I meet so many new brides-to-be and their families at Wedding Fairs and though normal first-time enquiries for my Wedding Disco Entertainment Service. It is clear that by default, due to the fact they have never planned a wedding before, that they ‘haven’t got a clue’, and why would they have a clue? It’s the first time they have ever planned anything like this and they are always grateful for a bit of guidance and a few tips before they go off and plan their special day in the unique way that they want it. After you have become engaged it’s time to plan the exciting part, your big day. However, you are planning one of the most memorable and important days of your life, so where do you start?

Budgeting - Money and budgeting will, to a certain extent, control the way you plan your wedding and this will certainly evolve as your plans and dreams maybe step up a gear, or if you manage to come across some money over and above what you maybe thought was your budget. Some couples will have a set rigid budget & stick to it whilst others may have a more fluid maximum and minimum figure. Keep an eye on this figure as you progress with your plans and keep a track on your spending. If you are super-efficient, you could even create a Spreadsheet to keep a real time account of what you spend and where? Just a thought? Another thought, have the wedding that you want. Don’t compromise. If your costings of what you desire exceed your budget, then I think it’s worth considering putting the wedding back a year to enable you to save to have the wedding that you dreamed of and therefore have no regrets.

Flexibility with Days and Dates - If possible, be flexible with your dates. Your wedding can be as expensive as you want to make it, or as economically streamlined as you want to make it, but my advice is to never compromise with the quality of wedding service suppliers. Whilst pricing is an important consideration, it’s not advisable to let your wedding be dominated by budget if you want to create unforgettable happy memories and if you want the best day ever for you as the bride and groom and your wedding guests.

That happy medium can be achieved by looking at a few things and for me, the number one thing is the day and date that you choose to get married. Quite simply put, by default, everyone usually wants a Saturday Wedding and that is understandable. There are only 52 Saturdays in a year, so these are premium, and most wedding service suppliers will find it difficult to offer worthwhile discounts for these days. However, these Saturdays are obviously in very different times of the year. Late March to October and December are very popular wedding months and again, it will be hard to find wedding service suppliers who are able to do a price reduction deal on a Saturday in these months. However, and certainly this goes for myself, I will offer a discount with absolutely no compromise on the level of service provided if a wedding is on a Saturday in January or February or November, which are traditionally quieter months for weddings.

If a wedding is on a Friday, although a popular day, I can still offer a discount to provide the Wedding Disco Music Entertainment for the evening wedding party, but for a wedding on a Sunday to Thursday, considerable discounts can be negotiated with many wedding service providers and again, this is certainly the case for myself personally.

Some brides and grooms that I speak with at Wedding Fairs etc. question a midweek wedding because ‘most of our guests will be working’. My response is always that they should feel honoured to be invited to your wedding and if given plenty of notice of your date, will therefore arrange time off work and even treat it as a mini break. It is your wedding and up to you what you do and when you do it and if you can have the same quality of everything for a fraction of the price of a Saturday wedding for a midweek wedding, then why would you not consider that midweek option? Another option is to consider a Bank Holiday Sunday Wedding. The same discounts should apply, and your guests will have the Monday off work anyway. If your guests want to come, they will come and move their lives around to accommodate your special day.

Why can these discounts be offered? Well, speaking for myself and I’m sure similarities can be found with many other wedding service providers, I would rather be out providing Disco Entertainment on a night I am usually otherwise at home watching TV. This gives me an extra working night on top of the usually busy Friday and Saturday and therefore I am happy to offer a decent discount just to give me a bit extra through the week. If you can generate a midweek wedding booking at an otherwise quiet time for a venue, this will give them a good income, not to mention the extra bedrooms sold, bar take etc., but they still have their usual busy weekend trade too. Win win for everyone.

Recommendations & Reviews - Reviews and references are the way of the world nowadays. For example, when we do online shopping, most of us check out the reviews on the product before clicking to buy. Personal recommendations and reviews from previous clients are important and a great guideline if you are looking to book a DJ for your special occasion. However, though some can be genuine, also be aware of DJ recommendations from friends or family members, as often appear from generic ‘Selling Page’ Facebook searches for a DJ. that may not be quite as transparent as a genuine review from a satisfied client after a successful event. Always look for a Wedding DJ, or Wedding Service Provider who is professional enough to have his own website as well as a free business Facebook page.

Work With Your Order of Priorities – So, with your date and budget planned, it’s a good idea to think about which aspects of your wedding are most important to you both, and then work through them in priority order. Number 1 is the day & date and making sure you have a registrar or vicar booked. Without this, your wedding cannot happen and be legal. Then comes the venue of course, as you need to know where your wedding is due to take place and to be able to provide your guests with ‘Save The Date’ notifications. Once you have booked and organised what could be deemed as ‘the non-negotiable essentials, you can then start working your way through the next set of priorities, The Wedding Dress, The Suits, The Wedding Disco Entertainment, The Cake, The Photographer, The Flowers, The Videographer, The Transport, The Rings. Next may come your ‘it would be nice to have’ list with lots of extras that won’t make the difference to your wedding or memories that you will create or make it any better but are nice to have. That way, if your ‘nice to haves’ take you over your budget, then not a problem, you don’t need them, and it won’t make a difference at all.

Be Aware of the ‘Warning Signs’ – During your wedding planning journey, you may come across a few doubts or niggles in your head, especially when it comes to the people you are trusting with important elements of your big day. It’s good to be able to recognise and act upon these signs. For example, if a Wedding Service Supplier that you have negotiations with and are considering engaging or have paid a deposit to becomes uncooperative, evasive, uncontactable, rude or unpredictable, these are probably the sorts of people / businesses you may need to consider avoiding and cutting your losses. Always get anything you have agreed in writing for your peace of mind and likewise for the providers too. It provides proof for both sides.

Don’t Be Pressurised To Be Like Others – There’s a good chance that as you are planning your wedding, there will be lots of stories and tips from friends who are already married or from friends who went to other weddings, like what type of invitations they sent out, or table decorations, or venue decorations etc. This can provide you with stress and make you feel as though you are maybe in a competition with an unknown opponent? No need. It’s your wedding. Take on-board advice, tips and comments, but this is your wedding. Make it your own and do exactly what you want. There is no right or wrong way. Only Your way!!