing the boat out with refreshments.
It’s also worth putting some thought into any kind of alcohol arrangements you have planned. Everyone loves a free bar, but they certainly come at a heavy cost. On the other hand, people aren’t going to thank you if they don’t get a single drink. Try and find a happy medium, based on how you expect your guests to behave.
Organising a wedding is always going to be a stressful occasion. However, with the right planning and a bit of creative thought, you can get the absolute maximum out of your plans, while remaining within budget. Don’t overcomplicate things, and try and stay flexible. With any luck, everything will go off without a hitch.
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