Planning a wedding can be a stressful process, so it is best to begin the planning process early on.
A Wedding Planner
Hiring a wedding planner will be helpful as it will aid in taking some of the stress and pressure off your shoulders. Especially if you do not have the time to look into certain factors then having a wedding planner will be useful. However, in order for the wedding planner to help you, you need to make sure the individual is someone you can work with and someone who will listen to what you want instead of telling you what you want. Therefore before you hire the wedding planner it will be best to meet him or her in person and interview them. If you are working you may not have the time to look into factors such as bridesmaid boxes. However if you have a wedding planner you can tell the individual what you want inside the boxes and then he or she can find the items for you.
The Location
Before you decide on the guest list you first need to decide on the location. This is important as you need to make sure you find a location that can fit the number of people you want to invite. The location will also decide on certain factors such as whether you want the wedding to be indoors or outdoors and whether you want a big wedding or a small and intimate ceremony. Therefore once you decide on these factors you can then set about looking for a location.
Save the Date
Before sending out the invites you can even send out save the dates cards as this will let your guest know in advance that a wedding is occurring. Therefore they will then be able to save the date. If the invites are sent two or three weeks in advance they may already have booked the date for something else. However, sending them save the date cards about a month in advance may result in more of your friends being able to attend your wedding. Save the date cards will especially come in handy if you are inviting guests from overseas. This will then give them an ample amount of time to plan their trip, book their tickets and take time off work if needed.
The Invitations
You should make sure the invites have all the necessary information so that your guest is not confused about anything. You can even attach a map with the location on it as this will make it easier for your guest when they are driving towards the venue. If you want your guest to dress in a certain attire then you should specify this on the dress code. People usually get dressed up for a wedding, however, if you want a toned down wedding and if you want your guest to be wearing smart casual instead of formal attire then you should make sure that you specify this on the dress code.