Engagement Advice Archives - Mollineau Weddings & Events

How To Get Excited About Planning Your Wedding Again – East London Wedding Planner

admin — Sun, 02 Jan 2022 19:46:16 +0000

If the initial engagement vibes have begun to wear off, and you’re overwhelmed by the onslaught of wedding planning decisions you need to make leading up to your wedding day. In that case, you’re not alone. Below, Marsha from Mollineau Weddings and Events will share her advice on how to get excited about planning your wedding again.

What To Do When You’re Totally Over Wedding Planning

As an East London wedding planner, I know from personal experience how easy it is to let your self-care and motivation slip away during this hectic time. Still, it’s an essential component to prevent stressful planning and everything spiralling out of control.

How Do I Stop Being Overwhelmed With My Wedding Planning?

If your wedding planning to-do list takes up all of your time, you do not know what to do next, or the well-intentioned “how’s the wedding planning going” remarks make you want to shut down and hide, I recommend you hit the pause button now!

Please grab a cup of coffee, your favourite biscuits, curl up on the sofa, and delve into my five sanity-saving tips to help you get your wedding planning back on track. I’ll be sharing invaluable solutions to make your wedding planning process enjoyable. Follow my wedding planning advice, and you’ll be counting down the days until your “I do’s” feeling confident and stress-free in no time.

1. Tackle Each Wedding Planning Task In Order Of Importance To You

Suppose you’re looking for ways to get excited about planning your wedding planning again. First things first! Before tackling your wedding task list, you must first rediscover your wedding purpose and prioritise. This process will involve you and your better half uncovering why you decided to have a wedding in the first place. I recommend you decide on no more than three priorities for your big day and make a pact not to stress over anything that falls outside of those priorities.

I always encourage my brides and grooms-to-be to focus on just one task at a time; this prevents information overload and limits confusion caused by all the different options, which often leads to you second-guessing yourself. Trust me; you’ve got this!

If you’d like a helping hand, then a wedding planning session with Mollineau Weddings & Events can assist you. I’m always available to reassure you about where to start, apportioning your budget or talk through anything else causing you to worry. Simply arrange a complimentary consultation here.

2. Set Realistic Deadlines For Completion & Celebrate Your Wins

At Mollineau Weddings & Events, we’re known to have planned weddings in 8 weeks; however, it is very rare. For instance, there’s a high possibility that You will not plan your wedding in a week. So take your time. You don’t want to set yourself up for failure by procrastinating.

If you want to get excited about planning your wedding planning again. I suggest you create a basic timeline centred around your availability. Include all of your tasks which should be actioned by priority. When you accomplish a task, give yourself a special treat to stay motivated. Perhaps a favourite chocolate bar, a picnic in the park or a trip to your favourite restaurant. The choice is yours.

If you do not have time to action, all tasks within your timeline and wedding planning has ground to a halt. You may benefit from delegating a few errands to a professional wedding planner. Consider making contact sooner rather than later.

3. Go Off The Grid

It’s important to sign off from wedding planning when you want or need to. I recommend you set up a dedicated email for wedding planning purposes and communication. That way if it all feels that the planning is getting too much, you can switch on your out-of-office reply and go off the grid for a week or two without running the risk of missing important communication from your pre-wedding planning lives.

I know it sounds extreme. But not looking at your social media accounts, wedding emails, or colossal binder filled with the paperwork you’ve collected over the years will do you some good!

Use the downtime as a necessary period to enjoy some non-wedding fun with your friends, self-care, or do whatever else you’d like to do to relax.

If my clients don’t feel motivated to attend a low key outing, I send them a bottle of champagne and a box of chocolates. Gently encouraging them to take at least one night off and agree not to talk about wedding planning. It’s an excellent opportunity to reconnect and remember what it was like before wedding planning took over your lives.

If you’ve already tried some relaxing activities and still found yourself fixating on the latest wedding hurdle. You might want to take an entirely different approach by releasing some endorphins! Get your adrenaline pumping by going for a swim, boxercise, or some extreme sport may help get rid of your frustration.

