1. Your Budget for your wedding day
Wedding Planning > Wedding Planning Guide > Budget and Suppliers
Plan your Wedding in South Wales - set your wedding budget
- This is our Wedding Planner Guide Intro & 'Setting your Budget' Page. For more wedding planning help, click on Wedding Planner Guide Index or scroll down to the bottom of this page.
For the Bride & Groom; Essential Tips to planning the perfect wedding
Welcome to Craig y Nos Castle's comprehensive Wedding Planner guide - one of the most comprehensive and 'original' on-line wedding planners you are likely to find.
You can either read this guide in the order of the pages, just press the blue ‘next page’ button to go to the next page.
Or you can use the index lower down on this and each page in this Planner, to go to the subject you are most interested in knowing more about.
The most popular page is 'who pays for what'! But there are many very useful sections in this free Wedding Planner. You'll find out a lot that you would never suspect you needed to know, giving you a real head start on planning your own perfect wedding day.
All booked Brides and Grooms and any prospective wedding couples considering a wedding at the Castle (or anywhere else!) are encouraged to read this on-line Wedding Planner guide and to bookmark this page. Then you can refer back to our essential Wedding Guide in the run-up to your wedding day.
Couples who have booked their wedding at the castle should also see the wedding planner sections specific to their wedding at the castle - see bottom of index for the links.
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Your Wedding Budget
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Unique ideas, practical money saving tips and inside secrets on how to plan and prepare for an unforgettable wedding day - whatever your budget.
1. Keep a beady eye on your wedding budget!
Set yourself a realistic budget and tick off everything you plan to have, against your budget. Both Bride and Groom have an equal responsibility. Grooms must never say simply, "Whatever you want, darling!" One of you, or a relative, should become the beady eye (the bookkeeper), overseeing the budget.
Your wedding reception is likely to cost twice as much as you first imagined.
Every major expense always ends up costing more than we expect. This is because we all add things we'd not initially considered we wanted or were aware we needed. Most brides and grooms 'shop in increments' and can lose sight of the overall cost.
Elect a 'beady eyed bookkeeper' to keep a 'shopping list' with a running total of the costs as you add each new item to your list. Then you are both free to choose - either to increase your budget to fit your developing shopping list (your dream wedding, the ideal) or to reduce your shopping list to fit your budget (being practical, with realistic, affordable costs).
If you are able to take up the Special Wedding Package at the Castle, you can save some money on the wedding venue and wedding breakfast which you can then spend on other things. However the benefit of any saving could be lost if you allow yourself to get carried away with tempting extras!
(2 Photographs below supplied by Celtic Photography)
| Useful Pages on PLANNING YOUR WEDDING DAY at Craig y Nos Castle |
| Plan your wedding at Craig y Nos |
| Superior Wedding Breakfast Menu |
| What's not included - Book the Registrar & Wedding Suppliers |
| Wedding Themes by home town |
| Room Reserving & Booking template (SRUM) |
| Menu selection template - Wedding Breakfast menu |
Wedding Day Checklist
18-12 Months before the wedding:
(i) Schedule visits to just three or four shortlisted venues. Choose venue and select date of wedding. Book Wedding Venue.
(ii) Book Wedding Photographer and videographer, for date of your wedding. Discuss shot lists, desired styles, and packages. Schedule pre-wedding photo shoots.
(iii) Book Wedding Toastmaster?
(iv) Make a list of guests taking into account size and capacity of chosen wedding venue. Send out 'save the date' cards. Include date, location, and venue's (or your) wedding website.
(v) Book the Registrar, choosing a time early enough in day to allow for full Schedule of the Day.
(vi) Set a realistic budget for your wedding, but accept this will not be your final budget. Costs may exceed expectations so have a contingency fund for extra costs.
At least 12 Months before the wedding:
(i) Book your Wedding Cars.
(ii) Order Wedding Invitations.
(iii) Honeymoon dates - consult travel agent.
(iv) Decide on bridesmaid and ushers.
(v) Design & Order your wedding cake.
(vi) Book disco, wedding DJ, evening and daytime entertainment. Discuss playlists and specific requests with the chosen provider.
