There are a few common mistakes people make when planning a wedding – and as wedding planners, the team at Simply Perfect Weddings have seen it all (and stopped any disasters, before they can happen!). We spoke to Sarah Arkin, a professional wedding consultant to get some tips on how to plan the perfect wedding for you, what pitfalls to avoid and what to save and splurge on!
Planning a wedding is no small feat! There’s always about a dozen things that crop up and surprise you (and your budget!) as you plan one. It makes sense – if we’re lucky, planning our wedding is something we only do once.
If you’re in the thick of planning, we’ve gleaned some wonderful advice on how to make the process less stressful! Here Sarah from Simply Perfect Weddings gives us her best advice.
What trends are you seeing for weddings in 2024?
Colour is back in a big way for 2024 weddings as couples look to incorporate bright and beautiful tones into their wedding day. The last couple of years of weddings was all about modern black/white and green/white styles, so it is nice to see some beautiful florals in a range of styles making their way back in the wedding world. Another continuing trend is towards micro weddings or elopement weddings, where couples are opting for much smaller and more intimate celebrations – often at a beautiful destination – to celebrate their wedding day with only their closest friends and family.
What about it terms of wedding dresses – what have you been seeing a lot of lately?
Sleek and modern styles have been staying strong in terms of wedding dress styles, but we are seeing pearl accents and also bows in a range of forms making their mark in wedding dress fashion this year.
What are some of the non-traditional touches or elements that you’ve seen couples do recently?
Audio guestbooks with retro handheld telephones is one of the more fun touches we have seen couple incorporate into their wedding day – imagine being able to listen back to those touching (and silly) voice messages from your closest friends and family for years to come!
What are couples spending up on most at the moment, and where are they cutting back?
We are seeing couple spend on the overall wedding day experience, so food, wine, and entertainment is still going strong…and wedding videography is also becoming increasingly popular.
Does it very much depend on the couple, or, are there a few things that you think it’s always wise to splurge on, and save on?
We would never cut corners on photography as those will be the memories you look back on for years to come! There are some simple and easy ways, including online tools and options, to save on wedding stationery/invitations – so that’s an easy way to cut some money out of the budget – just please do NOT handwrite your name cards for the table (unless you are a professional calligraphy artist)!
The latest data suggests that the average wedding in NZ costs $32,000. Is that in keeping with what you see out there?
It really depends on the size of your wedding and what you want to include in that budget, if you are planning a larger wedding (~100ppl) then I think the average cost would be much closer to $50K. For smaller weddings (under 40ppl) you could certainly come in less than $30K. It’s very hard to give an accurate wedding budget, as every couple has a different idea of what they want included in their wedding day!
I don’t know a single couple who have ended up having a wedding for the price that they originally set – is this common? What are the biggest culprits in hidden costs that end up tripping couples up?
I think the biggest mistake couples make is not fully understanding all the costs that go into a wedding during the beginning stages of planning. That’s totally understandable, as it’s most couple’s first time planning a wedding – so we would always recommend having a chat with a local wedding planner to begin with – as they can often help set your budget expectations a bit more realistically. I think most of the ‘hidden’ fees come from things that may have been forgotten out of the originally planned budget – so things like accommodation, hair/makeup for the wedding party, attire, rings, shoes, transportation, etc, etc.
What is the one thing every wedding needs to be a success?
Fun and a happy (married!) couple – I think the most important thing to remember about a wedding day is that it is one of the only times in your life that you will have all the closest people to you in the same room…so try not to get hung up on the details and remember that you are there to have fun with your guests and try to relax and enjoy the day!
What is the one thing you recommend every couple does before walking down the aisle?
Relax and enjoy the moment
How far in advance do you recommend planning a wedding?
We recommend planning at least 12-18 months in advance for larger weddings, smaller weddings and elopements a 6-12 month lead time can work if you are a bit more flexible with dates. If it’s just the two of you – you may be surprised to find our that you can pull together your elopement wedding in as little as a few weeks time!
Working with a wedding planner can obviously make the day – and the lead-up to the big day! – a lot less stressful. Can you tell us a bit more about how you work with your clients and what sort of results you get for them?
We try to focus on allowing our couples to truly relax and enjoy, not only the wedding day, but also the lead up to the wedding with their friends and family. There are so many logistics that go on behind the scenes and most weddings involve at least 10-20 different vendors to coordinate – the last thing you want to be doing the night before your wedding or on the morning, is worrying about what time the cake is being delivered or where the band will setup. We’ve yet to meet a couple yet that regretted hiring a wedding planner to help with their big day…and we’ve heard lots of couples that said their biggest regret was not having a planner or coordinator there to help on the day. Just remember, this is your once in a lifetime opportunity to enjoy these special memories with your nearest and dearest…so investing in professional help to ensure you really get to enjoy your wedding with them, truly is money well spent!
Is there one common element across wedding planning that seems to stress people out the most?
The most stressful part for many of our couples is the (often unwanted) advice, requests or recommendations that their friends and family share with them during the planning process.
What’s your advice to anyone who is recently engaged or planning a wedding?
Talk to a local wedding planner to start with! Even if you are wanting to DIY your wedding day, many planners offer an initial consultation option, which can give you invaluable insights into budgeting, venues, suppliers, timelines and everything in between. Starting your planning journey with someone who is experienced with planning weddings in the same area that you are planning to, should get your plans off on the right track – and it’s also likely to save you money during the planning process as well!
What about wedding guests? What etiquette should we ensure we always follow?
Always RSVP by the date requested! The last thing a wedding couple needs to add to their planning list is a guessing game of how many people will be there on the day, or the need to follow up with people they haven’t heard from! Also if you have an dietary requirements, make sure you provide those to the couple at the same time you RSVP your attendance.
