This one is super important. I mean it; do not fucking skip this step!

As you start planning your wedding, it is tempting to just jump right in and start firing off emails to the Ritz Carlton and the Sheraton on the Park. The thing is, unless you’re minted (or marrying someone who is), all you will do is create potential disappointment.

Make sure you set a realistic budget. There are two things to consider here.

Firstly, if all you are interested in is saving money… don’t have a wedding!

Planning a wedding is the worst idea if you just want to save money. Maybe an elopement is the right idea for you? Getting married this way still isn’t free, but it is significantly cheaper and more flexible.

Yep, weddings cost money. If you don’t want to pay, don’t plan a wedding! And if you know you’re on a limited budget, don’t shop with vendors you can’t afford.

Secondly, be realistic with what you can afford. There is no point having a Pinterest board full of $250,000 dresses, hand crafted by fairies and held together by the tears of angels if your budget is more along the lines of $3,000. Don't do that to yourself.

All you will do if you start planning without a budget in mind is make yourself resentful about the fact you don’t have more money. Remember, it's ok, everyone has a budget. Just be realistic and stick to yours.

Pro tip: Get the best providers you can afford and check their reviews (plus the recommendations of other professionals) to make sure you’ll get good value.

This is probably the biggest sticking point. People get engaged, totally skip the budget phase and start to rapid fire emails to every wedding provider with an email address.

First of all, sending out template emails shows your potential vendors that you really do not value them and aren’t excited to work with them, which in turn makes it hard for them to be excited about working with you.

Second, you will get a thousand replies, overwhelming you with information. What are you going to do with that? Probably just leave it until later, and never get around to it.

Instead of sending out emails to 100 photographers and 75 florists, go through their websites carefully. Read their About Me section and get a feel as to whether this is the kind of person or company you want to work with.

Make shortlists by finding the vendors who suit your budget, your personality and the style of your wedding. All these people will improve your overall experience.

Once you feel you have done enough research and have maybe 3-5 people on your shortlist for each component of your wedding, start contacting them. You will have a far higher chance of finding the right person this way..

Trust me when I say, receiving an email from someone who has clearly looked at my work and me as a person feels amazing! It really makes me feel valued and pumped to work with you!

Pro tip: Narrow down your selection by setting a distance limit for the providers who can’t come to you. For example, only search for florists within a 30k radius so you’re not driving forever just to talk about flowers.

Instead of researching thousands of vendors for every area of your day, let the vendors you have already chosen help guide you. Because here’s the thing...you’re busy, and you have a life to live. You probably don’t know who is good and who is not, but we all do. We work together all the time and know what to look out for.

For example, I have close relationships with celebrants, Hair and Makeup stylists, Dress Makers, Florists and so on. Why should you even give a shit about that though? Let’s say you already chose me as your photographer, you must love my style, and my personality. Well guess what... I tend to recommend people who are similar in style and vibe to myself. You’ll be getting a team on board who you love on every level.

We photographers have seen the pros at work (and the duds who let people down). We’ll tell you who to choose and who to avoid.

Just a heads up... not all, but some people do recommend vendors as they receive a commission for doing so, not because they genuinely believe in them (I never do this). Always meet these referred vendors, check out their work, and make an informed decision for yourself.

Pro tip: Choose the right vendors and providers so your entire wedding day will feel like an amazing party surrounded by friends.

You would be surprised how many couples I see who buy a wedding dress off the internet, without ever having tried it on.

I really want to stress this, you will be wearing the dress for the better part of a 12 hour day. That is a seriously long time to be wearing one piece of clothing.

You don’t want to be itchy, uncomfortable or boiling hot on your wedding day. The aim is to enjoy the event, not be aching for it to end so you can get into some comfy clothes.

Looks matter but comfort and reliability is key. Too-good-to-be-true wedding gown prices often mean itchy fabric or zips that fail to do their jobs.

Go to a dress maker or supplier, pick some amazing dresses out and try them on. This way you get an idea of what fabrics you like, what shape best suits your body type and what you will feel most comfortable in on your day.

Pro tip: Think about the weather. You don’t have to wear a jacket in your photos but it will help to have one when you’re standing around. A parasol or umbrella in the back of the wedding car will save you from getting burnt to a crisp if the sun’s blazing.

Know your limits and know your strengths. If you aren't a cake maker, don't try to make your own wedding cake. If you aren't creative, don't try to make your own stationary and signage.

The same goes for your friends and family. If they aren’t professional makeup artists or photographers, kindly explain to them that you would like professionals for your big day.

Understand this day cannot and will not be re-done. Wedding professionals are more than just what they do, they are good at handling the big game stress of a once in a lifetime day.

Trust me… your wedding is not the day for your mates to ‘have a go’ at cake making, hairdressing or taking high quality photos.

Instead of having your friends and family do professional jobs for you, have them do other things that are super beneficial. During the planning process they can help with research. They know your style and know you as a person, so they will probably be good at this.

On the day, those who are desperate for a job can help with organising things, setting things up if required and dealing with vendors. This leaves you nothing to do other than chill and get married, totally stress free!

Pro tip: Be on board with your partner about who is doing what. Don’t both accidentally allocate the same job to different people and cause offence in the process (this happens more than you might think).

In essence, when wedding planning you should speak to your photographer/videographer before setting the timeline/itinerary for your wedding day.

Why? Your photographer is the only vendor who provides a service that spans the entire day.
Photographers know how a wedding day should run and what order things go in. We know how long to spend on certain sections of the day to ensure nothing is missed.

As a rule of thumb, I always write a timeline for my clients and allow them to add in things which I then revise for them to approve. Failing to come up with a timeline leaves you open to all sorts of problems.

The order of events is important. You need to allocate time for every stage of the wedding or your venue will start closing around you before you cut the cake.

Not allowing enough time for hair and makeup (which happens in over 50% of weddings…), not allowing enough time for family shots or portraits, or having your photographer sitting down for dinner when you decide to get up for your first dance are all things that go wrong if you don’t have a timeline.

Speak to me when you book me as your photographer. We will go through timeline options and see what works best for your wedding day, including the lighting conditions we would anticipate for that time of year.

Pro tip: Allow extra time for things to go wrong. Traffic, car breakdowns and too-long speeches are just some of the things that can screw with your timeline.