The sensible way to start

If you are one of the lucky couples who got engaged over Christmas and New Year – congratulations! You are about to begin one of the most exciting periods of your life together.

Planning your big day with your loved one and family should be a wonderful journey.

The wedding season about to get under way and rest assured there will be lots for you to do in the next year or so as you start to make your dreams a reality.

Once the excitement of becoming engaged settles, it is time to turn your thoughts to planning the big day.

A great starting point is to make a guest list.

Are you hoping for an intimate celebration with close family and a few friends, or do you want to throw a huge party for all your cousins and acquaintances?

The numbers will impact on everything from the venue you choose to budgets for food and drink.

Start with your must-have guests, those people who you can’t imagine missing out on your big day.

This will be the core of your list – you will be amazed at how it can grow from there! It is useful to have at least an approximate number in mind when you are researching venues and catering.

You might also want to make a reserves list – people who you would like to be there and who can be invited if anyone on your core list can’t make it.

The next step is the serious matter of working out a budget.

You will be amazed at how easily wedding costs can spiral so you may need to figure out how much you can save each month and how much you want to spend.

This may affect your wedding date. If family are keen to help out, try to be clear about which aspects they will be paying for to avoid any awkward situations later on.

This is a once in a lifetime celebration and you want to ensure it is a day you will look back on fondly for the rest of your lives together.

Wonderful time: But your wedding day needs a lot of planning.