Tie The Knot's Guide to getting married - May 2018

Do you know anyone who’s getting married in 2019 or 2020? We have put together a quintessential #TieTheKnot timeline from getting engaged to saying “I do”. Compiled from questions we’ve answered and things we’ve discovered from our time in the #WeddingIndustry here is your official TTK’s Guide to Getting Married! Congratulations on your engagement! You may be planning for the best day of your lives but that doesn’t mean it has to be stressful! Here is Tie The Knot’s quintessential guide for 18 months from “Yes!” to “I do!” 12-18 MONTHS BEFORE – YOUR VENUE First thing’s first. Where do you picture yourself getting married? Do you see yourself by the grand sweeping staircase of a manor house? Under the starry canopy of a fairy lit rustic barn? Not sure? Go and see as many venues as you can. Make pro and con lists, chat to friends, check reviews and most of all, have fun imagining your day in as many ways as possible! Make sure your venue is in line with your vision of your day. Can you get in the day before? Are you allowed to light candles? Does everyone have to be out at a certain time? Do they have a list of suppliers you MUST use? Always remember to check the terms and conditions! 6-12 MONTHS BEFORE – YOUR CATERERS Have you had a think about the type of food you may like? Beautiful three course fine dining? A more relaxed BBQ Board affair? How does your budget align to this? Maybe you’d love the perfect afternoon tea followed by a hog roast! It’s important to be really honest about your priorities early on. Can you make your table favours to save a bit of money and have a few more canapes? Food is a large part of your day and often what a lot of people remember long after your honeymoon tan has faded! Take a very good look at your catering quotes. Are there any hidden extras? Do you have to pay separately for cutlery or linen? It is important to get written confirmation from your caterers that the price they have quoted is the price that you will pay. Check social media, do they have good reviews? Do they post often? Are they a company who will work with you to build the menu of your dreams? Caterers usually work between 6-12 months ahead so once you’ve secured your venue have a look at their recommended suppliers (if they have a list). Drop Pippa at Tie The Knot an email at weddings@tietheknotcatering.co.uk and she will help find you find the perfect menu for your day! Note: If you’re planning on sending out Save The Dates – A 9 months to a year before is the perfect time to do so. 6-12 MONTHS BEFORE – YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER & VENUE STYLIST Most photographers have a self-imposed limit of weddings a year so if you have found a style of photographer you like, getting them booked should be next on your list of priorities. Have you had a look on social media? Typing in location specific hashtags such as #SussexWedding could be the key to finding someone with exactly the style you’re looking for! If you get stuck you can always use the pay it forward method and ask your caterers and venue who they would recommend, they are bound to have a list of people they’ve worked with before who are brilliant! Venue Stylists: Good venue stylists are like gold dust. If you aren’t looking for the extra added work of decorating your venue yourself your stylist can spin wedding magic with a few well-placed sections of bunting or candles. Looking for vintage terrariums? Hay bales for that rustic feel? Contact Sara at To Have and To Hire and she will be sure to create exactly the atmosphere you’re looking for! team@tohaveandtohireweddings.com 6-8 MONTHS BEFORE – YOUR INVITES AND FLOWERS Now is the time to start firming up your guest list and deciding who you would like to invite for the whole day and who you would like to attend the evening and find out any dietaries (which your caterers will need 6 weeks before your big day). By now you will have a more comprehensive idea of costs and your day will be beginning to take shape. It’s a good idea to set an RSVP date for invites so that you aren’t chasing people two weeks before. Flowers: 6-8 months before your big day the wedding trends of the year will begin to become more evident. If you’re not sure where to start these can inform you, and if you have a definite idea of what’d you like you can steer clear of the trends! Pinterest, Instagram and wedding blogs are an amazing way to work out the sort of look you would like. Look out for florists at wedding fayres. These are a great way to see in person how a florist like to arrange their displays best. 6-8 MONTHS – WEDDING DRESS/SUIT SHOPPING! This is a perfect (realistic) amount of time to find and make any alterations to your dress/suit. If you’re planning to lose weight for the big day this gives you an attainable amount of time to achieve your results whilst still having a good amount of time to find that perfect outfit! 4-6 MONTHS – WEDDING FAVOURS & DECORATIONS If you’re planning to make your own favours/centre pieces and decorations now is the perfect time to begin them! All the big bits of planning are done, all your friends and relatives are now preparing for your big day and will be more than happy to lend a helping hand/ come to a calligraphy course with you! Now is the perfect time to get back in touch with your caterers, have you had any additional dietaries crop up? Have a couple of friends fallen pregnant and now can’t enjoy that creamy cheese starter you picked? Be sure to update your caterers as numbers and dietaries change so that they can amend their files for you. 6-8 WEEKS BEFORE – FINALISE YOUR CATERING DETAILS Your caterers will need your table plan and final menu choices 6-8 weeks before. This is the point that Tie The Knot require your second payment of 40{33dd468cc39f887f01773104bad78f5567180f41d1f5af8c48fdd44eaf14c818} as well. At this point you will be in frequent communication with all your suppliers, so if you’re unsure of anything the important thing is to ask for help and not panic! Your suppliers are your wealth of knowledge on all things weddings, they will undoubtedly be able to recommend a supplier or lend a helping hand to get you right on your way to married bliss! 1-2 WEEKS BEFORE – ANY LAST MINUTE BITS A haircut? Your nails? A fake tan? These are all things that should be done in the final 1-2 weeks of preparation before your wedding, This is often the time that all of your final bits of payment will go out to suppliers including Tie The Knot’s final amount. ON THE DAY You have put in a lot of time and preparation to get to this point, now is the time for you to enjoy one of the most important days of your life, relax, and let your dedicated team of professionals’ handle everything!