Editor’s note: Hey there BellaNaijaWeddings fam! We’ve got something very exciting for you today. Planning anything at all requires a lot of work. Now, when it comes to planning a wedding, we definitely understand that it is no mean feat. So, we spoke to the professionals to gain some insight into the planning world and they shared their number 1 planning tip with us. From Lagos to Abuja, Ghana, Toronto, and Washington D.C, these wedding planners have got some precious gem for us. Let’s dig in! 

If you’ve always wondered what to do when planning a wedding, then this is exactly where you should be. We spoke to 5 wedding planners from different cities on their number one wedding planning tip. What we got, is a lot of insight into the world of wedding planning and we’re very certain you will learn more than one new thing whether you’re planning your wedding now or know someone who is! We’ll be sharing all these wonderful tips with you, so get a pen and paper, and jot things down. 😉

Here’s what Washington D.C planner, Ftk Konnect has to say:

Our number 1 wedding planning tip is to start planning your wedding early no matter how much the budget is! No matter how rich your wedding budget is or how averagely priced you want it to be if you start planning early, you will have a better control/handle of the narrative from top to bottom! We say this because each category of the wedding planning phase along with each vendor or activity takes precision and a well-thought-out plan for it all to work seamlessly. Early planning also gives the client more options as you can weigh the importance of every facet of the decisions being made for your BIG day. Early planning also ensures you hire the best planning team and vendors to help execute your grand day. Remember there are no do-overs! You get the one-shot so why rush into it? Pace yourself and make it an amazing wedding planning journey and your best slayed project to date.

Ace Lagos based planner 2706 Events, shared this with us:

Be realistic with your budget. Budgeting is very important when it comes to planning a wedding. It is advisable to have a budget for what one intends to spend. It serves as a guide and helps you to easily manage funds. Do not forget to prepare for unexpected costs when putting your budget together.

From Toronto, Canada, the delectable Grace Arhin Events also shared this:

The best advice I would give a couple who are planning their wedding is to hire their vendors based on value and not solely based on popularity or price. Your wedding is one of the most important milestones of your life. Therefore, the team you hire to execute your vision should be done thoughtfully and not based on a lowest pricing bidding war or popularity contest. Think about who is the best fit for you as a couple:

Who understands you as a couple? Who understands your vision? Who shows commitment from the inquiry to the consultation process? Who is personable? Who demonstrates professionalism?

Planning a wedding is a huge financial commitment that should be well thought out intentionally. Request initial consultations with each vendor, exercise due diligence, have some questions for the vendors, ask to see samples of their portfolio and their work beyond social media. Get to know the vendor on a personal level, what made them pursue the event industry (are they purpose or passion-driven or profit-driven). Then compare and contrast the deliverables. There are a plethora of vendors in the event industry and it can easily become daunting and overwhelming. Newly engaged couples are bombarded with wedding content online daily. To help streamline the vendor sourcing process, hire a knowledgeable and skillful wedding planner first. Your wedding planner will have fortified vendor relationships and refer you accordingly. However, ultimately the decision of who to hire and who not hire is your decision as a couple. Choose wisely. Happy planning!

Then, over in Ghana, the brilliant Sprout Affair also shared:

Making a headcount is the biggest and hardest decision in the whole planning process. It is important to come up with an estimated guest count as this will inform largely, your venue selection and budget. Have a meeting with your fiancé and key family members to put together a wish list of wedding guests.

There’s a possibility you’ll need to make some cuts. You will also need to decide whether you’re inviting children and who will be allotted a plus one. Don’t be guilt-tripped into inviting people you don’t want to come because costs per head will most likely be your biggest expense (like food, drinks, even sound, and lightning). You can work with your wedding planner to come up most appropriate list and handling unexpected guests who show up.

You can make a headcount spreadsheet to use throughout your planning process, with columns for contact info, addresses, RSVPs, gifts, and any other relevant info. (Planning a party on a budget? It may be brutal, but the best way to cut costs is to reduce your guest list.)

From the capital city, Abuja, planner, The Planning Comp so graciously shared more than one tip! Enjoy:

I know we said, number “one wedding planning tip”, but these two sort of go hand in hand.
We’ll start with “remaining true to yourself”; there will be many voices once you get engaged, everyone’s excited for you and sometimes don’t know where to stop with the suggestions, learn to drown out the noise and advice that aren’t realistic to you and your spouse. Discuss in detail (every tiny part you can think of, from the budget to the number of guests to your expectations, etc.). Discuss what you both want for/from your wedding. Set goals once you kick off the planning phase and be realistic with your expectations; it’s easy to get swayed with things you see online. No one ever won the Award for the best wedding, let your wedding be unique to you.

No one is saying you can’t have your dream wedding, but make sure you’re both on the same page with everything you do. This will help keep you grounded most of the way. If you’re having what I call “Our wedding, Your marriage” type of wedding; where your parents are footing the bill for it, I say this because as Nigerians, we have a lot of these type of scenarios, our parents paying for things and they tend to want to have their way will always be a teachable moment for couples; you’ll most likely learn compromise and patience if you find yourself here.

Trust the process; you’ve done your research most likely before hiring service providers for your wedding, trust that they have your back and want the best for you. Trust that they are delivering value to you, trust them to get the job done, and if for any reason you are uncomfortable with anything, please speak up.

Your wedding team cannot read your mind, so communication is crucial. Sometimes, they might not know if they are not following your instructions exactly if you don’t tell them, because you don’t want to offend anyone or don’t know how to tell them. In the end, the success of your wedding day is bigger than any one person, and let’s be honest, a happy client is one of the best referrals you can get in a service-based industry. One bonus tip, decide to have fun throughout the process and be the happiest person on your wedding day.

So guys, we hope you find these tips helpful during your wedding planning process. You can also tell us your number one wedding planning tip in the comment.

Credits

Planners: Ftk Konnect | 2706 Events | Grace Arhin Events | Sprout Affair | The Planning Comp