Congratulations! whether you have had a proposal made to you, or had your proposal accepted, now you can plan for your day…
How you go about this will depend on whether you have 2 years or 2 months to plan, will this be a ceremony and reception for all your friends and family, or a small and intimate gathering? Either way, there are some first important bookings to make before you can sit back and relax before Part 2.
21st century wedding planning is often done entirely online, or online resources have printable checklists. Find an online wedding planning forum, as other couples in the same situation can often share and advise on this exciting but challenging step of your journey.
Photo credit Evoke Photography
1. Church Wedding or Civil Celebrant
Getting married in Church is the traditional image that most people in the West have, however if you are not regular church goers or committed to the faith you were born into, there are other, equally respectful routes to go to.
That said, many people with a faith are often not able to marry in their Church, if they are previously divorced, same sex or practising different faiths.
In Guernsey, the law was changed in 2021 to authorise civil celebrants to perform the legal marriage within their ceremonies in any location within the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Check with your local authority what the laws are or consider a destination wedding in Guernsey.
Whitedove Ceremonies Ltd is a team of 8 celebrants, and even on those popular busy Saturdays in June, July and August have capacity within the team to provide your ceremony.
Find out more about each Celebrant on our website or social media platforms
2. Venue
Probably the most important item to tick off your list. The higher the number of guests, the fewer venue options are available. Most venues will only have the resources to host one large wedding a week during the ‘Wedding Season’. With most weddings taking place on a Saturday between May and September. So that leaves 17-18 possible dates during that time-frame. If your preferred venue is not negotiable, then you may need to book at least one year ahead, or possibly two.
However, if your ceremony and/or reception is a small an intimate affair, you may be more flexible around the day/date and time and this will open your options up for all wedding venues.
Photo credit Nick Despres Photography
Inside or Outside
Clearly this depends on the time of year, the location in the country/world. The guest list and the location regulations. If your first choice is an outdoor ceremony, check whether a backup indoor option is available in the event of inclement (or too hot) weather.
Is the location accessible for you and all your guests? Will you need a risk assessment? This is likely for Cliffs, Beaches, Headlands, Parks and other unusual outdoor locations where you might be obliged to take out Public Liability Insurance for the duration of the ceremony.
Photo credit Ben Fiore Photography
Alternatively, choosing an indoor option will take one more variable away and give you less to worry about. Decorations and set up can take place in advance without concern that they will blow away, get wet or otherwise disappear or spoil. Guests will be comfortably seated whether the weather is too hot, windy or wet.
3. Wedding Organiser
If you have chosen an Hotel or a bespoke wedding location, the venue might also be prepared for the ceremony set up and reception decorations, however, this is not always the case. Check with their event organiser if this service is included in their Wedding package. If not you might like to enlist the services of a Wedding Organiser, who will dress both ceremony and reception areas and help to bring your dream vision to reality. See links for Guernsey Wedding Organisers at the end of this blog.
4. Photographer/Videographer
Another very personal choice, as each photographer will have their own style of capturing your day. Find out the photographers in your area, check out their website and social media platforms to see if you like their style. Have you seen photographers at weddings that you have attended? Hopefully not - the good ones are like Ninjas…inconspicuous, and yet they can create such beautiful memories.
Wedding fayres are a great opportunity to meet with several photographers and videographers and talk to them about the range of packages they offer. See our Photography Blog for more information.
5. Florists
Guernsey boasts many excellent and creative florists, whether using fresh, silk or paper flowers, there are florists to suit your style, budget and theme.
If you have a specific floral arrangement in mind, speak to florists at wedding fayres and follow their social media channels to see the creations they have made in the past. The florist will look to match the ceremony centre space with the bouquets/buttonholes, attendants and also the reception tables. Have a look at the link at the end of this blog post to find the florist that most aligns to your plans.
6. Attendants - Bridesmaids and Groomsmen
If you are having a sizeable wedding ceremony, you may need bridesmaids and groomsmen to help with events leading up to the day and also on the big day.
Here are some websites to help you with your decision making. You may already know you want to ask, but it might be worth considering how their current situation might affect their ability to fulfil such an honour.
An American practice that is currently very fashionable is ‘proposing’ to your bridesmaid or groomsmen when asking them to take on this special role!
7. Save the Date and Invitations
Finally, if attending may require your guests travelling, then give reasonable advance notice to them of the date you have chosen for your special day, to give them the opportunity to plan and save if necessary.
If the wedding date is too close, and/or if your guests live nearby, maybe sending the actual invitations is more appropriate.
Make sure you are clear about the plans for the day and/or evening, the time of arrival (at least 30 minutes earlier than the time the ceremony starts), does their invitation include a guest? And does the event include and cater for children?
Other things to consider advising your guests about are: transport to and/or parking at the venue; supply of natural petal confetti for them; accessibility restrictions; dietary requirements; gift expectations.
Whitedove can satisfy all your stationery requirements.
8. Sit back and relax
Enjoy browsing for your Dress, Rings, Honeymoon…before Part 2 as we get closer to the Wedding date. In Part 2 we will look at the finalisation of the Marriage Licence process and the events leading up to the big day.
