Top 33 Wedding Planning Tips and Tricks You Must Know About

A wedding is without a doubt one of the most important days in the lives of any couple and the planning that precedes it is equally important just like the actual day. From planning for the engagement photos to choosing vendors to organize the wedding party, meticulous planning is always necessary to ensure that come the ultimate day; everything will go smoothly.

Source: Erum Rizvi Weddings

Weddings aren’t just about fun, dance, and excitement, especially for the bride and groom’s family. To make these weddings fun as they seem there is always a lot of responsibility/planning that goes behind it. The series of events can be overwhelming and stressful at times. But the right wedding planning tips and tricks can help you in your arrangements for the big day.

1. Start Planning Early

You may have probably heard this a zillion times already. But starting early helps alleviate wedding stress. With time to breathe, you’ll get more done and notice things that you forgot on the way or got slipped through the cracks.

2. Buy a Wedding Planner / Journal

Source: The Wedding Bujo

Wedding planners and journals are easily available in the market to cover all aspects of a wedding. It will help you jot down all the points category-wise and help you tick off. From the guest list to the food menu, your finances to all pre-wedding functions, list down everything in it so that you don’t miss out on anything important. Some apps provide a wedding planning checklist too to make things easier for you.

3. Finalize your Budget

Your wedding budget will be the driving factor for many of your wedding-related decisions, so this should be one of the first things you tackle. Be prepared for a reality check when it comes to actually budgeting for your wedding day as many couples don’t realize the full scope of costs involved. Once you’ve got that magic number, stick to it!

Prepare a budget and then make a priority list. You need to prioritize where you need to spend more, what needs to be controlled, etc. Do you want to spend more on the wedding ceremony or have a hefty honeymoon?

4. What Kind of Wedding do you Want?

Sit down with your partner and determine what the most important aspects of your wedding will be. Is it the venue, theme, day wedding-evening wedding,  live band or a DJ, indoor venue, outdoor venue, multiple events with small budgets, or a single grand event? Prioritize those details and be willing to compromise on some if needed. This will help you stay within your budget and help you focus your efforts on what really counts.

5. Book your Venue in Advance

Source: Finesse Decor Company

Don’t do the mistake of making last-minute reservations. We recommended you book the venue as soon as the date is fixed. Not only will last moment bookings be heavy on your pocket but you might also miss your chance to get married at your dream venue.

Also Read: Top 10 Tips to Choose Your Wedding Venue

6. Save Money on Photographer

To save your money, don’t go for someone who has huge Insta followership, or has covered celebrity weddings, they are bound to charge heftily. Do a bit more research and give a chance to new, emerging talent who might not have a huge Insta followership, but they are great at their work and the vibe matches with what you are looking for.

7. Opt for Weekdays, Rather than Weekends

Try keeping the function on a weekday as weekends see a lot of demand and hence the prices push up.

Also Read: How to Keep an Indian Wedding Cost in USA Affordable

8. Opt for a Day Wedding

Source: Opulent Event Designs

It will not only save the cost of electricity but the daytime decor with ribbons, curtains, and flowers of your choice will bring out the best photos.

You can also take inspiration from Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube, and DIY decor for home events like Haldi, Mehndi, Choora ceremony, etc.

9. Go Environment Friendly

Source: Beginnings for You

Try going for e-cards or cards made of organic paper. You can also give your guests something that would make our mother nature happy like Plant saplings, Jute bags, Hand-painted earthen lamps, or organic fruit baskets made of cane/ bamboo. These environment-friendly return gift ideas are a beautiful way of showing how thoughtful you are.

Also Read: 17 Tips To Plan An Eco-Friendly Wedding

10. Divide your Events Into Outdoor and Indoor

After you have decided on what pre and post ceremonies you are going to host, try to divide them into indoor and outdoor categories. If possible, make arrangements for some of your ceremonies outdoors while for others indoors. It will bring versatility and break the monotony in your arrangements.

11. Make Sure you are Following the Covid-19 Guidelines

Source: Britteliz Photo

Make sure you are taking all the precautions and safety measures for your wedding.

Source: Arliquinn Photography

From keeping sanitizer stations to mask baskets and hiring vaccinated vendors, everything needs to be taken care of.  If possible, try and convince your relatives to be fully vaccinated if they are not yet, just for the safety of all of you.

Also Read: How To Plan A Micro Wedding During Covid

12. Hire a Wedding Planner

Gone are the days when you had to plan everything on your own. From figuring out the wedding theme to welcoming the guests and taking care of the smallest things. Now wedding planners have taken the game and they make sure that you only enjoy your wedding celebrations and don't stress about anything else. Just sit back, take a drink, dance, and relax! They will do everything the way you want and that too, in your budget.

Also Read: Top 9 Women South Asian Wedding Planners in Canada

13. Go for Collective Wedding Functions

If your families are comfortable, try going for common functions. Sharing the cost of functions can help arrange a grand ceremony with the same amount of money.

14. Don’t Plan More Than Two Functions a Day

Source: Rimi Sen

Two events per day are more than enough. If you have rituals that might wind up in a very short time and are not too tiring, you can go for three, but don’t over-exhaust yourself and your guests with a never-ending list of events.

15. Keep Adequate Time Intervals Between Ceremonies

Also Read More About Bijal & Saral's Indian Wedding in Houston

No matter how much we plan, events usually take longer to finish than we anticipate. In a large informal gathering of people, sticking to a schedule sometimes becomes tricky. We recommend you to keep proper time gaps between the events and not keep one after the other.

