25 Clever Tips to Plan Your Perfect Wedding

1. Pinterest📌

What an amazing tool for wedding planning – not only can you look for things that you like, but you can also make your own inspiration boards that you can share with your wedding suppliers. You can get ideas for your overall wedding look, and you can also show this to your chosen suppliers to help them understand and appreciate your vision.

I’ve got an array of boards on my Pinterest site, (@SchuggiesCeilidhs) from monthly ideas to separate hacks for Brides, Grooms and those guests who have never actually been to a ceilidh before

2. Check out your wedding suppliers on Instagram too📱

Not only to see whether they are a good fit for you but so you can see the latest trends and styles to give you extra inspiration for your own wedding. My own Insta feed has a couple of wedding tips a week. My couples are all at different stages of their wedding planning journey😍 You can find me here- @Schuggies_Ceilidhs

3. Make this day your own🎶

There are so many wedding traditions that you might want to include in your wedding, but lots have become less popular in the last few years, being replaced with more modern traditions or even left out altogether💛. There are no rules here, it’s your wedding so don’t feel like you should do things a certain way just because it’s traditional. But similarly, if you connect with a tradition or it’s important to your family then that’s absolutely fine too. 

Check out my blog on 5 ways you can have an alternative wedding for more inspo on this tip.

4. Wedding Style💓

Once you’ve decided on a wedding style, whether it’s for the whole wedding or for your dress – stick with it. The more you keep looking, the more overwhelmed you’ll get by all the possibilities. Once you’ve found something you love, trust your decision and stop shopping😧.

5. Wedding Fairs🎉

These are amazing places to meet suppliers and gain inspiration for your wedding too. You’ll get to chat with lots of local businesses and see what’s available, don’t ever feel pressured to book on the spot. You are allowed to go away and do your research and book in the future. Remember to get any freebies suppliers are giving away though.

6. Get wedding insurance🧮

Whatever size of wedding you are planning, you need to make sure you’re covered in case something goes wrong.

7. Get a rough idea of your wedding numbers ✨

This needs to be done before you start looking at wedding venues. You don’t want to fall in love with a venue that can’t accommodate your numbers and then have to turn it down or trim your guest list.

8. Work out a budget📈

There’s lots of advice online and tools that can help you factor in all of the different expenses. Many of them will also allow you to put in any quotes and booked suppliers so you can easily see if you’re on track.

HEY, HAVE WE MET?👋

Well, if we haven’t met- then Hi, I’m Schuggie, and I run the multi-award-winning Schuggies-Ceilidhs (it’s pronounced ShUUg- eee s – Kay-Laes btw🎉).

I’ve been hosting wedding ceilidhs since 2012, and that means I’ve experienced well over 150 in all sorts of themes and venues. Hence all these tips. Picked up from chatting with couples and other Wedding Pros over the years.  Some are easy to tick off, some will give you that oooh 😧 never thought of that moment and that’s where the fun is- in the detail and surprising yourselves (and your guests when the time comes).

If you need help with any of these as you read through them, then book a chat and I’d be happy to help, even if I’m not actually involved in your wedding.

You can book that chat here.

9. Send Save the Date cards early🔥

These are especially helpful if your wedding isn’t going to be a while and can ensure that your guests keep the date you’ve got clear before the official invitations arrive.

10. Try not to book everything all at once!🙄

📅It’s so easy to get caught up in the engagement excitement and book the first things you see but take your time. It’ll be much more fun. Yes, there are things to prioritise such as the wedding date, venue and entertainment (ie your ceilidh😉) first, followed by the dress, outfits, photographer, decorations, stationery and then everything else can follow.

11. Spend where you need to💰

Don’t be afraid to spend a bit more where it’s needed and on things that are important to you both as a couple🍾 You want amazing memories of your wedding and your guests to really enjoy the atmosphere and the day for all of the right reasons.

12. If you are worried about any rising costs💸

Ensure you keep track of all of your spending and where your money is being allocated, but also look at creative ways you can make cutbacks and save money. For example, serving canapes in place of starters, skipping the dessert course and having a sweet table such as a brownie bar or asking some relatives to bake some goodies to serve, repurposing your ceremony floral displays in your reception decor or gifting them in place of thank you flowers. I’ve got a blog which gives you 5 tips that could save you THOUSANDS on your wedding day.