4. Outsource Some Of Your Responsibilities

If you find going off the grid, relaxation or releasing endorphins doesn’t help; it’s time to outsource!

Wedding planning burnout is common and usually means that you are not delegating enough. Please chat with your better half, establish what is taking too much of your time, and entrust it to a professional. For example, is your household chores or walking the dog are taking up too much of your time? If yes, hiring a temporary cleaner or subscribing to a dog walking service could be the silver bullet to reclaiming your time. If all fails, it’s time to arrange a consultation with a wedding planner.

5. Get Support Managing Your Anxiety

The best way to handle the mentally trying aspects of your wedding planning journey is to take measured steps to prepare yourself and address any concerns you foresee as early as possible.

Weddings are emotional, high-stress situations. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by societal pressure, family expectations, not to mention the hefty price tag!

So if after all the advice I’ve given you still feel worried about the whole experience. Or your excitement about getting married has plummeted to the point of no return – don’t stress.

The good news is that with some advanced planning and some help from a professional therapist, there are so many ways to make your wedding planning journey a little more manageable. Just drop me a line if you’d like a recommendation from the UK. I know an excellent therapist who’d love to help.

How To Get Excited About Planning Your Wedding Again

And that’s a wrap guys! In summary, my 5 tops tips on how to get excited planning your wedding again.

Tackle one thing at a time during your planning and be methodical
Celebrate your wins! Have regular rest bite and keep your relationship a top priority.
Create a joint wedding email account, so it’s separate from personal stuff, don’t forget to separate your social media accounts or switch off notifications.
Outsource to a professional.
It’s ok not to be ok! A therapist can help if you need advice on managing your worries.

Drop me a line if you’ve found my advice helpful.

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Written By Marsha Mollineau-Griffiths | Award-Winning East London Wedding Planner

The post How To Get Excited About Planning Your Wedding Again – East London Wedding Planner appeared first on Mollineau Weddings & Events.

The Perfect Wedding Venue In London – East London Wedding Planner

admin — Sun, 14 Nov 2021 06:05:00 +0000

For most modern couples, the first decision after getting engaged is choosing the perfect wedding venue in London or surrounding areas. Finding the ideal wedding venue in London is where an experienced wedding planner can come in handy. That’s me!

As a professional wedding planner in London, I manage numerous wedding vendors relationships. I boast a fantastic portfolio spanning the best wedding venues in London, making it quick and easy to check availability and put you in touch with a venue coordinator to arrange a tour.

With so many things to consider when searching for the perfect wedding venue in London, I thought I’d help you save some time by sharing a few quick venue search pointers to assist you with your wedding venue search going forward.

If you’re pressed for time, download our venue searching tips booklet here, alternatively schedule a call with me at a time that’s convenient for you.

1. Establish The Size Of Your Perfect Wedding Venue In London

When considering the perfect wedding venue in London, I recommend you consider how many wedding guests you’re expecting. I know this may seem obvious to some; however, it’s still worth mentioning as the last thing I want is for you to fall in love with a venue that isn’t suitable for your big day.

Some wedding venues in London will be too small; others may be too large! Therefore, choosing a wedding venue that will comfortably fit all of your guests and not be so large that you struggle to “fill it” is key to a smooth sailing wedding planning experience and a wonderful wedding day.

Refer to my blog here if you want expert advice on determining your wedding guest list numbers.

2. Wedding Production & Lighting Is Key

So, the odds are that your wedding ceremony and reception will benefit from event lighting and perhaps a production setup. Although some productions are more extravagant than others. It’s better to establish the existing lighting each venue you’ve shortlisted has in place. Therefore, I recommend you check if there is scope to add the type of lighting required to achieve your wedding day theme.

3. Have You Considered The Acoustics?

The party vibes! Or the “Tun Up”, as we’d say in the West Indies! As a wedding planner of West Indian descent, music is a critical wedding reception component. So whether you’re planning to have a live band or DJ. I always recommend testing the acoustics to see how the music will sound on the big day.

4. Is Your Perfect London Wedding Venue Accessible?

Guest comfort is high up on my list when presenting a selection of perfect wedding venues in London for my clients, especially when they have wedding guests coming in from out of town. For me, it’s essential to make sure the wedding ceremony and reception are easy for all those who are expected to attend. That goes for suppliers too!

