Firstly congratulations!


I hope you've managed to take some time to savour the moment and celebrate the journey you've been on so far as a couple. But as you begin to tell family and friends, naturally you'll be wondering where on earth to start in the planning process. I've been photographing weddings for over 10 years, but I am only now going through this process on the other side as I plan my own wedding for 2025. Here's what I've discovered so far.

Fill in the blanks - "I want to feel ............... on my wedding day. I want my guests to feel............"


This can be a useful starting point in establishing what kind of day YOU want. It can shape the tone, style and type of suppliers you might choose for your day. As a couple, we literally said this out loud to each other and filled in the blanks. For us, it was that we wanted to feel relaxed on our wedding day and we wanted our guests to feel like they were on a mini break. This informed our decision to invite only 45 guests and choose a venue where we could do everything in one place including stay the night with enough rooms for most of our guests.

What's most important to you?


Everyone's different which makes every wedding wonderfully unique. Ask yourself what elements of the day are most important to you and therefore which should take priority in your planning process and budget. Perhaps you'd love to have a really personal humanist ceremony or maybe flowers and lots of them is super important to you. Your focus might be on throwing an epic party and therefore choosing the right kind of band. Maybe photography and having artful images that you can frame is a priority? Perhaps it's about the guest count and having something small. With every decision, I kept asking myself, does this choice fit in with how I want to feel on the day?

What's your biggest dealbreaker?


The time of year that you get married might be a dealbreaker for you. We really wanted a summer wedding, with the option to get married outside. We also have a young son and the logistics of moving between several different venues felt like a headache to me. We chose a venue that had summer availability and where we could do everything in one place.


However, you might not be so fussed about what time of year you get married, so long as you can have your day at a particular venue. In which case, you might have the flexibility to choose an off-peak date and play around a little more with your budget.

Venue prices vary, but will often charge an exclusive hire charge as well as a price per head, with lots of optional extras. If your budget is rather more conservative or you'd rather something a little more relaxed, then a great option is to have a registry office wedding, followed by lunch or dinner at a favourite restaurant. There are so many fantastic city options such as this wedding at Petersham Nurseries or this one at Rochelle Canteen.

Is it the right venue for me?


How did the staff make you feel on your visit? Did you feel taken care off or did you feel like just another couple taking a look around? I asked myself how do I want to feel on my wedding day and how do I want my guests to feel? And the answer is, taken care of. Service is really important to me and I chose a venue where there was no doubt in my mind that we would receive the best care and personal attention both in the run up to and on the day of our wedding. As a wedding photographer for over 10 years, I have worked with the events team at many venues. If you've seen a venue on my website or instagram page that you're considering, feel free to email me at: hello@lilybungayandco for some insight.

Giving notice of your wedding


You will need to give notice of your wedding at least 29 days prior to your wedding, at your local registry office. However, before you do this, you will need to know exactly where you will be getting legally married. To check your local council and where you will need to go to give notice click here. Please note, you each have to pay to give notice.

Booking a wedding photographer


From experience as a Kent wedding photographer, I know that photographers can get booked up a year in advance. Once we had secured our venue, the next most important supplier for us to tick off was the photographer. We already had a firm idea of the type of photography we wanted. But it was useful to ask ourselves, this is going to be another guest at our wedding, what kind of person are we going to feel comfortable with? I would really encourage you to contact three or four wedding photographers to get a feel for them, the packages they offer and get on a couple of video calls to make sure they are the right fit for you. It might be helpful to ask yourself, do I feel comfortable around this person? Will I be happy for them to come into my home/airbnb/hotel when I'm getting ready and potentially feeling nervous and amped up?

Take out wedding insurance


Wedding insurance is not mandatory but will offer financial protection against things like venue cancellation, damage to the dress, or an issue with a supplier. The average wedding in the UK costs upwards of £20k so insurance might give you peace of mind. Here are a handful of UK based wedding insurers to compare: Wedinsure, InsureMyDay and Wedcover.

Feeling a little anxious or overwhelmed?


It might be that at this early stage in the planning process, you are beginning to feel overwhelmed. I certainly did. As a wedding photographer with years of experience, I have been part of so many incredible weddings. I am acutely aware of the many thousands upon thousands of different suppliers for every little detail imaginable. I am also the type of person who worries extensively when hosting, worrying about whether guests are happy, having fun, getting along, warm enough, full enough etc. It has been useful to remind myself to let go of what others might think or feel. Yes I can be thoughtful and plan what I hope will be a fabulous day for everyone, however, myself and my partner are the ones who will remember this day the most. It is for us and about us and I can only be responsible for how I feel on the day. This article on the BACP website about how to avoid pre-wedding stress is really helpful.