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Your Ultimate Intimate Wedding Planning Guide

wedding planning

The reality of planning a wedding usually kicks in a little while after your pop the question.

"Shall we do a traditional wedding?"

"Maybe we could elope?"

Intimate wedding, or micro wedding, is becoming the trend nowadays. This is a type of civil marriage that is relatively smaller than classic or church weddings. The bride and groom are most likely to invite only their dearest family and friends. In 2017, 78% of marriages in Australia was performed with civil celebrants. Couples today prefer tying the knot with a personal touch and more confidentiality.

Say you want your wedding to be exclusive and memorable - you finally decided to go with an intimate wedding. How should you get from the engagement phase to the most romantic celebration of your lives?

This is the guide for you. Use this article as a checklist to achieve everything as efficiently and effectively as possible; some of the decisions will overlap so you will have to look back always.

The Groundwork - Time and Budget

The first question couples instinctively ask is "when". Time is of the essence because it will dictate how much preparation and budget will go into your wedding. Is it a year? Eight months? 6 months? Or you can't wait, so you want it in a few weeks? Spring (October-November) and autumn (March) are the popular wedding dates in Australia as you can anticipate the most excellent weather in these seasons.

After the date has been established, determine the overall budget. Who are the people to contribute and what's the ceiling of the amount? Putting on extra is the safest move. Be flexible and ready for unforeseen circumstances that can alter the plan. Break down the numbers so you can track the spending throughout this preparation.

Wedding Planner

You will never go wrong with hiring a manager to handle the organisation and logistics of your wedding. Wedding planners are reliable because they have the experience, system and network to gather and suggest to you the resources for the tedious arrangements. The decisions will not only pass by bride and groom but also through the eyes of a professional that has already seen what can go wrong and how to do everything right. You will be grateful for the peace of mind an expert planner can provide.

Guests

Make a list of the most significant people in both of your lives. You'll be surprised that it may not even go beyond fifty. Decide early, especially in the areas that your circle of friends overlap - your co-workers, churchmates, school batchmates, etc. Manage their expectations carefully to avoid any relationship problem.

After capping the list, also consider if some would request or need to bring their plus ones. If the headcount is set, determine the budget per person. Then, estimate if the entirety of the guests could fit in your desired venue. Finally, you can now personalise the invitations for the attendees.

Venue

Three things must be considered when thinking of the place: ceremony, reception, and accommodation. Couples sometimes choose to integrate every event in one place, even the honeymoon. This depends on your personal preference, venue size, and budget.

Holding your wedding in a hotel would be practical. Professionals organise hotel functions. The decorations, catering, amenities, and accommodation are luxuriously prepared for everyone. Still, explore all your options and make sure that your venue fits the budget and time frame.

Theme and Ambiance

Do you want it to be formal? Classic? Modern? Or maybe you have an incredibly unique idea in mind. It is totally up to you. Just remember that this goes hand-in-hand with the venue, catering, and the overall experience for guests.

Catering

Are you going for in-house catering? Or you want most of the food delivered? Along with this is determining the style of the whole cuisine. There are services which offer authentic food and serving types from different countries or continents. Don't forget the cocktails too - which can also be your creative outlet. If you outlined the menu early, make sure to recheck everything in a few weeks or days before the wedding.

Luke Wood from Monkey Foodz suggests that "The important thing about choosing the best dishes for dinner is remembering that you are in charge. You can get creative at this point to make sure that everything is well-appetising and not allergy-inducing for anyone at the party."

Outfits and Styles

Maybe you don't want to conform to the traditional white dresses and black suits. This is entirely up to you. Even if it goes without saying, the couple's presentation will be captured most of the time so they must invest carefully in their attire.

Decorations

wedding planning

These are like the emblems and symbols of your wedding. Appropriately choose according to the theme. Wedding planners provide most of the constructive suggestions in this area. They are attuned to the colour schemes and patterns that will be most pleasing to the eyes of the guests without sacrificing the flavour of your preferences.

Wedding Cake

You can hire a baker or let your manager refer you to the best cake-making services around. Have a taste test to assure the ingredients are just exquisite for the bride and groom's tongue. You don't have to follow the 5 to 10 layered cake towers that we almost always see on TV. Sometimes cupcakes or pre-sliced cakes work and still look very aesthetically pleasing.

Flowers

The ideal florist to choose is the nearest one. The flowers and bouquets should not travel a very long way to preserve its freshness and arrangement. If you want to customise, instruct your local florist Perth as early as possible so they can prepare your desired kinds of flowers.

Entertainment - Host, Band/DJ

Meet with the right host, musicians, and audio and visual team to arrange your wedding's entertainment. You can even rehearse with them if you plan to perform alongside or after them. Don't hold back on displaying your flair; this is what the intimate wedding is all about. Involve your families and friends on the spot to make the night more exciting.

Photography/Videography

This is crucial in your planning phase. Make sure to build a relationship with your photographer for them to capture every moment more candidly. Remember that your most significant day will be relieved from the outputs of these professionals.

Your Personal Touch

All that is mentioned above are the universally agreed upon inclusions almost any wedding must have. However, one of the real intentions of intimate celebrations is the bride and groom's personal preferences. Here are some things you can prepare or display at your wedding:

  1. Destination Wedding: The preparation may be a lot stressful if you still want to bring your dearest guests but a lot more fulfilling and exciting because of unfamiliarity to the city, country, or even continent.
  2. Getting ready together before the ceremony: Superstitious cultures don't want couples doing this, but this is a lot more meaningful and fun when you think about it. However, we should respect each other’s beliefs.
  3. Writing your vows: Scripting your words at the moment of your ceremony is still a raw moment for a couple. This brings calm for both of you.
  4. Pre- and Post-Photoshoot - Assign your photographer to capture everything from the top, or even before the wedding begins. You can have a private photoshoot wearing different outfits from your wedding.
  5. Dictate your guests' attire - What if you want a particular costume? Who says you can't do that at a wedding?

Add anything you want - this is the primary purpose of setting up an intimate wedding. The couple says the last word for everything. Be bold. Get on with it. Explain your grandest ideas to your wedding planner no matter how outrageous you think they are. Years after your biggest romantic celebration, your children or grandchildren will discover the life of the party you had.

Function Rooms Perth offers venues and supplies for all occasions. Contact us now to start organising your dream event!

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