As a little girl I honestly cannot remember thinking about my wedding day, for me it wasn’t the day, it was the beautiful long veil (enter the lace curtains in my bedroom, circa 1980). Clearly Prince Charming would be at the end of the aisle waiting for me with bluebirds flying around the room (enter every Disney movie I had ever watched). I mean it’s simple right, you meet the man of your dreams, you fall in love and then you marry. Seriously, how hard is it?
Well to start, the person you have said yes to (or asked) probably didn’t fight dragons/evil stepmothers (or maybe he/she did) or cut through briar bushes to awaken you from a deep sleep. And so you know the dress doesn’t magically appear and the wedding ceremony followed by the reception doesn’t just happen! (should I say magically again??)
The reality is that every wedding is completely different, as a couple you may want completely different things. What is important to you may not be important to your fiancé. Then there is everybody else; parents, sisters, brothers, friends, and other family members that will want to be involved in the preparation. (enter Uncle Dave who thought a beach ceremony meant wearing budgie smugglers)
Ask yourselves what is most important to you, how do you and your fiancé picture your special day.
So what is your next step? I like to follow the When, Where and Who motto…
When do you want to get married? Where do you want to get married? Who do you want to marry you? (Rebecca Saunders of course) Who will take the photos? These 4 questions are your starting point as all 4 need to be booked as soon as possible.
Do you have a special date in mind or are you flexible with your date? If you want to get married on Valentine’s Day for example, you will need to book as early as possible as this is a popular date for couples. Reception venues are booked 12-18 months in advance so it’s best to start looking and making a short list of your favourites. However, if you have a particular place you want to get married then you may need to be flexible with your dates depending on their bookings.
So the venue is booked, the date is set, now it’s time to find a photographer. Google is a wonderful tool for finding wedding photographers however you may find that your friends or family know or have heard of someone. When you meet with him/her ask to see their previous work and be certain that you relate well with them as these are very important moments that will be captured.
Now the celebrant, this person needs to understand you as a couple and be able to present your story as you want it told. This day is not about the celebrant it is about you and whenever possible a good celebrant will blend into the background.
Good luck with your preparations and I hope we will meet soon. xx
by 