Congratulations on your engagement and welcome to the world of wedding planning! This is an incredibly special and fun season of life, but before you get carried away with hiring a horse drawn carriage and a pair of flying doves, we’re here to share what you should consider before you start planning your wedding. Wondering where to start? Then this is for you!
Celebrate your engagement
Before you begin planning your wedding, take some time to enjoy being engaged! Throw an engagement party (if that’s your thing), gaze at that bling in your finger and enjoy some quality time together as a newly engaged couple. Resist the urge to rush into the planning by skipping over this very important step.
Have important discussions with your partner
Communication is a crucial step to building any relationship, especially the one you intend to keep forever! Start this wedding planning journey by having some very important conversations about your desires for your Big Day.
- Your religious beliefs – do you want to have a religious wedding or something else? Have you always dreamed of getting married in a church or do you envision saying ‘I do’ outdoors in the countryside? Discuss these with your partner because this will shape your day.
- Your wedding vision – what comes to mind when you picture tying the knot? Begin with this picture and use that to build your special day.
- What is most important to you? For example, having a big wedding with everybody you know and love, filling the dance floor and partying with the best band in town, or having your dogs there. Whatever it is, come to an agreement with your partner on the direction you’d like to take.
Talk about money
Before booking anything, you need to know how much money you’ve got to spend! Sit down with anybody who plans to contribute towards the wedding (including parents and other close family members) and have a very open conversation about what your budget will be.
Curious to know what other couples spend on their wedding? Check out Ireland’s latest survey!
Choose a date
When do you actually want to get married? This decision will be determined by a few factors:
- Finances – do you need to save more money before setting a date? Would you prefer to select an off-peak date that will likely be more affordable (hello winter and midweek wedding dates!).
- The season – if you’ve had your heart set on a warm summer wedding, then that will help to narrow down your date options.
- Job and work commitments – when will you be able to take time off?
- Key guest commitments – we don’t suggest that you plan your Big Day around everybody, but you can avoid choosing the same date as your sister’s baby due date or your bestie’s 30th birthday.
Select a location
Choose where in the world you want to get married! The options are endless and the world is (literally) your oyster.
We may be biased, but we think Ireland is a pretty gorgeous location to get married. Don’t believe us? Check this out.
Guests
Create your ideal guest list based one everybody you would really like to have at your wedding. This will give you an idea of roughly how many people you would like to have with you. Then compare this figure with your budget and possible wedding venues!
Gather ideas
Spend time scrolling through our Real Wedding features to see what other couples have done, or scroll on Instagram to get inspo. This will help to shape the visual aspect of your wedding day.
