How to plan the perfect wedding from start to finish – including the honeymoon

Congratulations! You’ve decided you want to spend the rest of your lives together – and to make a very public statement of that wish by getting married. It’s no wonder you’re on cloud nine. But once the initial euphoria of becoming engaged dies down, the serious business of planning your wedding begins. 

And while this is, of course, a wonderful thing to be doing, it can also, at times, potentially feel overwhelming. Indeed, it can be hard even to know where to start. So it really does pay to be highly organised from the outset; equally, you can’t start your preparations or planning early enough. 

Here are our top tips for enjoying the happy, exciting and stress-free run-up to your big day (and beyond) that you deserve. 

1. You can afford to daydream at first 

Think about all your dream ideas for your perfect wedding, and write them down, with nothing off-limits. Brainstorming like this is a good way to start, even if some of your more ambitious plans ultimately fall by the wayside. 

2. Plan, plan and plan some more 

As you appreciate, you can’t be too organised. Have a checklist or whiteboard with everything that needs to be done, with deadlines, including when bills need paying. Prioritise the date and location for the ceremony or religious service, and decide the venue you want for your wedding celebrations (if different to where you’re actually getting married), check availability and book. Then you will have a basic structure for your special occasion; so everything else just falls into place. 

3. Booking your venue

Location, price, availability and the size of your guest list will all matter, as will the menus a prospective venue offers. Of course, you’ll want to visit the place in advance yourself. Talk to more than one staff member, look closely at the décor and think carefully about how the location makes you feel. 

And if, for example, it is especially important for you to have a pet-friendly wedding venue, then that’s the sort of thing you’ll want to bear in mind from the off. 

4. Determine your budget 

The cost of a wedding is always something to take into consideration, and getting married is not a cheap business. But you’ll be surprised at how much budgeting eases the financial pressure. You’ll understand, for example, how much you can spend on the lovely extras like a QR Code for Wedding Pictures – essentially an online album allowing guests to share all their pictures from your big day, and a brilliant extra way of recording the occasion. 

5. Don’t forget the honeymoon 

Inevitably, your focus is likely to be on the day of the marriage itself. But most couples want to relax after all the intensity of the build-up to their wedding, so don’t omit to plan the post-celebration holiday. After all, going from all that excitement straight back to the daily routine could otherwise leave you feeling rather flat. 

One great option is to book Val-d'Isère catered chalets. In winter, these are gorgeously romantic, whether you’re skiers or not, while in summer they make the perfect base for hiking or just enjoying being in the Alps together. (Equally, by the way, if you’re tying the knot overseas, catered chalets are a cost-effective and hassle-free option for guest accommodation.) 

It’s also worth having a list of things to do after the wedding and honeymoon, from sorting and sharing photos to collecting any belongings from the venue to storing your marriage certificate. 

The more planning you do early on, the more stress and hassle-free the last few days and hours before you tie the knot will be. You’ll also fee more able to relax and enjoy the occasion and spending time with loved ones, and absorb the fact that you really are married. Otherwise, your memories of the day and its immediate run-up could just become a blur.

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