Wedding planning is one of the most special times in a couple's life. Planning a celebration with your nearest and dearest - what could possibly be nicer, right? But, if you're not hiring a wedding planner there can be a few headaches, a lot of unsolicited, but well-meaning advice, and a whole new wedding world to navigate. We think there are only a handful of people you should listen to when trying to do your wedding your way. Us, of course, the professionals (shout out to our amazing recommended suppliers!), and the hundreds of real wedding couples we feature on site every year. Our real wedding community provide us with invaluable advice to help other couples planning, and we've chosen the most important words of wisdom that we hear again and again. Read on for the best wedding planning advice from One Fab Day couples!
Real Wedding Planning Advice
"Don't tell people what you're doing until you have it booked!"
"People are full of opinions and like to tell you what they think is the right way to do things, but trust your instincts. I did my best to book something as soon as I was comfortable with it, and not overthink it or discuss it with anyone, bar Eoin. That way, I felt we were trusting our instincts, and it was usually too late for someone to try to change my mind!"
"Dance in the rain!"
"Don’t sweat the big stuff, it all falls into place! Our biggest worry was the weather due to the type of outdoor festival wedding we were planning - and it rained all day. Once you see your partner on that day nothing else matters. We danced in the rain, we didn't care and had the best day of our lives!
"Timings are important!"
"Focus on food, drink and music – that’s all anyone really cares about. Look after your guests as much as you can. Mark and I like to keep the party going, so you want to keep your guests on the same buzz as you. Timings are important for this, you don’t want your guests waiting around for too long at any point. Develop a time schedule ahead of time and share that with the venue and all of the vendors (they have good advice on what is actually realistic). The bride and groom’s attitude also set the day's tone."
"Don't let it consume you!"
"Personally, we wanted to be married within the year. Weddings can take up a lot of mental space so don’t let it consume you! At the end of the day remember what you’re doing it for, and come back to that and reset when things are getting too much. It’s a day to celebrate both of you and your relationship, so stay true to your vision, but also flex when you need to. It’s never going to be perfect, but it’ll be pretty damn close as long as you both say 'I do!'"
"Plan a pre-moon!"
"Think carefully about what you want. It’s your day, no one else’s. Don’t over-complicate things, you don’t need to get stressed. Take moments throughout the day to look, listen and remember. It really does fly by. I actually planned what I called a ‘pre-moon’ for us, six weeks before our big day, just to get away for four nights to focus on us, and have some special time. We had a lovely romantic break in Santorini, and I really recommend it before the wedding draws closer."
"Book those suppliers early!"
"Plan a wedding for yourselves, prioritise what is most important to you and book those suppliers early. Once we booked the date at the venue, we prioritised the photographer, flowers and music, and so we were very relieved that our photographer, along with our other suppliers, could move to our new date in February."
"Get a videographer, it's worth every penny!"
"Get a videographer, it's worth every penny. We still look at our short and long wedding videos seven months later, and in years to come it will be lovely to remember the day all over again and relive it. Also do your family photos the minute you get to the reception, otherwise, it's like herding cats as people go to rooms. Give your photographer a list of people you want to get a picture with and they will tick it off the list. Something we didn’t do but regret it."
"Take moments to be present"
"Before you leave for your ceremony, after putting on your dress or suit, take a moment yourself to look in the mirror, during your meal or on your way back to the dance floor - the moments you stop to take it all in are the moments that stay with you long after the day is over!"
"Meet your photographer before the big day"
"Enjoy the day and stay present as you can only control the controllables on the day. Take deep breaths, find time to spend with your other half and have as much fun with your loved ones as you can. Also, if you can meet or chat with your photographer before the wedding, do, so they can get a feel for you both as a couple and your vibe. We chatted with our photographer a few months beforehand and it made such a difference on the day!"
"Do a first look photo with each other!"
"We wanted to have that time to mix and catch up with our friends at the reception, so we opted to do a first look photo before the marriage ceremony, which made it less daunting for us to walk up the aisle and it was so nice to see his reaction without everyone around. It was a lovely private moment before we went and had fun with everyone."
"Delegate ahead of the big day!"
"Give people in your wedding party tasks. Everyone wants to be helpful and giving specific tasks to people takes the pressure off the couple on the day. I had a couple of ideas that I thought I would have time to do on the day, but before you know it, you’re on the dancefloor and it's already 1am. The day zips by so quickly!"
"Don't sweat the small stuff - nobody will notice!"
"It can be very difficult not to get bogged down in the smaller details. If you don’t have time to get wedding favours sorted or hairspray for the bathrooms, it most definitely won't leave a lasting impression on anybody! I would also try to get as many things organised well in advance, so you’re not swamped the week of the wedding."
"Listen to a wedding planning podcast!"
"Because we had a destination wedding, we loved having so much time to spend with all the people in our lives who made the effort to be there. We never felt rushed or added pressure on our special day to make time for everybody, because we felt like we had so much time in the lead up. Also – we really loved listening to The OneFab Day Podcast on planning a destination wedding! It's a must-listen if you are planning yourself."
"Don't focus on other weddings you have been to!"
"Don’t focus on other weddings you have been to, create your own day which reflects you as individuals and as a couple. Enjoy the process as much as possible and don’t overthink it. Finally, trust your venue and their staff, the photographer, and musicians and allow them to advise and put their stamp on the day too."
"Re-evaluate what is important!"
"Take a step back and re-evaluate what is really important about your wedding day. After a difficult year, we just wanted to get married. Our day was better than we could ever have imagined and has left us with the most amazing memories, but don’t waste your time stressing over every detail! It will all come together in the end and you will have the best day regardless."
"Listen to nobody, literally nobody!"
"Make the day about the both of you. Listen to nobody - literally nobody! Invite whoever you want because it's going to be one of the best days of your lives, so enjoy every minute of it."
"Plan special moments alone!"
"I had posted a full box of stationery that never arrived at the venue. To us, it really did not make any difference to the day - it was all still amazing! Make sure you get some special moments alone. There was an Italian tradition that our venue had, and they organised for Tom and I to sit alone for 30 minutes during our aperitifs at a sweetheart table, and we had the best time watching our guests, and having cheers to ourselves while soaking it all in."
Now it's our turn! Check out The 10 Most Essential Pieces of Wedding Planning Advice Ever from One Fab Day!
