The Complete Guide To Wedding Planning In Stoke-on-Trent
I don’t think it’ll come as a surprise to many people when I say that planning a wedding is not one for the faint-hearted. There is a lot of pressure to plan the perfect wedding, which includes picking the perfect venue, and wedding dress, planning food and music, as well as keeping your family happy along the way.
Luckily we have created a complete guide on how to plan your wedding locally in Stoke-On-Trent and Newcastle-Under-Lyme. Not only will this stop you from running around like a headless chicken, but it also means you’ll be supporting local businesses.
Picking a Date & Destination
Whilst these can, and probably will change once you start trying to book everything for your wedding, having a general time frame and area will help you start planning.
We’d recommend having a call around any potential venues and anything else that you may want to book to see what their availability is.
In our opinion, choosing the venue first will help kickstart your planning process as you will know the date and location to discuss with your caterers and entertainment etc. You’ll only end up disappointed if you book anything before your venue to find out they can’t travel to the venue or the venue already supplies it!
You’ll find out quickly that things will be fully booked for years, so giving yourself a couple of years to plan will help ensure you get everything you want for your date, and make the process a lot less stressful.
Wedding Dress
We’re sure that one of the first things you thought about after you got engaged is the type of wedding dress you will walk down the aisle in. Luckily, you’re bound to find your dream wedding dress in a bridal shop in Stoke-On-Trent!
There are so many different wedding dresses you can choose from, so whether you have an idea of what type of wedding dress you want or not we’d recommend making a visit to your local bridal shop for some professional advice.
After all, the wedding dress will be one of the most memorable things on your wedding day for you and your guests.
Wedding Belles Love stocks everything from fitted wedding dresses to princess ballgowns in a range of sizes, so we really do have something for everything at our bridal boutique.
Entertainment
The entertainment isn’t the be-all and end-all that some people may make it out to be, however it can help to make some special memories for you and your guests.
Whether you want a live band, DJ, dancers, magicians, or all of the above, having some form of entertainment will help get the party atmosphere started during your reception.
Depending on how big or niche the performers are will depend on how far in advance you will need to book them for your wedding.
However, like anything else, it's best to book as soon as you can to ensure they are available on your wedding day.
Catering
When it comes to food, you’ll find a lot of your guests will have an opinion on how and what you should and shouldn’t serve. Our best advice is to try and consider everyone's dietary requirements but pick the catering based on what you want. It is your wedding after all!
For sit-down meals, an RSVP can be sent out after you know your final guest list which lets your guests choose between a couple of options from your caterers. This way your guests will feel like they have a choice and can get in touch in regards to any dietary requirements you may not be aware of, whilst allowing you to book the catering that you want. If they don’t respond, they can’t complain!
Another option for food is the classic English buffet. A selection of food means that there will be something for everyone, and you can keep going back for more throughout the night! However, this may result in paying for too much food and having plates of leftover food you’ll need to discard.
Whichever way you choose, just remember to not sweat the small stuff! Some venues may even provide catering as part of their package.
Decor
You’ll find that the finishing touches are what really make your wedding day feel special. You can get away with leaving these towards the latter half of the planning process as places such as florists don’t get booked up as quickly as things like venues.
If you do happen to leave things a bit too last minute, don’t worry! Luckily, there are tons of DIY decor tips online that can be done last minute on a budget! All of which look great and add a personal touch to your wedding.