10 Tips for Planning the Perfect Wedding: From Dress to Décor

 Studies show there are more than 2.4 million weddings every year in the United States alone. A wedding is one of the most monumental days in the average person's life, so planning a perfect wedding is always something we strive for.

But with so much that goes into a wedding, how can you make your special day go by seamlessly? Getting hitched isn't just one of our most important days - it's one of our most stressful!

If you're curious about how to improve your wedding planning, we're here to help. Read on for our ten most important tips on how to plan your wedding.

1. Start Planning as Soon as Possible

The first and most important thing you can do with your wedding planning is simple: start immediately!

Weddings take a great deal of time to plan. Even a "small" wedding can take months of preparation, and most of that time isn't something that you can rush.

Take, for example, finding a venue. There are certain peak times when finding a wedding venue becomes a lengthy process. You may wait weeks or even months for a response, or a venue may require you to inquire about the space months in advance.

Speaking of communication, you need to leave enough time for any attendees to respond to your invite. They may also need to take time to do so in order to arrange time off work, find caretakers for children or pets, and more.

On top of these factors, you'll need to spend the time between communication to do the physical planning. Tours of venues, finding contractors, making big decisions, and more! There's nothing about your perfect wedding that you can leave to the last minute, so start planning today.

2. Focus Heavily On Organization

When you first start planning your wedding, finding where to start is arguably the hardest part. With so many things going on at once, which fire do you focus on first?

Your best bet at the start is to try to make sense of the chaos. Focus on getting organized first and decide which task is most important from there.

How can you get organized? One of the easiest ways to do so is to hire a wedding planner. Wedding planners are there with the sole purpose of helping you handle the monumental tasks ahead of you.

That said, many people want to focus on planning the big day themselves. If that's your view, we strongly suggest setting an organizational strategy on day one.

3. Highlight Communication

Part of staying organized is to keep a focus on communication. There are going to be more people than you imagine that you'll need to communicate with.

However, above everyone else, you should prioritize communication with your spouse. It's your special day - but it's theirs, too. Making choices that your spouse doesn't approve of can only complicate or outright ruin the event.

Working in tandem will also make your communication more effective. Some people you'll need to keep an avenue of communication open with are:

Contractors (musicians, designers, etc.)

Wedding planners

The venue

Catering

The wedding party (bridesmaids, groomsmen, etc.)

The families of the wedding party

While these parties are important to consider, don't let them overrule your day. Ultimately, the final decision on anything should come from you and your spouse. Exceptions include travel arrangements from your party or restrictions from your contractors.

4. Set a Budget, But Be Ready to Flex

It's no secret that weddings are exceptionally expensive. By many estimates, some couples spend as much as $25,000 or more just on their venue.

Your wedding budget is going to be your main restriction throughout your wedding planning. Setting a budget will help you ensure you're planning realistically and within what you can afford.

However, your budget shouldn't be set in stone. Wedding planning is full of surprise costs, unexpected shifts, and more. Don't let having to switch your caterer to a slightly more expensive option ruin your budget due to a lack of flexibility in your budget.

Your largest costs include:

Reserving the venue

Hiring caterers

Wedding photographers and videographers

Entertainment options (bartenders, band, DJ, etc.)

Flowers and decoration

Your exact prices will vary heavily depending on your dream day. While some estimates can help, no two weddings are the same, and your budget will reflect that.

5. Research Your Venues Thoroughly

Your venue is one of the most crucial parts of your wedding. Many factors may come as a result of the restrictions and benefits of your venue. As such, it's arguably the most important decision you'll make for your wedding.

One thing you should consider is whether you're doing a destination wedding or a local wedding. Destination weddings can be tempting, but they also can restrict which attendees can come. Partially, this is because a destination venue is significantly more expensive on average.

Venues may also restrict what you can or can't bring. A wedding at a museum may impact how much you can decorate, for example.

Allocating too much of your budget to the venue can also impact the rest of your wedding. You'll have less money for catering, entertainment, and other factors if you've spent 60% of your budget on the wedding venue.

You should research your options thoroughly and make sure you know any deadlines. You may need to reserve a space months or even a full year in advance. Don't let your dream venue slip through your hands from poor planning.

6. Closely Discuss Your Invitation List

You have your budget, your venue, and you're staying organized. It's time for what many consider the hardest part of a wedding: the invitation list.

Your invitation list will include everyone you care to have share your special day with you. In a perfect wedding, it's as simple as inviting everyone you want there.

However, most of us know that reality often calls for shifts in your invitation list. You may need to invite some family members out of wanting to avoid awkward situations, for example.

Restrictions from the venue can also impact who you invite. If you can only invite a few dozen people, that can cause you to trim your list.

You also will need to consider things like plus ones, whether kids are allowed, and more. Whatever you choose on these factors, make sure the invitees are aware of any restrictions.

More than anything, keep open and honest communication with your spouse on who can and can't be invited. It's your perfect wedding, so if there are people you don't want on the list, that's your call to make.

7. Decide on Your Dress Code

While you're handling your list, you should decide on your dress code. Your venue may impact this choice, particularly by its setting.

For example, a beachfront wedding often isn't done in dark tuxedos and heavily formal dress. These can make for great pictures, but everyone will be uncomfortable in the direct sunlight wearing full suits.

Outdoor weddings as a whole can impact your dress code. You can usually settle this with a note on an invitation - "formal dress" or "summer attire" puts most of the agency with the invitees.

However, make sure you're clearly communicating with the wedding party. Their outfits will be coordinated by you and your spouse, so give them ample time to get what they need.

8. Consider Your Menus

With all these plates spinning, it's easy to forget about your food menus. Most menus have catering, whether it's a full banquet for a wedding reception or a cocktail hour before getting hitched.

If you have a large wedding, it's not possible to please everyone. One common bit of advice is to focus on making a menu that you would want to eat. It's your day, after all - why would you schedule food you don't like?

9. Do Your Best to Schedule Relaxation

With everything going on, it's easy to become overwhelmed. Weddings are often such a source of stress that they can cause health issues!

It may feel like you're too short on time to do so, but putting some time aside for relaxation is vital. Do your best to set some time aside with your spouse to unwind, keep a clear mind, and enjoy planning your perfect wedding.

10. Focus on Fun, Not Stress

Finally, once the day comes, try to keep your focus on fun. The day will blast by faster than you can imagine until you're in a limo while your attendees applaud you.

When you look back on your wedding, your memories won't be of whether every detail was perfect. You'll remember all the beauty and love that your special day was full of. Do your best to keep your focus on enjoying your perfect wedding.

Planning the Perfect Wedding

The perfect wedding isn't something you can plan quickly or alone. Rely on the help of your spouse and consider finding a wedding planner. Keeping a flexible budget and open lines of communication will also help.

At The Mockingbird Room, we're proud to offer Texas's most beautiful wedding venue. We offer spacious yet intimate banquet rooms, long-term reservations, and both indoor and outdoor spaces. Contact us today to start planning your perfect wedding.