Where to start?

Have a look around and see what you like. The venue will have some suppliers but dont just be limited by that list as the wedding world is quite vast.

Once you find the people you like you can start building a budget. Avoid the wedding magazines at all costs. All of the features in them are paid for. We are constantly being offered to be named in some feature, all we have to do is pay £xxxx to secure our place. They also often run articles about how you can save money on your wedding but if you ask any professional they will tell you those articles are there to just sell magaiznes. In no world will you find a decent photo/video combo for the £600 the magazines promise.

A good vendor will reply promptly. Delays in replying to your initial enquiry is a warning sign for when you've actually paid money. BUT! Give them a couple of days. Some are just individuals and they may be working at a wedding, certainly if you enquire on a Friday or Saturday and often we just dont have the ability to do anything but focus on the wedding we are at. Also, wedding venues are notorious for having zero mobile signal so we often cant even check our email.

When getting quotes read the small print or ask if that is the total cost. So many wedding vendors will quote you the price EXCLUDING taxes and other costs and you only see them once you go through the booking process.

Don't discount the idea of a planner. Yes, they cost money but they can save you money. Remember, they ahve done this A LOT and known all the little tricks of the trade. Planning a wedding can be fun but also a nightmare.

Best tip ive heard of lately... Dont tell ANYONE you are planning a wedding. Plan an engagement party. This isnt some trick to save money but to save your sanity. When you are planning an engagement party people leave you to it and dont offer any advice (advice from family members is often more trouble). But when you are planning a wedding you will get pulled this way and that and you end up dealing with a LOT of politics. Everyone turns up, then you spring the wedding on them and you get to have YOUR WEDDING DAY HOWEVER YOU PLEASE! Dont tell your parents, best friend. NO ONE! If you want a wedding day people will talk about for years to come, having the not a wedding wedding is one of them.

Hello

You will need to have an idea of guest numbers when you start looking at venues so right down a rough list so you have numbers in your head for day and night; venues will then be able to give you ideas of costs based on this or you know where you are towards packages with minimum headcounts. The venues will also tell you how many a room holds or even have a set up for a certain size wedding so you have an idea of you're party will fit the room well.

Knowing time of year will help because costs vary for the wedding season and what day of the week but the venues should be able to give you a blanket guide for the year to cover all of this.

Some venues will have an ideas section or real weddings section on their website and will also give you photo albums to look through which will help give you ideas for what time of year you like.

Hope this helps x