Planning your wedding: The checklist

Once you’ve found your soulmate it might seem like the hard part’s over, but weddings themselves involve a lot more work. To help ensure yours run seamlessly, The Gay Wedding Guide has outlined the 10 key things you’ll need to remember, in order of time and priority.

1) Budget

Do your homework! Find out what venues and suppliers cost and work out what you can afford. ”The two most important things to consider when planning a wedding for yourself are budget and budget” says luxury wedding planner Sarah Haywood. “If you fail to do a little bit of homework before your start, understand that you will add a layer of unnecessary stress – and possibly disappointment when it turns out that what you are looking at is beyond your financial reach.”

2) Date & Venue

Most weddings take place in the summer, but you might prefer to say “I do” in a different season; winter, autumn and spring can create stunning backdrops (and venues might be cheaper too). With a rough date in mind, find a reception venue that can accommodate you and your guests, and set a date. If you want to get married there too, you’ll need to ensure it has a wedding license.

3) Notice & Registrar

You’re required to ‘give notice’ of your intention to marry at your local Register Office, regardless of where you plan on getting married. Once that’s done, contact the Registrar closest to where you’re getting married and find out if they’re available for your ceremony – it’s a requirement that a Superintendent Registrar and Registrar (or authorised person) must be present at all marriage ceremonies. If you plan on getting married in a church, or having your ceremony conducted by a celebrant, book them now, too.

4) Guest list

It’s a numbers game. Working out who you’d like to share your day with takes time, but it’s worth doing early on. Not only will it help you finalise your budget and venue, it will help you establish whether guests will be invited to every aspect of the day, or to the evening reception only.

5) Suppliers

Your venue may have a list of preferred or stipulated suppliers, but if they don’t you will need to do your research. From florists and photographers, videographers and insurers, caterers and drinks suppliers, right the way through to hiring transport, DJs, marquees and even toilets, draw up a list of all the services you will need, find those within budget and closest to your venue, then view or sample their products and book them.

6) Attire

Whether you intend to get your suit tailored or off-the-shelf, you need to decide if you want to co-ordinate it with your other half, your best men and ushers. This is the when you need to think about your colour scheme!

7) Rings & Invitations

Choose your rings and decide whether or not you want them engraved. Then keep them somewhere safe! Once done, order and send out your invitations.

8) Honeymoon

Book wherever you plan on spending your wedding night, and then book your honeymoon: Even if you aren’t honeymooning straightaway, if you book it now you’ll have more to look forward to.

9) Order of the Day

Plan it with precision – it’ll help everything go smoothly.  “It’s super important to consider the flow,” says Event and Wedding Planner, Mark Niemierko. “How do your guests get to the venue, where do they check in their coat, is champagne served as soon as they arrive? If you ensure your guests are welcome it will help make your wedding memorable and fun.”

10) Vows and Speeches

Prepare your wedding vows and then write your reception speech! Consult each other – you don’t want to miss anything or anyone out.

For a more detailed guide to planning your wedding, plus insights from industry experts, visit thegayweddingguide.co.uk

Sarah Haywood – sarahhaywood.com
Mark Niemierko – niemierko.com

Photography: Emily Butters – emilybutters.com