Top Wedding Planning Questions Asked by Couples
Congratulations! You're engaged! What's the first thing to do? Well, as the big day approaches, here are some of the most common wedding questions you'll want to be prepared to answer.
It's likely that this is the biggest and most important event you've ever tried to organise. Wedding preparation can be somewhat difficult, however, asking yourself a few questions, in the beginning, will help you prevent issues later.
I certainly find that couples tend to ask the same sort of questions. Therefore, in the hopes that they would be helpful to anybody who is in the middle of their wedding preparation, I have chosen to share the some of my responses.
Here then are the top wedding questions, couples ask.
WEDDING PLANNING
Where should I start with my wedding planning?
What should I book first?
Would a wedding planner be a good idea?
How much does a wedding event cost?
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
How long does the wedding last?
How long does the ceremony last?
What should the colour scheme be?
THE INVITATIONS
How can I make a list of guests?
When should I send the invitations?
Should I mention the dress code on the invitation?
Should I provide a wedding gift list to guests?
ENTERTAINMENT
Who will provide the music during the ceremony?
Are wedding magicians tacky?
What other forms of entertainment are ideal for a wedding?
AND FINALLY
WEDDING PLANNING
Where should I start with my wedding planning?
You might not like this response, but here it is - start by making a budget. I know it's not the thing you want to think about, but you really can't begin doing anything enjoyable unless you are aware of how much you have to play with.
And this answer goes beyond simply having the difficult discussion about who will pay for the wedding - your families, you, or a combination.
Instead, divide your money into several vendor groups such as:
- Venue
- Catering
- Entertainment
- Photography
- Flowers
- Other decorations
- Transport
- Clothing
- Wedding gifts & favours
Tip: Setting your budget is all about priorities. What's most important to you?
I know that when I planned my wedding, we wanted to make sure that we had a fantastic party with all of our close friends and family. That's why a major priority for us was hiring incredible entertainment. Lower down on our list was the venue. We felt that we could have fun anywhere, so we hired a local village hall, rather than a top of the range hotel.
I talk more about setting your budget for entertainment in my ultimate wedding entertainment guide.
What should I book first?
The key to starting the planning process is to take things one step at a time.
Finding your venue and caterer are probably the first things to get ticked off the list. This is especially important if you have a key date that you are looking at.
Next, start thinking about your major suppliers. They often get booked up years in advance. So, hire a photographer and / or a videographer, and your entertainment. This is a really important thing, as remember you are having a celebration.
Finally, you should look at the things that aren't dependent on the wedding date, eg. your dress, flowers, decorations, cake and any wedding favours or gifts.
Oh, and don't forget your honeymoon or mini moon.
This is typically the best roadmap for planning. This will allow you to get everything done without having to plan everything at once.
Tip: do a little bit each week / weekend.
When we planned our wedding, we followed this plan, although I must say we did take a few weeks off, when things got a bit too much for us. That's fine, and by setting a wedding date far in the future, we allowed ourselves plenty of time to get everthing done.
Would a wedding planner be a good idea?
A wedding planner can be a good idea, not only to help you with the planning process, but also to help you save time, money, and to coordinate with your team of vendors, and ensure that your special event goes off without a glitch.
We didn't use a wedding planner for our wedding, but we did use friends and family who helped with small tasks such as researching suppliers and helping to collect guests from the airport. We owe them a great deal of thanks.
How much does a wedding event cost?
The truth is that depending on where you get married, your wedding expenses will vary significantly. The typical wedding budget is roughly £20 - 25,000; however, it is often more in major cities and cheaper in more rural regions.
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
How long does the wedding last?
This could be a tricky question to answer as weddings often stretch out long in to the night. So, let's look at it from a different angle. When does the wedding start.
For a full day wedding, the ceremony might be as early as 11am, followed by a drinks reception, wedding breakfast, turnaround period, and then the evening entertainment. A long day, for sure.
For a half day wedding, the ceremony might start at about 2pm or 3pm, followed by a drinks reception, and then the evening food and entertainment.
Tip: weddings can be a long day, so make sure that you hire entertainment so that guests don't feel like they are waiting around.
For our wedding, we went for the half day structure. We had a drinks reception, followed by street food, and some fantastic magicians entertaining everyone and making sure everyone was having a great time. Finally, we finished with a ceilidh band and fireworks.
How long does a marriage ceremony last?
The ceremony normally lasts around 30 minutes, depending on what you want and what you choose to include, such as music, poetry or a reading.
What should the colour scheme be?
When it comes to weddings, a colour scheme is a great way to make everything feel 'tied together'. You can co-ordinate a colour scheme with the bridesmaids dressers, men's ties, flowers and decorations.