It’s definitely worth taking 5 minutes to read through.

13.Photo Policy🤳

Speak to the person conducting your ceremony about your photograph policy whilst you walk up the aisle and during the ceremony. Are you and your photographer happy for your guests to take their own photos during this time or are you going to allow people to take pictures after the register has been signed?

It’s good to decide beforehand what you’d like to happen so that your guests can be informed.

14. Travel time🚗

Put together a wedding timeline and remember to factor in any travelling time💟. It’ll be a really handy thing to have when deciding on key factors of your day such as to serve extra food and what time your evening reception should start.

15. Choosing your Wedding Suppliers🤯

Make a shortlist of wedding suppliers you’d like to meet and have consultations with💬, with up to 3 options for each. If you are having multiple meetings with different suppliers it can quickly become overwhelming and makes it much harder to make decisions for your day. Make sure you check their reviews and do they have prices upfront so you know they are in your budget.

16. Flowers🌻

If you are having fresh flowers, speak to your florist and let them know what time of year your wedding is. They’ll be able to help you choose flowers that fit with your colours and style and that are in season which will be a more sustainable option and save you money too!

17. Contracts with your Wedding Suppliers🖋️

Make sure you have a contract with each of your wedding suppliers and check it thoroughly to make sure the details are correct before you sign. If you aren’t sure what something means- Ask! And if it doesn’t sound right or sensible, it probably isn’t and it’s worth checking up on independently.

18. Your master checklist📋

Have a master wedding planning checklist to keep on track and tackle your wedding planning tasks like a pro. It’ll help you visualise and prioritise all of your tasks without being overwhelmed with everything all at once. There are several websites that can help with this, my blog The Five Wedding Planning Apps My Couples Are Loving! Will help with this.

19. The dress, suit or kilt👰

Finding the perfect wedding dress and suit is a process all on its own. I recommend starting your search and collecting inspiration after you choose a venue and completing anything that needs to be ordered at least 9 months before the big day. This will give you enough time for fittings and alterations too. Shopping for suits can be scheduled for around the 5-month mark. If you are kilting up, you need to decide whether everyone is in the same tartan or their own tartan. Everyone the same looks super smart but will be costly for your main guests.

20. DIY Wedding Decor🛠️

These elements can be cost-effective and a nice way to add some incredibly personal touches to your wedding. However, don’t go overboard, or you’ll end up with more work than you know what to do! Some DIY projects can be done well in advance such as welcome bags, any photographs you’d like to display etc but for the wedding day things like food and flowers, professional help is best.

21. To add or not to add, that is the question🙄

When you’re planning your invite list, don’t feel obliged to invite family if you’re not close to them. The only people who need to be on your guest list are you and your significant other – everyone else is a bonus!

22. Sometimes help can come with strings attached such as a say-so on the guest list⚠️

If someone offers help (either with any wedding tasks or financial), do think before agreeing. If you think that well-meaning-help may turn into over-enthusiasm, it can be helpful to give very specific tasks, for example, asking them to pay for the flowers💐or dress you’ve already chosen or asking them to shortlist wedding suppliers for you to have the final say.

23. You really are that special to them💝

Try and set aside some time 🕰️ for family and friends who’ve come a long way to celebrate your wedding. You may not have a lot of time during the wedding itself so it’s nice to make an effort to see them for a drink in the days before the wedding or maybe invite them for some lunch the day after too.

24. Just take a minute- think!⛔

Don’t put on anything that might leave marks on your skin on the morning of your wedding – socks, bras or putting a hair band around your wrist. You don’t want bra marks showing above your lovely strapless dress. Similarly, remember to remove your Apple Watch⌚.

25. The big day is here🥂

Once your wedding day arrives, forget everything else! This is your day, so relax and enjoy it!💙💚💛🧡💜

Finally, 25 tips may sound like a lot, but it’s these small hints and suggestions that’ll save you mountains of worry and stress whilst you’re in wedding planning mode.

Above all things, remember don’t waste your time trying to make your wedding perfect by someone else’s idea of what a wedding should be.

Make it a day that’s all about you both as a couple, with all the things and people you love.