How To Prepare For A Wedding (Men and Women)

Preparing for a wedding can be overwhelming which is why having a longer timeline is important (aim for about a year). Couples usually hire a professional but there are many reasons it might be better not to. For example, it might be cheaper or for some couples, doing it DIY is part of the fun. Whatever reason you may have, it’s important to know what you should be tackling first.

Many couples will get hung up on the small details and forget the important stuff. While it may be fun, don’t forget what’s truly important and why you are having a wedding in the first place, which is to celebrate your love for each other. Without further ado below are some tips on how to prepare a wedding for men and women.

1. Settle on the numbers (aka your budget!)

Your wedding budget will determine all your future wedding-related decisions. This is where you need to take a hard look at your finances together with your partner and if you’ll be receiving support from other people such as your immediate family. 

However, whatever number you and your partner may have decided on. Always make sure you add 10-15 percent more as a cushion for unexpected expenses. Once you have that in place, stick to it and don’t over exceed it.

2. Settle on the priorities

Every couple is different – some prioritize having the venue on a beach whilst others are content in a hotel ballroom. This is why you and your partner should each write down a list of the things you must have and another list of nice-to-haves. 

Must haves are things that will make or break the wedding while nice to haves are things that will enhance the wedding experience but are not necessary.

3. Get organized!

Once you have your budget and priorities set in stone. It is time to get organized! Using tools such as Google Docs for documentation, spreadsheets for finance calculation, and checklists for task management are all good ideas.

A more DIY organizational approach to getting your hands on a wedding planner & organizer book may be a wise investment since they help you schedule, plan, and get organized with all wedding-related tasks in a very elegant and aesthetically pleasing manner.

4. Determine the deets! (aka details)

Determining the concrete details is important since these are details that will make or break your wedding. These are details such as:

• Wedding date
• Guest list 
• Invitation cards
• Dress code 
• Wedding venue
• Dress code

However, determining this might not be easy. If this is the case make sure to always refer to your priority list and pick apart the details surrounding it. For example, your priority may be getting a live band for music therefore the details surrounding that are what band will you hire? What song will they play? What logistics issues may you face? Etc. 

5. Shop for Wedding Attire

Shopping for wedding attire can be really fun. However, make sure you only start shopping around a few months before since this gives you enough time for fittings and alterations.  And don’t forget to account for pre-wedding events and since your attire may change.

6. Create a Wedding Website (affiliate link to a website builder)

Whenever possible, utilize the incredible power of technology. In this case, creating a website will save you from getting endless emails, text messages, and wedding-related messages and contacts by having it filtered through your wedding website.

Creating a wedding website is also useful since you can display important information and save time for both you and the guest. Important information such as dates, times, venues, dress codes, etc should be displayed on your website.

7. Hire the people!

As much as it feels like wedding planning is a two-people job. Don’t forget that a wedding is a big and important event that most often than not has many moving parts. Which is why hiring the right people is important. Hiring through someone you know is usually the go-to move since you have that established trust beforehand. However, there are many hiring websites out there such as Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor, and many more. 

8. Add the personal stuff

Don’t be afraid to add some meaningful, unique touches to your wedding day celebrations, whether they are cultural or familial traditions that hold special significance for you two, or if you two wish to create a new tradition for future generations. Keep in mind that your wedding day is your day! And not anyone else.

Personal touches may include but are not limited to:

• Couples playlist
• Inside jokes
• Wedding themes 
• And many more

9. Consider pre-wedding events

There are plenty of pre-wedding festivities to attend in the months before your wedding day, including engagement parties, showers, brunches, and bachelor/bachelorette parties. Even if a close friend or member of your family usually hosts the majority of these events, you will still need to help with some of the preparations. Taking these pre-wedding events into account and organizing them beforehand is a must.

10. Finalize the legalities

Don’t forget to schedule a time to obtain your marriage license in the midst of all the crazed preparation and innumerable minute details. Start looking into and compiling the required paperwork as early as possible, but remember that marriage licenses normally only last for a few months and that destination weddings sometimes have additional requirements.

11. Ask for feedback 

If you have family members who you’ve attended weddings of, don’t be afraid to ask for advice. And this doesn’t have to be from someone you know. Asking strangers who’ve gotten married for feedback and tips can become quite useful. They’d probably be more than pleased to share with you some exclusive secrets and techniques that they’ve picked up along the road.