Before I recommend the perfect wedding venue in London, I always check that it is close enough to hotels and other landmarks that guests need. On some occasions, this isn’t possible. But in true professional wedding planner style, I conjure ways to conveniently coordinate guests from base to venue.

Whether it’s a classic open-top London red bus or a cruise on the Thames with champagne and canapés before they arrive at the perfect wedding venue, I’ve got the logistics and accessibility covered. It’s all in a day’s work for a professional East London wedding planner like me.

5. What Percentage Of Your Wedding Budget Should Go Towards Your Perfect Wedding Venue?

Your wedding budget will need to be considered when searching for your dream wedding venue in London. The very best and most popular wedding venues in London may come with a higher price tag. As a professional planner, I always encourage my couples to consider if the perfect wedding venue is value for money instead of solely basing their decision on the price tag!

As an experienced wedding pro! I work with couples to determine the best wedding venues in London that their money can buy! Remember, a wedding venue can make or break a wedding. So be diligent and choose wisely!

Want To Learn More?

Need my assistance? I’m a phone call away! Schedule a chat here; I have a few slots available this week and would love to help you more.

Download Our Complimentary Venue Search Tips

Supercharge your venue search and confidently book the perfect wedding venue with my all-important quick-fire questions you must ask before signing the contract at your dream wedding venue. Access here.

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Written By Marsha Mollineau-Griffiths | Award-Winning East London Wedding Planner

The post The Perfect Wedding Venue In London – East London Wedding Planner appeared first on Mollineau Weddings & Events.

4 Reasons You Need A London Wedding Planner – Professional Wedding Planner

admin — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 06:01:00 +0000

As an East London wedding planner I can confirm that our workflows are very detailed. And while detail can be incredible, it can also feel completely overwhelming for brides-to-be. For me, a wedding planning process that my clients can follow is necessary for a great wedding planning partnership and an incredible journey.

Planning and coordinating events has enabled me to develop a simple, fool-proof wedding planning process for my team, clients, and wedding planning partners to follow, making our collaboration stress-free and seamless.

Phase 1: Planning With A London Wedding Planner

The first phase of wedding planning is just that: planning. As a London wedding planner I will first establish an appropriate budget for a wedding in London and surrounding areas.

It’s no secret that everyone wants their wedding day to create everlasting memories for all the right reasons. In reality, often that can mean that weddings are costly affairs. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t have the wedding you’ve always dreamt of within budget. All you need to do is apportion your wedding expenditure well and decide how to pay for your big day! Alternatively, book a planning session with an East London wedding planner: Me, Marsha from Mollineau Weddings & Events, and I’ll break down your wedding budget for you.

As a professional East London wedding planner with a strong background in finance; I inform my clients of the many ways they can finance a wedding in the UK. Whether they decide to dip into a tidy sum, they have set aside, use contributions from loved ones, a loan or a credit card which offers an additional blanket of protection. I encourage my modern couples to fix their wedding budget very early on.

During this wedding planning phase, I break down their wedding budget and apportion their fixed costs. Early on, providing a wedding budget breakdown enables me to pair my modern couples with the best London wedding suppliers in my portfolio in line with their wedding budget needs. This is why it’s vital to have a clear plan on how much your wedding might cost and how you will pay for it, as it will be the primary driver for all other decisions.

Phase 2: Wedding Design Made Easy

It’s pretty standard for your wedding vision to be a little all over the place at this stage. A wedding inspiration board is one of the best ways to gather your thoughts and create a clear game plan. Suppose you have a Pinterest wedding board and have been pinning to it since college – great. If you’re comfortable handing it over to me, I’ll break your Pins down into subsections. This will help all your wedding professionals, aka your wedding day dream team, bring your vision to life.

If you’re struggling with wedding planning inspiration, my wedding planning sessions for Brides-to-be are a great way to ignite an imaginative spark or two.