(vii) Choose your wedding dress.
(viii) Choose a Wedding Theme and Style.
(ix) Do you wish to use a wedding planner? Evaluate pros and cons of hiring a wedding planner.
(x) Do you want Wedding Insurance? Understand the importance of wedding insurance and what it does and does not cover.
(xi) Take your engagement photos!
6 months before the wedding:
(i) Wedding Present list. Compile a list of desired gifts for your wedding registry. Choose a variety of price points and items. Communicate this to guests through your wedding website or invitations.
(ii) Decide colour scheme.
(iii) Bridesmaids dresses. Choose the bridesmaids dress and party accessories; schedule fittings.
(iv) Formal Wedding Clothes for Best Man, Bridegroom, Fathers and Ushers. Consider climate and time of year when selecting wedding attire. Buy tuxedo/suit for the Groom.
(v) Choose Wedding Rings.
(vi) Appointments with wedding hairdressers / wedding beautician.
(vii) Check you have all the legals and timelines in place with Registrar. Check requirements for marriage licenses and certificates. Start process of registering the marriage.
(viii) Attend menu taster meals at your venue if these are on offer, to start planning your menu.
(ix) Order your wedding invitations from a professional wedding stationer (schedule for when you finalise your menu choices).
(x) Order rental items (tables, chairs, linens, etc) - check what venue provides.
3 months before the wedding:
(i) Decide on menu choices for your guests to choose from for your Wedding Banquet. Send out final RSVP wedding invitations with meal options. Include all necessary details and RSVP card/ details. Address and post invitations to guests.
(ii) Mothers' outfits chosen.
(iii) Choose hymns and choice of music, 'order of service' sheets printed. Send playlist to DJ.
(iv) Plan your Schedule of the Day. Create a timeline for wedding day. Include all important events: ceremony, reception, and photoshoots. Communicate times to wedding suppliers.
(v) Confirm all bookings and services with suppliers. Review contracts and quotations.
(vi) Purchase or rent necessary decorations for the wedding. Organise decorations for easy setup. Ask Venue when you will get access to the reception room.
(vii) Confirm honeymoon options with your partner. Check you both have the necessary travel documents, visas, passport renewals, and vaccinations.
(viii) Book hair and make-up trials with your chosen stylists. Discuss your desired look and make any necessary adjustments. Take photos and notes to ensure the desired outcome on the wedding day.
(ix) Brainstorm ideas for guest favours and gift bags.
1 month before the wedding:
(i) Follow up all suppliers to ensure everything is 'happening'.
(ii) Confirm reception venue Schedule for the Wedding Day, arrange Event Finalise meeting with Venue's Wedding Planner 3 - 4 weeks before wedding day. Confirm menu choices, seating plans and final accommodation reservations. Also create place cards for guests.
(iii) Confirm details with photographer. Pre wedding shoot?
(iv) Confirm wedding cars that you already booked earlier, are still all 'on'.
(v) Confirm details with wedding florist and confirm numbers for the buttonholes.
(vi) Confirm any external hotel bookings and all other accommodation for guests.
(vii) Confirm honeymoon if not already done so.
(viii) Schedule and attend the final dress or suit fitting. Make any necessary alterations. Ensure dress fits perfectly for the wedding day.
(ix) Write your wedding vows. Choose readings or speeches for ceremony. Practice and rehearse to ensure a smooth delivery. Practice your vows out loud or in front of a mirror.
(x) Follow up guests who have not yet sent in their RSVP.
(xi) Break in your wedding shoes; comfort is key!
(xii) Pamper yourself; This means nails, facials, hair and massage!
(xiii) Put aside ready any suitcases, bags, and survival kits to bring to ceremony & reception. Clean and pack your ring!
(xiv) Pay your venue and suppliers in full.
(xv) Assemble gift bags.
(xv1) Order custom name place cards for the tables.
"We absolutely fell in love with the Castle when we were looking for a wedding venue. Great location, it is beautiful, quirky, has stunning views and the icing on the cake for us was it being dog friendly...." Read more |
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