I want to share a secret with you. Don’t listen to what the masses say, planning a wedding should not be stressful. If you're feeling anxious about wedding planning, don’t be. Just take it one step at a time so you don’t become overwhelmed. Wedding planning is like entering an exciting new world if this is your first time at the rodeo… If this isn’t your first ride then that’s fine too, fun times ahead!!

Start by thinking about the type of wedding you’ll be planning for;

Will it be a carefully curated wedding with 150 people there beside you?

Or maybe you’ll invite a handful of loved ones to come along to your micro wedding?

Elopements could be the perfect way for you to marry your lover! No fuss, just the two of you and your witnesses.

So, where should I start?

Decide on the type of wedding you want to have? 100-200 ppl larger scale wedding, 15-30 ppl micro wedding, intimate elopement, adventure elopement, destination wedding (after Covid of course), or a simple legals only celebration.

This decision should be the first one you make.

Pick the Location– A specific wedding venue, outdoor ceremony in a council park, garden or beach, private home, favourite restaurant, café, local theatre, music festival, holiday rental, your home, church or chapel. If you think outside of the box and you might even find a hidden gem like your local art gallery, book exchange or community hall. There’s a lot of goodness out there to choose from.

Pick a date, then check if this date falls on a public holiday, long weekend or school holidays in the state where your wedding will take place. If it does, then travel costs may be higher than expected and your availability to secure accommodation for you and your guests may be a bit tricky and the overall costs could rise dramatically. If you’re okay with that then go forth and lock it in! Just be sure to send a save the date to your guests so they can secure early bird rates.

Choose local vendors. Try to surround yourself with your people. You know the ones. You‘re already drawn in by how familiar they feel to you without even knowing them because hopefully you’ve stalked them on their socials. You can get a pretty good vibe of your vendors via their social media profile. Follow your intuition, reach out to them, and connect.

When it comes to choosing your vendors, start with the big 3 – Venue, Photographer, Celebrant.

Don’t think that just because your bestie loved a certain photographer or celebrant that means that you should too! No way, it’s very rarely that simple. Your bestie might love extreme Zomba classes, whereas you’re more of a Tai Chi lover. We are all unique in our likes, dislikes and individual styles so that should come through when selecting your wedding artisans.

Don’t let price be your guide either. I know some fabulous suppliers that are at the lower end of the pricing scale, but their service value is the greatest. ‘High end’ suppliers rarely disappoint, but they may not be the right fit for you so try not to let budget drive your final decision. Ask what value they provide, and does that align with your needs and wants for your wedding day.

Definitely read their reviews. If someone has taken the time to write feedback via Google review or other means then that’s a really positive sign of a great relationship between client and vendor.

Now, lock in your favourite vendors then sit back, pat yourself on the back, and relax…you’ve now done the hardest part of planning a wedding :)