PRETEXT: (I wrote this in June 2021 but didn’t post it! I hope it’s still helpful to read for a bit of content before my next round of wedding contest)
Wedding planning 2.0! I don’t really know where to start with this blog post… but what I will say is this time around feels different. SO different. And I’m loving every minute of it.
For context, this is not the first wedding I’ve planned for myself. My first engagement ended in 2016, 6 months before our wedding date. I had planned pretty much most of that wedding myself and I found it incredibly stressful; not only the planning and monetary worry that comes with such a huge expense, but also questioning whether it really was the right idea to commit to a lifetime with that person. I’d like to thank my gut instinct for flagging something wasn’t right there.
This time around however is a completely different game. It is magical, exciting, a real joint effort and we are both SO hyped for the big day next Spring! I’d love to start making some wedding planning content on both my blog+ YT channel and so this is a little round up of how the planning is going so far.
VENUE
When we got engaged in July last year we both knew immediately agreed on where we would like our wedding to be held. It was a no brainer for both of us, being one of our favourite places in London. Once they released their dates for 2022 last month, we pencilled a date in, paid the deposit and text our loved ones to add it to their diaries. We also had a zoom chat with the venue’s wedding co-ordinator which was so exciting; they spoke us through a typical wedding day timeline and guided us towards what next steps we should be getting on with! Which leads us on to…
CATERING
We have chosen our caterers and they are SUPERB. Our venue had a list of 5 catering companies that we had to choose from, which initially worried me as for a couple of reasons – firstly, cost. What if none of them are in budget and secondly, variety. We had such specific visions for what we wanted our menu to be and they’re quite different to your typical wedding menu, but we were very happy to discover that all caterers were happy to accomodate any ideas we had and even to expand apon them for a theatrical feast of a wedding breakfast. We were also excited to find out that caterers really take on a lot of the planning and schedule for the day. Not only will they create the menu, cook and serve, but they also create a schedule for how the day runs, help set up, are in contact with and help direct florists + other vendors such as entertainment, so that the day runs smoothly.
Saying that – all the vendors we spoke to are WAY out of our original budget. I was naive to how expensive catering cost. I imagined between 5-8k for a London wedding, except all came in at around the £11k mark. We hope our guests enjoy!
CEREMONY
We have booked in our ceremony with the local council’s registry office and confirmed the venue for someone to come and wed us on the day!
PHOTOGRAPHER + VIDEOGRAPHER
Both booked! And such a relief because these were two of the vendors that are SO important to me and I really wanted to get right. I have such a specific look and style in mind when it comes to capturing our day and I really want them to document ‘us’ as a couple. For videographers I have booked PaperTwin weddings who have shot some of my friend’s weddings in such a magical, charming way and for photographs we have chosen Ed Goddard, for his documentary, fun, charismatic way of capturing the day and those small, intimate moments between our friends and family.
SAVE THE DATES
We uhm-ed and ah-ed about having save the dates. I wasn’t too fussed but G really wanted a little token of our day that we could send to friends + family to serve as a reminder and countdown (and also a bit of theatre) in the lead up. We had them printed and they’re being posted within the next weeks and I can’t wait to see the reaction we get from them (I will of course share pictures once our guests have received them)!
FLORISTS
I want flowers to be a huge part of our day and, whilst I’m unsure of specific colours or plants I’d like, I do know that I want Minoux in for the ride. Run by a family friend, I trust her and her colleague to create some beautiful displays that will be SO photogenic and personal to us!
ENTERTAINMENT
We have also paid a deposit for our evening, wedding entertainment but we’re still unsure… we’re very torn between our dream band who are way over budget but who would make the day SO memorable, or a more affordable version who look fantastic but could come across a little cheesy! It’s next on our list that we need to nail so hopefully we’ll have an update on that soon.
____
That is everything so far. Next on our list is hotels + accommodation, my dress (Ahhhhh!!) which I desperately want to try on in store with friends but because of COVID restrictions may not happen as I’d hoped. Still, I’ll keep you updated in the next instalment!
I hope you’ve found this interesting. Over the next year, before the big day I will of course share more ideas, planning updates, tips and tricks and vendors that I find and love. If you’re also planning a wedding I’d love to hear your advice too!
Lots of love to you!
Katie xxxxx
