Are you planning a wedding but don't know where to start?

Don't worry!
In this blog post, I will guide you through everything when it comes to wedding preparations. We'll delve into everything from the initial considerations to the final details that will make your big day extraordinary.
 

Whether you're starting from scratch or already have some ideas, this post is designed to inspire and help you create the framework for the perfect wedding. 
There are many things to consider, so let's get started!

Set a Budget

Setting a realistic budget is key. I would prioritize what is most important to me and my partner. A clear budget ensures that we get the most out of our resources without compromising on desires and quality.

Next, I would create a checklist/budget of things to be bought and used for the wedding:

• Wedding rings
• Clothing
  • Wedding dress
  • Groom's attire
  • Possible attire for children/bridesmaids and groomsmen
• Beauty
  • Manicure/pedicure
  • Makeup
  • Hairstyling
• Printed materials
  • Invitations
  • Place cards
  • Thank you cards 
• Flowers
  • Bridal bouquet
  • Corsage (for the groom)
  • Flower arrangements as decorations
• Wedding reception
  • Venue
  • Food (including serving costs)
  • Beverages
  • Wedding cake/dessert table
• Entertainment
• Decorations (excluding flowers and printed materials)
• Wedding photographer
• Transportation
• Possible accommodation (bridal suite)
• Honeymoon
• Other

Make a Guest List

Compiling the perfect guest list can be a challenging task. It is important to strike a balance between including family and friends while adhering to your budget and space constraints. Therefore, I have come up with some ideas on how to create the framework for the perfect guest list and atmosphere on your big day. 

1. Prioritizations: Who is important to include in the wedding? This could be family, friends, or other people with significant meaning in your life.

2. Draft a list: A good starting point could be to make a list of all the people you think should be invited, and it doesn't matter if it's extensive to begin with.

3. Categorize guests: To create an overview, it could be a good idea to divide the list into categories such as extended family, family, friends, and acquaintances.

4. Budget: If you can afford to invite everyone, that's great, but it's important to assess how many people you can actually afford to invite to the wedding. This should help narrow down the guest list and make realistic decisions.

5. Prioritization within categories: Who are the most significant and indispensable people on your wedding day if there are limitations on the number of invitations?

6. Family issues/conflicts: A point that speaks for itself. The wedding should be about celebrating the love between two people and not about anything else, so be aware of any conflicts or issues in the family that could ruin or put a damper on the day.

7. The final list: This is the list you will use to send invitations and plan your wedding. 

8. Changes: Be open to the possibility that some guests may not be able to attend or that new people may join. Therefore, it is important to be flexible and adjust as needed.

Date, Time, and Venue

Next, you need to set the date, time, and venue. 

Date and time:
When setting the date, I would first and foremost give myself plenty of time. Maybe even a year in advance.
We wouldn't want to risk people already having plans on the big day. Additionally, it's also important to find the right time for guests to arrive.

I dream of a summer wedding, so a day in June or July would be perfect for me! (But you decide for yourself 😉)

Venue: 
It's also important to find venues well in advance so I can book them before others do. Of course, I'm aware that the venue should accommodate the number of guests I want to invite. That way, the venue won't feel either too empty or too crowded.
Now that I want to hold my wedding on a summer day, it could also be super cozy to make use of the hopefully good weather outside, but it comes with some risks, considering that I live in Denmark. So, be prepared for this!

Invite guests well in advance!
And I cannot stress this enough. It's super important to send out invitations well in advance (a year before), so we give guests the opportunity to plan their participation. 

Plan Food and Drinks

When planning food and drinks for my wedding, I would first consider whether I should handle the catering myself or pay for the service. It depends, of course, on the budget and perhaps also on how many guests are invited. 
 

Additionally, there are different ways to serve the food. If you want a more informal wedding, you may serve the food as a buffet so people can help themselves.
Personally, I think plated dinners make the wedding more formal, and it might also be more practical with plated dinners if you have 50+ guests.
 