Whether you’re a DIY couple or working with a professional London wedding planner, it’s important to have visuals of what you like, from fonts to fabric swatches. Once I have all of your ideas, your vision board will act as a road map, and all the decisions you have to make going forward really fall into place – easy peasy lemon squeezy!

By the end of this wedding design phase, we would understand and feel what you want for your wedding day. I would have created a digital wedding look-book. Our look-books will act as a reference point for your wedding planning journey. It will list all of the details.

As your London wedding planner, I’ll be working with many different wedding pros on your behalf. For example florists and caterers. And I’ll frequently be asked for examples of what you like. Therefore the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” rings true when trying to explain your clients take on ballroom glam.

Phase 3: Wedding Coordination With A London Wedding Planner

The wedding coordination phase is where you see your ideas come to fruition. I’ll introduce you to the perfect partners from our established network of award-winning suppliers and the fun continues.

As a London wedding planner, my role is to facilitate all the moving parts of your wedding day; coordination helps do just that! If you are a bride who has hired us for wedding day management only. This is where I’d jump on board.

Phase 4: Execution

Fast forward to the month of your wedding day. This is when all the magic happens. In the weeks leading up to your wedding day, I’m sending out final timelines and handling emails and logistics for you.

Preferably I don’t want you touching your inbox; my goal as your London wedding planner is to ask you the least amount of questions and be the liaison between your wedding day dream team and your guests. I coordinate your rehearsals the night before your wedding, and my team provide unlimited hours of service to you as hosts on your wedding day.

What’s Your Thoughts?

And that’s a wrap! A London wedding planner’s process for planning a wedding in London. Please feel free to share our post, moreover connect with me on LinkedIn if you’d like to stay in touch. Alternatively arrange a chat with me, I’d love to hear your plans.

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Written By Marsha Mollineau-Griffiths | Award-Winning East London Wedding Planner

The post 4 Reasons You Need A London Wedding Planner – Professional Wedding Planner appeared first on Mollineau Weddings & Events.

8 Essential Wedding Guest List Tips – Professional Wedding Planner

admin — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 09:13:22 +0000

An essential start to planning your wedding in London is to start your wedding guest list early – a task easier said than done, right? My husband and I dreaded the idea of trimming loved ones off of our wedding guest list. We only had a handful of friends, but both came from huge families, so a small intimate wedding in London would have been a very tall order.

Pre COVID-19, many couples had the choice to invite all of their loved ones to their wedding. Sure, they’d have the usual wedding guest list considerations we’re all accustomed to: logistics, budget and venue size. But now, many couples may find themselves in the unpleasant situation of making cuts to their wedding guest list.

How Do I Make A Wedding Guest List?

To assist you with this sensitive part of your wedding planning process, I’ll be sharing my top tips for building your wedding guest list.

So what’s the secret formula to determine who’s going to be on your guest list? And how do you reduce the risk of offending loved ones that won’t make the cut? If you don’t have a London wedding planner on board, starting your list can be a very tricky task. Essentially you’ll need to put your emotions aside and bring out the project manager in you! Here goes…

How Do You Organise A Wedding Guest List?

Drafting and cutting your guest list might not be quite as fun as wedding dress shopping. As an East London wedding planner, I recommend following these essential tips to track everyone on your list including RSVPs and menu preferences. You could always invest in the Mollineau Weddings & Events London wedding coordination service if you’d like to free up your time and focus on another area of wedding planning.

1. Divvy Up The List—Before Accepting Financial Help

Drafting your wedding guest list is often emotionally charged, so the probability of it getting messy is high! Especially if you have your parents or family members involved in wedding planning or contributing financially.

Even if you’re paying for your wedding yourselves, it’s a good idea to get the families together and set out your expectations.

As a professional wedding planner, I often mediate situations between families regarding themes, décor, guest lists, menu choices, and more. I usually recommend that my couple gets half the guest list, and each set of parents gets a quarter of the guest list.

So if you’re planning to invite 100 people, you’d get 50 guests. Your parents would get 25 your fiancé’s parents would also get 25. That usually seems to be the most drama-free approach. Oh yes, and aunties and uncles come out of the parents quarter. I’ve got your back on this one.

