How to plan a wedding: a basic guide

Where to begin with wedding planning?

Congratulations on your engagement!

You’re entering this exciting process and trying to figure out: How do I begin planning a wedding?

Here at Love Out Loud, we have spoken to countless couples at every stage of the wedding planning process, as well as venue managers, suppliers, and expert planners. We have worked at extravagant large-scale weddings and smaller intimate weddings.

We have built a reliable order for you that simply explains how to plan your wedding.

Assemble your People 

You likely already know who you would like to be involved in your wedding party, so now is the time to tell them! Wedding planning starts here, because it can be as low-pressure or as intricate as you like. Plus, involving the people that you love the most through the rest of your planning will help mitigate your stress and keep the process fun! 

This is also a good place to gauge people’s capacities for involvement in your planning. Perhaps one of your artsy friends would love to take the lead on wedding invitations? Or another friend has a big upcoming work project, meaning they can only go dress shopping in a few months’ time? This is good information to have to help inform your organising. 

This also gets the ball rolling in building your guest list!

Find your Venue 

We’d argue that your wedding venue is the most influential factor in planning your wedding. Your dream location will impact your wedding date, your suppliers’ availabilities, and the direction of your logistics; some venues offer wedding catering, entertainment packages, and accommodation deals. 

Starting with booking your venue means you can proceed to make informed decisions in other areas of planning. This includes your catering and providing dates to other involved parties and suppliers. 

When you’re visualising smaller details such as decorations, colour schemes, and the way your music will echo around the room, it’s even more magical to have a space in mind for all your dreaming.

Chat to your celebrant

Finding a celebrant is usually something that couples say, “We forgot that’s something we’ll have to do”, however without this key person, you won’t actually be married. 

We advise finding a celebrant early in your planning process, as it may take some time to find the right person for you. This should be someone who reflects your values, and who you generally get on with well. 

We’ve heard of many lovely instances of how the bond between a celebrant and their couple has been the highlight of the planning process. Often celebrants’ consultations are friendly and informal, and can help advise on what you should organise next.

Taste your wedding food  

Depending on your venue, this may be a very quick process of choosing between menus, or relaying information to your invited guests.  

Alternatively, if you’re planning a more DIY wedding, this may involve liaising with different wedding catering companies, or local suppliers, and finding what fits your preferences best. 

Food can often feel like one of the biggest hurdles in planning, so we find it’s best to complete near the middle of your planning so that it can be ticked off your list. For longer celebrations, there are often multiple meals to consider, so definitely feed people’s stomachs as well as their hearts! 

Let your wedding dress speak to you

Shopping for your wedding dress and wedding attire is renowned as the most fun part of your wedding planning process. Now is the perfect time to call in that team you assembled near the beginning to help you decide on what you’ll be wearing, and how you’ll be wearing it.

This is also an opportunity to pick your wedding rings. Some couples style their dress around their ring, or vice versa, so we advise you to plan your aesthetic choices at the same time. 

Picture your photographer

Some would argue that this stage should come earlier; however we have found that there is a wonderful abundance of talented wedding photographers available across the industry, so this stage can come slightly later compared to other wedding logistics. 

As with hiring any suppliers, if you have met anyone whose work you feel a particular connection to, we do still absolutely advise contacting them as early as possible. This checklist is very general so please ensure you do whatever you feel is best! 

Arrange your flowers 

Floral arrangements can include the bouquet being carried, table decorations, and entire flower walls. We have found that for most couples, this stage can come slightly later in your planning process.

This may come earlier if flowers feel central to your relationship; you may end up building your entire wedding around your favourite florist’s availability! 

Feel your Entertainment

Your entertainment is the “sprinkles on top” of the cake that is your wedding. This is a great opportunity for you to pick something that speaks to your relationship. Are you exciting and eccentric like some live rock music? Are you sociable and fun like a ceilidh band? Or are you focused on being in the moment with some soft acoustics?

If you are seeking entertainment that promotes connection and conversation, then our unique on-the-spot typewritten poetry service will perfectly epitomise your relationship and be a great choice for your interesting wedding entertainment. 

We find that entertainment can come later in your planning process. Plus, here at Love Out Loud, our services can be arranged as late as one month before your wedding. We know how important and hectic planning other areas of your wedding can be, and are happy to accommodate some tight turnarounds when we have availability! 

This is a non-exhaustive list that should hopefully give you an idea of where to start with wedding planning. Good luck with your organising!