It would be a good idea to try out different menus or dishes and see what I feel like.

Once that's done, of course, I also need to look into the wedding cake. It's a tradition to have a wedding cake, but I don't need a big and extravagant cake since I think they're very expensive, so I prefer a slightly smaller cake. Maybe I'll bake it myself to save money.

Photographer for the Wedding

We always want to ensure that such a big day is preserved in the form of pictures. Therefore, I think of getting a good camera that can take proper pictures, and then I'll just ask my uncle if he wants to take the pictures - he's usually good at it. A good tip is to ask around in the family and among friends if anyone has a good camera.

If I didn't have a family member who was keen on photography, I would probably book a photographer to handle the photography throughout the evening. 

Additionally, a fun thing for the party could be to have disposable cameras placed at the various tables so you get a variety of fun and candid shots from people.

Everything Regarding Decoration

For a wedding, there are, of course, a lot of decorations to be in place both before and during the wedding.

Before the wedding
Invitations are one of the first things I would send out. I would like to have a consistent color theme for my wedding, and I think I'll start by showing it with the wedding invitations. I personally love blue and white together, so that's what I would go with. In connection with my invitations, I could make thank you cards - then it's done.

Next, I would look into decorating the car, which should be on the transport from the church/city hall square to the actual party. Typically, the car is decorated with a lot of balloons or flowers or the like, so people can see that you've gotten married.
 

During the wedding
It's certainly a must to have decorations for your wedding, so let's look at the various decoration options. 

Having balloons at a wedding helps create a fun and festive atmosphere, making the day even more special in many ways. Balloons are a budget-friendly decoration option that, with its wide range of colors and shapes, adds visual appeal and an impressive effect and they look fantastic in photos. 

A red carpet can help create an elegant and exclusive feeling, so you know that you are stepping into something special and ceremonial. Additionally, the red color contrasts with the surroundings and can add visual appeal, which in turn creates a very photogenic effect for some beautiful pictures of the bridal couple. They can be purchased in several different lengths, so just choose the one that fits the wedding.
 

The disco ball is a cool prop for the party later in the evening and is a fun and modern twist, so it doesn't all become so formal. The visual element with the light dancing on walls and floors provides a cool contrast to the darkness's shadows and will definitely get the dance floor going and help create a unique atmosphere. 

It's also important to have some party light. When the cozy light goes out and people are done eating, the dance floor opens, and it requires a light show that keeps people on the dance floor.



 

I love flowers and think they add life and coziness to the room besides just decorating. Flowers are always a good initiative when it comes to decoration, so there should be plenty of flowers in the room!
 

As a good memory, I would arrange a nice guest book for guests to write in. It's nice to look back on, so you can see what gifts you've received and sweet messages from guests.
 

In addition, there should be place cards. I think it's an important part of table decoration that the place cards are nice and fit in.

Should it be a DJ or live music?

Music for the wedding is crucial for the atmosphere. Here you could explore different options, and it also depends on what your budget is.
 

Live music: 

As I said, music is essential for any party, and with the right band, you can create a great atmosphere where there is really a lot going on, while the music gives a unique touch instead of the usual Spotify playlist. Additionally, the band can feel the audience's energy and then adjust songs and style accordingly.

Prices for live bands vary widely and can range from anywhere between 5,000-30,000+ DKK. For that price, you not only get music but also entertainment value in the form of band members who interact with guests, dance, and perform. Additionally, these bands are professional and typically have quality equipment that ensures the sound is of high quality and suitable for the wedding.

DJ:

The classic choice is to hire a DJ. I would probably go with the DJ solution.
The good thing about a DJ is that they are usually good at sensing the atmosphere at the wedding. They can then adjust the music to the situation and the guests. You could even hire the DJ for later in the evening and then create a playlist yourself for dinner to save money. 
 

