Wedding Planning Dos and Don’ts

Every bride and groom would like their wedding to be perfect. Follow our do's and don't for the perfect wedding day!

As incredible and joyous as weddings are, planning them can also be stressful. This is why we've put together the five most important things to do, and to avoid doing, when it comes to your special day. If you and your fiancé follow these steps, you can be confident that your wedding will be a celebration to remember. If you need advice and support regarding your wedding, we can also offer help with everything from budgeting for a ring to learning about the 4Cs of Diamonds.

Ensure your fiancé feels included

This may sound obvious but when it comes to planning a wedding, the bride often becomes the main focus and the main organiser. 

However, both you and your fiancé are making a commitment to be considered as one moving forward. So, it's only right that he feels included at every stage. You should, therefore, ensure that he is kept informed throughout each stage and that his opinion is valued.

According to Bridal Guide, it may be worth considering if there's a particular area, such as music or catering, that your fiancé could help organise. By doing this, you can make sure your future husband feels included in the wedding planning, whilst also helping to take a little of the planning pressure off yourself.

Set a realistic budget

When setting your budget, sit down with your fiancé and break down the individual costs. Make sure to allow for extras and a bit of flexibility in terms of certain unforeseen costs. Like all celebrations, there are usually a few additional expenses on the night that may not have initially been factored into the budget. 

By keeping a small amount aside for such costs, you'll avoid going over the overall budget. If there's extra money left after your special day, this can always be used for the honeymoon or put towards your bright future together.

Negotiate costs with suppliers

Another way to ensure you can minimise your expenditure, so you have more money left for the future, is to explore options with vendors that would keep costs down as much as possible without compromising on quality. For example, is there another floral arrangement or catering option that would be more reasonable and scalable for the event? 

Whilst you may not wish to go for the least expensive option, you also shouldn't feel pressured to accept the quoted price without checking if this can be negotiated or substitutions can be made.

Stay gracious with gifts

When it comes to organising your special day, it's likely that you'll get lots of offers of help to create the guest list, organise the wedding ceremony and plan the party. 

Regardless of whether you accept offers of assistance, remember that your friends and family are well-meaning and any suggestions should be well-received. After all, you never know when you may change your mind and wish to have a little assistance in planning such a big event. 

Similarly, you may find that there are a few wedding gifts you receive which are not items you would've personally chosen. Just be sure to respond graciously and demonstrate that you are grateful for every guest's present. 

Thank you notes are often the best way to do so and will require you to keep track of who buys which gift. Be sure to look into ways to personalise your thank you notes, even if you have a large number of guests at your special day and it takes a couple of months to send the notes to them. Your guests will still be glad to know that their gifts were appreciated. 

Don't seat the single guests together 

When it comes to your seating plan, it can be tempting to try and play matchmaker and seat all single people at one table. However, this can be seen as meddling and lead to awkwardness. 

It would be better to treat single friends and family in the same way as all guests: seat them according to their common interests and who you feel they will get on well with. Also consider whether there are friends or couples coming who each guest already knows, and may feel more comfortable sitting with.

Don't underestimate how many people you need to cater for

There will be many people who are focused on making your wedding as special as it can be. You should, therefore, make sure your vendors are properly looked after throughout the day. 

In fact, whilst it may be seen as a common courtesy to do so anyway, many vendors state in their contractual agreement that it's up to you to provide adequate meals and beverages for staff throughout the day. 

You don't want to be stressed on the day or to aggravate the vendors, by not offering them a meal. So, make sure that when you work out numbers for catering, you factor in all the vendors who'll require a meal - including the caterer or caterers themselves!

Of course, from the hairstylist and make-up artist to the photographer and band/DJ, it's likely that you've hired people to help with your wedding that you didn't know beforehand. It's therefore advisable to check if any vendors have any allergies or general dietary requirements that need to be met. 

Whether you're still looking to pop the question, planning your wedding or looking to celebrate the anniversary of your special day, Diamond Heaven are confident that we have the perfect piece of jewellery for the occasion. Unsure which ring is right? Eliminate the stress of deciding and contact us for advice and support. If you'd prefer the personal touch, please visit our Birmingham, London, Glasgow, Manchester or Cardiff stores.