2. Define Your Wedding Purpose!

First things first! Before you continue tackling your guest list, you must first discover your wedding purpose. This process will involve you and your partner uncovering why you decided to have a wedding in the first place. And why you would invite each of your guests. The outcome of this task will no doubt influence your decisions as you advance your wedding planning. And is an excellent way to refocus.

Once you’re clear on what your wedding is really about and what it truly means to you both, you’ll be in a stronger position to plan a celebration of a lifetime that embodies that. You’ll have the confidence to manoeuvre around the external factors you have little or no control over when planning a wedding regardless of size, scope or restrictions.

3. Managing Your Wedding Guest List In A Collaborative Spreadsheet

If you’re wondering how to organise a wedding guest list, there are many ways. But it’s best to use a collaborative system! That way, anyone with input can make edits in real-time and see the most up-to-date version. Our wedding administration service lets you easily export your guest list to help create a seating plan and track RSVP and meal choices. Thus saving you ample time and headache in the weeks leading up to your big day.

It’s also helpful to have everyone’s contact info in one place. Many of our clients have us use the same list for thank you cards and other special announcements. We East London planners love planning celebrations.

4. Put A System In Place To Stick To Your Wedding Guest List Numbers

Once you’ve listed the names of all of your family and friends (your wedding guest wish list), you can divvy your potential friends into A, B, C tiers: Definites. Probables. Maybes. Alternatively, divvy your guest list into tiers of 15 if planning during the pandemic and rank each tier via priority & risk. Give me a call if you need further advice in this area.

Before the pandemic, a good rule of thumb is if the person is not on your holiday card list, or you’ve had no contact with them in 3 years, you should not feel guilty about omitting them from your guest list.

5. How To Deal With Fewer Guests Attending Your Wedding

Would you please avoid deleting anyone’s names from the list that declines your invitation? And please still invite anyone you assume cannot attend.

I recommend you have a separate document for the names you are unsure about. You may find that you can still welcome them to attend remotely or at your future watch party. Besides, it’s a lovely gesture to send a thank you card, as your absentees may still want to forward you their congrats.

6. Ensure Your Wedding Budget And Venue Works With Your Guest List

In some cases, your wedding budget and venue may determine the maximum number of guests you can invite to your wedding. If you’re already concerned about your wedding budget, one of the most straightforward solutions to stay on track is to reduce the number of wedding guests you are considering inviting. I know this task may seem exasperating, but you’ll soon see the benefits of trimming your guest list.

7. How To Decide Who’s On Your Wedding Guest List

Avoid focusing on whom you need to cut from your guest list. Instead, focus on whom you want to see when you walk down the aisle.

The reason being, regardless of your wedding size, whether it’s a micro wedding in London or a large intimate wedding in London, you’ll be limited as to how much time you can spend with each of your wedding guests. Think, whom would you miss?

8. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help

Need help costing your wedding guest list? I have a few wedding planning hours available; access my diary here, and I’ll help you allocate your wedding budget in no time.

You May Also Find The Following Blogs Helpful

Hang Out With Us On These Social Media Sites

Written By Marsha Mollineau-Griffiths | Award-Winning East London Wedding Planner

The post 8 Essential Wedding Guest List Tips – Professional Wedding Planner appeared first on Mollineau Weddings & Events.

Choosing Wedding Colours Made Easy – Professional Wedding Planner

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 11:00:22 +0000

When supporting modern couples plan the perfect wedding day, I always find there’s a bit of variety in the extent to which each pair expects me to help with their creative planning. Some come fully equipped with a clear design brief and aesthetic goals. Whereas some couples look to me for suggestions and creative guidance when choosing wedding colours and an overall wedding day theme.

Choosing Wedding Colours Doesn’t Have To Be A Daunting Task

Like interior design, colour plays a significant role in setting the scene and vibe for your special celebration. It’s important to note whether you invest in one of our wedding planning sessions or go it alone.

How you choose to use colour in your wedding, where you choose to use colour, and how many hues you choose will truly make your wedding day spectacular. The last thing I want you to do is accidentally cast the wrong tone or create a visually chaotic atmosphere for you and your guests on your special day.