Some popular wedding colour schemes include peach, lavender, turquoise, gold, silver and amber.
THE INVITATIONS
How can I make a list of guests?
Of course, you will start with your family and your closest friends, and then think about mutual friends, neighbours and work colleagues. If you have a limited number of guests due to venue size or budget, then you might not want to invite everyone from this last category, or you might ask that single people come without 'a plus one.'
At the end of it all, this is your big day and you don't want to look around see the room populated by strangers or people you haven't spoken to in years.
My advice is don't feel obligated to invite someone just because they would expect an invitation.
When should I send the invitations?
Sending out wedding invitations as soon as feasible is always a good idea. You might begin by sending out save the dates so that everyone knows when the wedding is.
We sent the save the dates by email, to save on postage and the environment, but then printed a formal invitation as a keepsake.
Two to three months before the wedding, send out official invitations.
Should I mention the dress code on the invitation?
Yes, informing your guests regarding what they should wear to the wedding is a thoughtful gesture on your behalf. However, avoid using ambiguous language like 'dress amazing' and stick to clearer expressions like 'black tie preferred,' 'smart formal' or 'dress as your favourite horror movie villain!'
Should I provide a wedding gift list to guests?
These days most couples live together before getting married, so they don't need new toasters, dinner sets and other 'traditional' gifts.
Instead, couples tend to receive money, a contribution towards the honeymoon, or a donation to a charitable cause close to their heart. That last one is a good idea.
It can seem a little needy to ask for a gift, rather than graciously accept whatever is given. In our case, some of our guests bought us a small gift, and that's something we were thankful for, but we didn't ask anyone to bring anything specific.
ENTERTAINMENT
Who will provide the music during the ceremony?
When it comes to music during the ceremony, there are a few options available.
The simplest option is to have pre-recorded music. Just have your walking down the aisle track, queued up on a laptop and connected to the sound system, and then hit play at the right time.
Another option is to have live musicians perform. I like this idea as we rarely hear live music these days. So much of the music we hear is pre-recorded, so this adds an extra special touch to the day. This is what we did, alongside having a choir sing, as our wedding was held in a church.
Talking of church weddings. If your ceremony is held in a church, another option for walk down the aisle is to be accompanied by a piano or organ, and as I mentioned, a live choir.
Is a wedding magician tacky?
A wedding magician, is only tacky, if you hire a tacky magician. If you spend £100 on a cheesy magician with a playing card waistcoat, who 'borrowed' all his gags from Tommy Cooper, then that is, in my opinion, a little tacky. Likewise, if you just get a mate to do a few card tricks.
If however, you hire a professional close up magician, then it is not tacky. I know in my case, that I have spent almost my whole life studying how to perform magic that is both engaging to an audience and mysterious.
Weddings can be a long day, and the secret I think is that you don't want them to feel like they are a long day. People don't want to just be waiting around, and that's what hiring a magician helps you to solve. I'll bring your wedding to life, with the most incredible magic, plus conversational comedy thrown in as an extra.
Find out more about my options for weddings here.
What other forms of entertainment are ideal for a wedding?
There are lots of different forms of entertainment that are perfect for a wedding. I split them up into categories though as not everything is the same.
Static entertainment includes things like a photo booth, or sideshow games. They are never going to whip your party into a frenzy of laughter, because people have to go to them.
A close up magician, and other interactive entertainment, adapts to your wedding. As the name suggests, they interact with people on a human level, which I think, is a much more fulfilling form of entertainment.
Read more about entertainment and find out about many ideas in my ultimate guide to wedding entertainment guide (with ideas!).
AND FINALLY
What should I include in my thank you notes?
Essentially, make it short and sweet - thank the visitor for any gift, and say how you'll use it, thank them for coming to your wedding or express regret that they couldn't, and then wish them well.
Ready to find out more about magic?
Get in touch today for an accurate quote or more information about making your wedding the best it can be, with incredible close up magic for your drinks reception, wedding breakfast or evening party!
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Get in touch today for an accurate quote or more information.
YOUR INCREDIBLE EVENT IS
JUST A FEW STEPS AWAY
1. CONNECT
It's easy to get in touch with me, either:
email ↓
ed@edsumner.com
call ↓
07792 129 828
or fill in an enquiry form.
2. DISCUSS
During a short phone or video call, we'll talk about your event and your initial ideas. Don't worry, if you're not sure. I've helped to plan many events so I can advise on the best use of magic and other events entertainment.
3. AGREE
Once all the details are agreed, I'll send you a booking confirmation and ask you to make the first payment which confirms your date in my calendar. Then it's time to start looking forward to your big event.
4. ENJOY
I'll check in with you in the week before your event, and on the day of the event. All you need to do now is enjoy the magic, mind reading and conversational comedy.
