Top Ten Wedding Planning Must-Do's Before "I Do"

photo credit: punchbowl.com

As you are getting ready to tie the knot, celebrate another milestone in your life and live a happy married life together, there are basic steps you need to take. Below are ten must-dos I suggest to give you a head start into planning your big day. First things first. Happy planning!

• SPREAD THE WORD: now that you are engaged and ready to start planning, don't keep the good news to yourself. Inform close family and friends. Get the word out. Congratulatory messages will start trickling in and so is unsolicited advice.
• PICK A DATE: after the proposal and acceptance, wedding planning commences. The first thing is having an idea of when you want to get married – season and month. You may not be able to narrow in on a specific date yet, have a sketchy idea. Do you want to marry in the rainy season or during harmattan? That lets you pick a month of the year. After choosing the month, you can now cross out the no-no days like a festive or clumsy national holiday.
• HAVE A DREAM – this is very important in putting your wedding planning in shape. What's your ideal wedding? A dream is cheap; it costs you nothing. If you are hiring a wedding coordinator for full event planning or just consultation to give you a head start, you have to go to your first consultation meeting with a fantasy. Without a picture of your wedding in mind, anything will be acceptable. When you start visiting stores and vendors, it would be easier to communicate your needs. It’s not a crime to dream big. Have a dream in your head.
• PRIORITIZE – in as much as you have to dream, and dream big, you also have to set your priorities right. As a wedding couple, highlight those things about the wedding you cannot do without. Itemize the things you want to splurge on and those other things you don’t really care so much about. For instance, the groom might be ‘crazy’ about the reception music and wedding photos while the bride wants a gorgeous decoration and a gigantic wedding cake. In this scenario, the couple already know the four things (photography, music, cake and decoration) they are splurging on. Other things like food, attire are important but those four are simply paramount to them.
• SET A BUDGET – how do you intend financing your wedding? There are basically three ways to get funds for your wedding – the couple pays or the bride’s family pays or everyone pays. You may need to communicate with all those who will contribute to set the budget. Be realistic. Communication is very crucial when it comes to wedding finance. You do not want to start buying things that are not included in the budget.
• DRAW UP A GUEST LIST – while it’s quite difficult in this part of the globe to really turn people away if they were not invited, drawing up a guest list is still necessary. Africans, especially Nigerians, love to celebrate. Even if you are not formally invited, you can attend a colleague’s wedding, to celebrate a milestone in their life. I don’t support wedding crashers, though. How many guests do you envision at the event? The final guest list count will have to be communicated to the caterer and the baker. It will also influence your choice of venue. If you envision two hundred guests, you already know an amphitheater is out of your choice of venue. Draw up a guest list, now.
• GET ORGANIZED – planning may not guarantee that everything will be perfect but it puts your mind at rest that you did your best to make things perfect in your own capacity. God has everything in His control. Make use of resources given to you by your wedding planner, friends who just tied the knot or those on the internet. Buy an organizer and file in fabric swatches, colour samples, magazine cut outs, checklists, worksheets, and timelines.
• HIRE A COORDINATOR – the advantages of hiring a coordinator for your wedding cannot be over-emphasized. If you have a full time job that will not give you enough time to plan, a wedding planner saves you lots of research time. She meets with vendors to relate your needs to them. Ultimately, a wedding planner lets you enjoy your day with no stress or anxiety. If you still belong to the school of thought that believes wedding planners are out to make you bankrupt, you really need to schedule a consultation with one immediately.
• GET PRE-MARITAL COUNSELING – the wedding day marks your journey into a married life. It’s stupidity planning for just a day in a year and not planning the rest of your life after the wedding day. Do not think because you get along well with your spouse, so you know all that is to a marriage. If you belong to a church, take advantage of pre-married classes available; most churches have it. Else, talk to a marriage counselor who is also married. The wedding day is not the end. It is just the start of a lifelong commitment. Get pre-marital counseling today
• RELAX – due to the stress that comes with wedding planning, you may have stopped some regimen you follow like your beauty therapy, healthy meals and exercises. The wedding day goes away quickly such that before you realize, it’s evening already. You should not let wedding planning affect the things you do regularly. Drink plenty of water. Exercise as you do regularly. Get enough rest. Remove your makeup before going to bed each night. Have a warm bath. Eat well. If you have to snack, do not indulge in food items that can be harmful to your health on the long run. Remember, you need to be healthy to live a happy married life afterwards.

 Was there something you wished you had done while planning your wedding? Share with others below.