Don’t Feel Pressured To Follow Wedding Trends

Suppose you are not head over heels with this year’s wedding colours, simply don’t choose them. Most of my client’s wedding engagements average 12 – 24 months. So with wedding trends coming & going so quickly, don’t feel pressured to follow all you see on social media. Chances are, wedding colours and trends would have changed at least twice during your wedding planning phase. Why chase your tail! Because you can???

Many of my clients are comfier playing things safe! So having a helping hand in choosing wedding colours that reflect their personalities without minimising the significance of their love story is always exciting and fun for us all. As a professional London wedding planner, I encourage couples to incorporate key pieces of their love story into their wedding day theme and colour palette.

There’s no need to worry about your wedding day being described as dull or bland with me in your team. Instead, your wedding day will be a unique blend of your love story so far, with a glimpse into what’s to come in the future. Your “personal brand” as you advance as Mr & Mrs…cue the confetti.

I’m getting carried away and off-topic! So let’s rein things back in ASAP. To save you time choosing your wedding colours and help you avoid the common mistakes Us laid-back luxury planners see couples make when choosing wedding colours. Lets give you a few quick pointers on choosing your wedding colours and avoiding disappointment concerning wedding decor and theme on your wedding day.

1. Choose Wedding Colours You Like

Try to pick colours you love. The colours that make you feel happy, confident and your best. Once my clients narrow down the colours they like, I show them various samples and colour combinations. For example, red could be strawberry red or cherry red. Although they are both red they appear so different to the naked eye. Once we’ve put aside your colour, I’ll assign a Pantone and make a note of it in your personalised brief. Yipee, we’re one step closer to choosing your wedding colour palette.

2. Don’t Neglect Your Wedding Venues Colours

When planning a wedding yourself, it’s easy to neglect your wedding venue’s existing colours, this can cause a very dissatisfying aesthetic if overlooked. The cost of covering or hiding any colourful elements you don’t like will be probably noticeable. It will significantly increase your overall wedding expenditure and budget too.

3. Consider The Time Of Day Your Celebration Is Taking Place

I always inform my clients of ways their colours can appear very different in various lighting. Before I share a lookbook or colour pallette with my clients based on their consultation, I head over to their venue with some colour samples & textures. Why? I do this to see how they’ll appear within the venue’s lighting. We also take a quick picture on my mobile phone! As most of your guests will be snapping throughout the day and sharing on social media. So it’s worth seeing how your chosen wedding colours will look on an amateur phone before you commit.

If my clients choose wedding colours that are swallowed up in the atmosphere or lighting of the venue, I suggest ways we can use lighting to bring out the beauty of their chosen wedding colours. For example, we sometimes use candles, up lighters or pin spotlights depending on the atmosphere we are trying to create and how much emphasis our clients want on their colours. The best thing about lighting is that it can be changed throughout the day to create a different ambience quickly.

Need A Little Inspiration Choosing Wedding Colours For Your Wedding Celebration?

Schedule your complimentary wedding planning consultation here. I’d love to help you choose a selection of wedding colours that reflect your love story & vibes. Save yourself some time and schedule a call or an appointment today.

You May Also Find The Following Blogs Helpful

Hang Out With Us On These Social Media Sites

Written By Marsha Mollineau-Griffiths | Award-Winning East London Wedding Planner

The post Choosing Wedding Colours Made Easy – Professional Wedding Planner appeared first on Mollineau Weddings & Events.

Planning Your Wedding Budget – 6 Hidden Wedding Costs Every Couple Should Consider

admin — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 16:28:00 +0000

Hidden wedding costs are known to have caught the most diligent brides by surprise! Especially during COVID-19. If you haven’t already done so, I recommend you have a quick read through my step-by-step guide to setting your wedding budget – stress free. If you’re already up-to speed, go ahead and enjoy reading my hidden wedding expenses blog.

1. Engagement Ring Care

Many of you were presented with a beautiful sparkly engagement ring. However, overtime you may find that your little beauty may loose a little bit of her shine. Don’t panic! This is entirely normal. The use of hand sanitiser, soaps, makeup & cosmetics, plus a little wear and tear, can cause your engagement ring to look a little dull. Which is why you should have your engagement ring professionally cleaned once in a while.

