Wedding Planner
What do I do to get Married? – Here are ten tips to start you off:
1. Create a wedding budget – as a couple decide on how big you want your wedding to be and what you want to spend on this special day. Try to keep to this budget. Ensure you keep track of spending.
2. Finding a Location – there are so many beautiful outdoor areas on the Sunshine Coast and south-east Queensland. We are really spoilt for choice. Decide how many guests you will be inviting, whether the location needs to be a central point for these guests. Travel can be an expensive factor and might mean taking more time off work.
3. Day of the Week – most people marry at the weekend, but it is often cheaper to marry early in the week. This will mean suppliers and venues are more likely available.
4. Find a Venue – if you are looking for a budget wedding there are plenty of venues where you can BYO, hire a tent/marquee have pop up food vans etc. There is also the option of a Surf/Gold Club that can be quite reasonable with meal packages, and you can stipulate how much you put on the bar. Alternatively, at the top end there are venues with their own wedding Chapels and reception provided per head. Consider what type of food do they offer, cost per serving, how do they handle special dietary needs.
5. Find a Marriage Celebrant – I would recommend finding a Celebrant within close proximity to the venue. They usually add on for travel so it should be a more reasonable price. You can organise the meetings when you visit the venue. Celebrants are happy to meet you and have a chat without any obligation. It is extra special if you know someone. I have often been asked by friends and relatives to officiate. They will usually give you a discount on the price too.
6. Make sure you have ID for the Legal Paperwork – A wedding celebrant will need to sight your Birth Certificate or Passport to verify your ID. They will also need to see a divorce certificate or Death certificate if you have been married previously. If you don’t have these documents you can apply for them but this will take some time.
7. Decide on Bridesmaids and Groomsmen – Give them a list of responsibilities. Example – creating a wedding hashtag or wedding group. Advice on designing invitations and wedding outfits.
8. Deciding on Wedding guests to invite and design invitations – It’s hard to decide on who should or shouldn’t come to your wedding. Discuss this carefully together, who you have strong connections and who have been important to you both as a couple through the years. Obviously, it is hard with family and there are expectations, but if there are aunts and cousins that you really have no relationship with maybe because they live far away, then this it’s understandable that they wouldn’t be on the list. It’s also important that you have agreed on an equal number of friends and family.
9. Book a Photographer – they can get busy during the peak season and particularly on a weekend. A local photographer will probably be cheaper. If you have had friends who have recently got married ask them for recommendations about suppliers.
10. What to wear? – this is a very important factor particularly for the bride, there is no doubt she will be the centre of attention!
The dress is entirely up to you and can be formal or informal. It will also depend on the location and season of the wedding. Brides often like to be in white or cream and make sure the dress works for your figure. It is lovely to take your mother and girlfriends along to choose or get an idea of your dress. For my wedding I saw a dress design I loved and then gave the design to a local dressmaker, and it was a third of the original price. Decide on what your colours are and add in some colour to the dress. The colour can be matched in the outfit of the groom and groomsmen. There is plenty of choice but make sure that as well as looking amazing it is something you feel comfortable and not too hot in for the whole day
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