16. Let Others Help

Planning and managing a wedding is a huge responsibility. If you are doing it without a planner, you need to divide and delegate different tasks amongst your family and friends. Handling the event single-handedly or with just 2 people is quite a task and it may even burden you with a lot of work and no fun at your own wedding.

17. Take Rest Whenever Possible

Source: Journeys by Ram

With continuous ceremonies and lots of work, it's normal to get tired, which is why we recommend you to take a rest in between the events or whenever possible. It's needed for you to look fresh and full of energy on your big day!

18. Opt for a Comfortable Outfit

Source: Monica Leggio Weddings

A dream wedding is incomplete without a dream outfit. We all want to wear the most perfect, most trendy, and the most talked-about outfit on our wedding day, but compromising on comfort is not a wise idea. Try to choose an outfit that is both classy and comfortable as you will be spending at least 10 hours in that outfit and smiling throughout the ceremony because you don't want your photos to go bad, right?

Also Read: 10 Type Of Fabrics For Your Wedding Outfit

19. Make Sure your Outfit is Ready on Time

Get your wedding dress made at least three weeks before the wedding so that you have enough time for final alterations or modifications if needed. Not only that, make sure your accessories, shoes, and everything matching the dress is ready before time.

20. Rent Out or Resell your Wedding Outfit

Source: Lukh Studio

If you feel spending lakhs on a dress that you would wear only once in a lifetime is not worth it, get a dress on rent.

Renting has never been easier than now because of many online websites like Lukh Studio and many others helping you rent your wedding outfit or even resell the one you bought for your wedding and need no longer.

Also Read: Things To Consider Before Renting Your Wedding Outfit

21. Choose your Outfit Before Jewelry

We know, this has been said a million times before and will be said a milling times after - never pick your jewelry before your outfit!

No matter how pretty or awestruck you get after seeing that necklace or earrings in the store, if they don’t match your outfit they will be of no use and you would not want to spoil your bridal look, right?

Also Read: Tips on Choosing Best Wedding Jewelry

22. Zero Cost Pre Wedding Shoot

Pre Wedding Shoots have now become an inevitable part of your wedding. If you want to have a shoot but don’t want to spend any extra penny, here’s a quick hack. Ask one of your friends or cousin to be your cameraman for a day. Borrow a DSLR or high-quality camera phone, and choose a nice place such as a park, heritage forts, or a lake nearby. It will help you save a lot of money that you can later use for your shopping, honeymoon, or use after the wedding.

Also Read: Best Pre-Wedding Photoshoot Tips & Ideas

23. Power Back-Up Arrangement

While making Venue bookings, always enquire about power backup arrangements. You wouldn’t want to have a blackout on your brightest day.

24. Organize Day Games

If you are planning to have a destination wedding with event planners looking at your arrangements, you might have some extra time for fun. Of course, a destination wedding won’t end in a day and you are likely to stay at the resort for a couple of days. During your free time, engage your guests with some interesting games such as volleyball, cricket, etc to have a mini family picnic experience on the lawns.

25. Team Bride v/s Team Groom Dance Face-off

Having common functions will cut your costs by half and multiply your fun. It will help in more interaction between families. You can also have Team Bride v/s Team Groom face-offs for added fun.

26. Arrangement for Kids

Source: Pinterest

Don’t forget about your little friends and guests. Make a small arrangement to keep them busy and happy with some kid’s activity, swings, or game. Keep a place for them so that both children and their parents can enjoy themselves.

27. Diverse Food Menu

Source: Pinterest

Try to keep a food menu that has a little diversity. Unless it’s your staple food and all your relatives belong to the same area, don’t keep a single cuisine. Also don’t choose the entire menu based on a single person’s choice, after all, it’s a feast for all and not one.

28. Eco-friendly Cutlery

Source: Pinterest

What’s better than having a wedding that isn’t just pocket-friendly but also environment-friendly. Switch from your traditional or plastic plates to eco-friendly cutlery for your wedding ceremonies.

Also Read: Tips to Plan An Eco-Friendly Wedding

29. Minimize Food Wastage and Use it for a Good Cause

Weddings account for a lot of food wastage. If possible, contact an NGO to collect the leftovers after the event or talk to the hotel management to pack the leftovers and distribute them amongst the needy instead of dumping them.

30. Treat for Pets as Well

Source: WeddingNama Photography

If you have a pet or your relatives are planning to bring one. Ask them about it so that you have a small food arrangement for them as well. Arranging it at the last moment can be a bit difficult.

31. Don’t Go Empty Stomach

Source: The Cheesecake Project

The wedding ceremony will take longer than you imagined. So just before you begin the ceremony, get something to eat and drink. Maybe a nutritious snack or a small meal.

32. Go to a Spa

Photography: Studio Kelly Photography

A wedding is not only full of surprises, laughter, fun, and dancing but also full of nervousness and jitters.  We recommend you take some time off the planning and go to a spa before the big day to relax. You can choose to go alone, with your partner or with your friends. It will help you ease out and will also make your skin glow.

Also Read: 25 Trending Bridesmaid Gift Ideas That Your Friends Will Love

33. Make Timely Bookings for your Honeymoon

Source: Marry Me in Travel

If you plan to go on your honeymoon right after the wedding, make sure you book your flights and stay in advance. Doing it last minute won't only increase your budget but will also disturb your time off as you won't have much time to plan your itinerary.

Also Read: The Ultimate Honeymoon Packing Checklist Every Couple Needs

Conclusion

We hope you find these tips helpful. We would love to see you have the best wedding with lots of fun, laughter, and memories that you can treasure for a lifetime.

Featured Image: Erum Rizvi Weddings