If you’re wondering how often you should have your engagement ring cleaned and the costs associated, look no further. Here, I outline a few hidden wedding costs of ensuring your engagement ring is in tip-top shape for all of your pre-wedding appearances.

I personally allocated 10% of my engagement ring value for a professional clean. And I wasn’t disappointed at all! My family jeweller had my engagement ring looking it’s best in no time. Within 24 hours, me and my engagement ring were ready to strut our stuff – cue Beyoncé ‘single ladies’ (put a ring on it).

2. Jewellery Care Kit

My ring made a star appearance at our professional engagement shoot, our engagement party and last but not least our wedding day. This should be obvious, right? If I was given a £1, each time a bride forgot to include the cost of cleaning her engagement ring in her wedding budget – I’d be the richest wedding planner in London!

Please don’t stress if you’re unable to get your engagement ring professionally cleaned. For instance, you could always ask your jeweller for advice. They’ll be best placed to recommend an at home cleaning kit, which usually costs between £25 – £50. Just make sure that all of your wedding jewellery is glistening in time for your big day. The last thing I want, is for you to look back at your wedding photos with any regret.

3. The Hidden Costs Of A Wedding Website

Is a wedding website, one of your hidden wedding costs? I hope not. Opting for a personalised wedding website was one of the best decisions my husband and I made. We were lucky enough to get married in 2019. During this time there was a lot of uncertainty due to Brexit. We found our wedding website was the best platform to bring all of our 300 guests together in once place – virtually. Plus it served as an excellent reference point for us all – guests, bridal party and suppliers included.

With virtual weddings becoming more popular these days, in addition to traditional wedding stationary, a wedding website is a fantastic way to set the tone for your big day and give your guests a glimpse of what to expect. Just think, your guests will be given an incredible opportunity to gain an insight into your relationship and get to know your bridal party at their own pace. You can even set-up alerts to notify your guests of any last minute changes.

Depending on the functionality, aesthetic and length of time you’d like your wedding website ‘live’. You should allocate £100 – £250 for the design and hosting of your wedding website. £250 – £500 if planning your wedding during COVID-19. You may find my wedding planning power hours handy if you need help writing your content.

While the main purpose of a wedding website is to assist ‘all’ in the lead up to your wedding day. For me, it served as a beautiful memento. A beautiful keepsakes for me and my family to reflect on many years after my wedding day.

4. The Costs Associated With Storing Your Wedding Dress

Whether you’re considering an elopement or need to store your wedding dress before or after your wedding day. I’d highly recommend you purchase a luxury wedding dress storage box with acid free tissue paper. This will protect your dress from any damage. I remember having to purchase several boxes: 1 for my wedding dress, 1 for my veil and a few for my flower girls and bridesmaids. Depending on the size of your dress, layers and veil length, a good quality dress storage box can cost anywhere between £75 – £200.

5. Wedding Dress Alterations

When searching for my own wedding dress, I quickly learnt that wedding dresses are not made to measure! Most brides will need some kind of alteration to ensure their dress fits them perfectly. Whether that’s adding 25 bustles as I did or raising the hem, each alteration will soon add-up. So I’d recommend you set aside 15% – 20% of your entire wedding dress budget for alterations.

6. The Hidden Wedding Costs For COVID-19 Safety Measures

As if planning a wedding budget isn’t tough enough, you now have to factor in a global pandemic! During COVID-19, all couples should include a wedding budget line for COVID-19 safety measures. For instance, to keep your guests safe, its likely you’ll need to foot the bill for hand sanitiser, face coverings and possibly testing.

If you’re struggling to put together a wedding budget, or need help with anything else don’t be afraid to ask. For instance, you may want to consider my wedding planning services. Alternatively my wedding planning power hours have been very popular during the pandemic.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Marsha Mollineau-Griffiths, Laid-back Luxury Wedding Planner

The post Planning Your Wedding Budget – 6 Hidden Wedding Costs Every Couple Should Consider appeared first on Mollineau Weddings & Events.