So you have found someone who you don’t want to murder most of the time and you’d like to give it a go and see if you can hold onto them forever? Good for you! We wish you many years of good health and happiness. Finding your soul mate is a wonderful feeling and what better a way of celebrating your love than by having an awesome wedding?!
In this article, we are going to help you with the planning process for your Australian wedding. We will give you a handy checklist so that you know precisely what you need to remember before going ahead and tying the knot. With a bit of planning, some careful consideration, and a pinch of patience, you shouldn’t have any trouble putting on a wedding to remember!
Planning Your Australian Wedding
Planning an Australian wedding is simple enough. Yes, there is so much for you to remember, however, so long as you have everything written down, you shouldn’t encounter too many problems along the way. To make life easier for you, we’ve got a handy Australian Wedding Planning Checklist for you to work with:
Our Australian Wedding Planning Checklists
Step 1 – Make sure you are marrying the right person
It might sound daft, but before you go any further, you should think long and hard about what you are about to embark on. Are you sure it’s what you want? Who are we kidding! Of course, you are. You’ve found the love of your life so relax, you can safely move on to step 2 of planning your Australian wedding.
Step 2 – What is your budget?
When going through your wedding planning checklists, one of the most important factors is your budget. This will determine what you can afford and how extravagant you can go. Sure, working with numbers isn’t fun but this is an essential step.
Keep a detailed spreadsheet from the beginning so that you can allocate your funds accordingly and keep track of exactly how much you are spending on what.
Step 3 – Create your guest list
The number of people you are inviting to your wedding and their availability are going to have an effect on the type of venue that you ultimately end up with so this is an important step to take as early as possible in your wedding planning process.
It’s difficult, as you need to ensure that both sets of parents are involved with the planning process, particularly if they are contributing financially. Even if you alone are funding the wedding, it’s still important to allow both sets of parents to at least talk about the guest list and invite the important people in your lives who have watched you grow from a little baby to a full-blown adult getting married!
Step 4 – Hire a wedding planner
Next up and depending on your budget, you might want to hire a professional wedding planner. This is especially handy if you don’t have a huge amount of free time, or you don’t trust in your ability to plan a great wedding (some people are naturally gifted at these types of events, which is why they pursue them as careers). If you can afford to, hiring a wedding planner will take a great deal of strain off of you. In addition to that, much in the same way that an accountant can save you money, a wedding planner can save money as well. They will have many cost-effective solutions for booking the best venues, entertainment, catering options, and more.
Step 5 – Choose your wedding theme
Selecting a theme or ‘vibe’ for your wedding is a great way of determining the type of venue, décor, dress, and many other fine details. Of course, the overall theme or vibe for your wedding should be a joint decision, so make sure that you allow plenty of time to have this discussion before settling on something. What is important to you? What do you value most? What have you disliked about weddings that you have attended in the past? These questions should help guide your final decision.
Step 6 – Settle on the best venue
Next up it is time to choose the venue for your wedding. This is when you will really notice it start to take shape. Choosing your venue is arguably one of the biggest decisions that you will make, as it has a significant impact on most other aspects of your wedding.
There are a number of options for you to choose from when it comes to wedding venues, and they typically fall into two categories: local venues, and destination venues. There are pros and cons to both. If you want to have a large wedding with as many of your friends as well as family in attendance, then a local wedding is advised. Otherwise, a destination wedding can be a magical way of celebrating your special day.
Step 7 – Choose your caterer
Remember that your wedding is going to be the biggest and most important dinner part of your entire life, so make sure you get it right. Friends and family are going to travel from all over to make your special day so you want to make sure that they are well fed when they arrive. A wedding is a long and tiring affair and with so much drinking and partying, your loved ones will need plenty of fuel to get through the day.
Your venue may dictate the type of catering service that you can put on. Some allow outside catering services; other venues prefer to handle it in-house. Speak to your wedding planner (if you have one) and see what they recommend. They will likely have a number of amazing wedding caterers in their phonebook! Also, don’t be afraid to get creative and have a little fun with this!
Step 8 – Book necessary vendors
Next, you’ll want to start booking vendors such as your photographer, the band or DJ (or both), a videographer, and so on. These will ensure that your night is not only magical but well documented as well. Do your research before hiring anyone, and be certain to prepare plenty of questions before you make your final decision.
Step 9 – Buy the wedding dress
This is arguably the most important aspect of the wedding day: buying the perfect dress. Remember, there’s no shame in renting either. If you want to go all out and have an extra special dress, then you can pay the extra to have one rented for the day. This can help you save a fortune! However, many women prefer to hold on to their dresses from their special day so buying is also an option. Just be mindful of how much you can afford!
Step 10 – Practice with some engagement photos
Having an engagement photo shoot is not only a great opportunity to prepare yourself for your wedding day photos, but it also makes the whole event feel real! You can spend so much time with preparation and getting lost in the planning process that you forget about how real everything is! About what an amazing adventure you are about to embark on. Having some beautiful engagement photos taken can ensure that you are well prepared for the main event and that you’ve got your ‘blue steel’ pose down to a T.
Step 11 – Get your invitations sent out
Next up you are going to want to ensure that everyone knows that you are getting married! Send out your invitations with all necessary information so that your guests can arrive at the designated venue at the designated time. It’s also a great opportunity to have everyone get their food orders in if you are having a sit-down meal.
Step 12 – Sort out your wedding cake
Choose a wedding cake that you like and not what your guests expect. Also, be mindful of the space before buying a ridiculously tall cake! Make sure that it is big enough to cater to everybody with plenty left over as well.
Step 13 – Book in hair and makeup
Your wedding day is not the time to be experimenting with makeup. This is something that should be booked in advance. Your makeup artist can then find the perfect look that you feel confident with, and they can book it ready for the day, to make you all beautiful and glamorous.
Step 14 – Prepare the ceremony
Now you’ll need to prepare for your ceremony, including writing your vows if that is the path you’d like to take. There are countless vow ideas for you to choose from, including emotional, heartfelt, and funny. You should also book a rehearsal ceremony so that everyone is certain of their role in the event and that you have the desired tone locked down.
Step 15 – Jump!
Now that you’re all set, it’s time to take that leap of faith with your better half. We wish you the very best of luck with your special day and hope that it is one to remember!
If you are feeling overwhelmed by it all and would like some professional assistance with the planning process. In any case, we are certain your special day will go off without a hitch! Enjoy.