Choose the right sound equipment:

If I were to choose some sound equipment, it would have to be something good and professional so you are guaranteed that the music will not be scratchy or too low.
A good option could be one of these, for example, the "Ibiza LED Lightbar Moonflower + Laser and Strobe", which is a system that ensures professional sound.
 

Additionally, I think a microphone should be acquired for the wedding!
There are definitely going to be several speeches and entertainment from the guests, and it can be a bit cumbersome without a microphone.
A good option could be, for example, the "Shure SLXD24E/SM58-S50 - 823-865Mhz" or one of these.

Entertainment

It varies from wedding to wedding whether you want to have entertainment and whether there is room for it in the budget. There is, of course, a lot of free entertainment in the form of games and speeches, as you always see at weddings.

Here are some of my favorites when it comes to wedding entertainment:
 

• Comedian:
  I can definitely recommend a comedian. It's super fun and a great addition, and comedians are good at creating a personalized show for your wedding.

• Karaoke:
  This is also a fun initiative that will definitely be well received later in the evening when the guests have had some wine. Karaoke is always a hit. 

• A selfie booth:
  Sure winner later in the evening. Set up the booth close to the dance floor, and there will definitely be a lot of fun and funny pictures for the day after.

What traditions are there for weddings?

Many Danish weddings are surrounded by a number of superstitious traditions that date back in time. Shall we get them all sorted out together? It can be both fun and interesting to have the old traditions in mind, especially if you are a bit superstitious like me and want to ensure that nothing goes wrong in the future marriage. 🤞

• Something red:
  An often overlooked, superstitious tradition is that the bride should wear something red. This symbolizes love and passion in the marriage and is said to keep evil spirits away.

• A coin in the shoe:
  A coin in the bride's right shoe ensures that the bridal couple will never lack money. The hidden coin can also serve as a shield against any aggressive suitors.

• Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue:
  The old tradition that says the bride should have something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue is also an important part of the wedding.

• The weather on and before the wedding day:
  According to old superstition, the weather on the wedding day itself is crucial for the marriage. Sunshine and good weather signal a long and happy marriage, while stormy weather suggests a stormy relationship.

• The bridal bouquet:
  The flowers in the bridal bouquet must not wither before after the wedding, as it is otherwise considered a sign of misfortune.

• The wedding dress:
  A future bride should refrain from sewing her own wedding dress according to old superstition. Each stitch in the dress is said to become a tear in the marriage. Additionally, the last stitch must be taken on the wedding day itself.

• The bridal shoes:
  The bride should pay for her bridal shoes with copper coins according to old superstition. The shoes must not be a gift from the groom and must be new. According to superstition, the marriage can break if the shoes are not saved.

• The bridal waltz:
  The bridal waltz symbolizes the transition from unmarried to married and must be danced before midnight on the wedding day.

• Carrying the bride over the threshold:
  The groom must carry the bride over the threshold after the wedding party, symbolizing the transition to a new life without bad things from the past.

• The cans:
  The sound of empty cans scares evil spirits away from the bridal couple, ensuring a peaceful life.

• The cake:
  All guests must taste the wedding cake to avoid accidents in the future for the bridal couple.

• Cutting stockings and ties:
  The groom must cut his stockings after the bridal waltz as a symbol that he no longer needs to impress other women.

• Cutting the bride's veil:
  The more pieces of the veil that are torn, the more happiness is said to be in the marriage.

• Myrtle:
  The bride must carry myrtle, which symbolizes virginity and innocence, and they must not be dropped, as it can bring misfortune.

• Rings:
  The engagement ring must be worn on the left hand closest to the heart. It is said that whoever puts the ring on first during the wedding ceremony gets the power in the marriage.

• Rice:
  Throwing rice symbolizes fertility and wishes for a good future.

• The night before the wedding:
  Tradition says that the bridal couple should sleep separately the night before the wedding to avoid accidents.

Ready for the wedding

I hope you have been inspired by this post