Looking to give wedding planning a try?
Some people enjoy the challenge of DIY-ing their own weddings and forgo hiring a Wedding Planner altogether.
A perfectly respectable choice, according to the expert wedding planner, Imtazur Rahman — who we’ve invited over for an interview on the subject of DIY wedding planning.
Learn the secrets of planning a simple but perfectly beautiful wedding below as Imtazur answers some of the most commonly asked questions about wedding planning:
What’s the secret to planning a successful wedding?
Imtazur Rahman: In order to get the perfect wedding of your dreams, you need to put in some serious elbow work. This is usually the stage where I recommend that you hire a wedding planner or organizer to help you out. But, if you’re adamant about doing the planning yourself, then the first thing you must do is prepare mentally. That’s the secret to wedding planning.
Not all that exciting, I know. But wedding planning is hard and stressful work! And if you’re not mentally prepared for the challenge? You’ll find yourself caving under the weight of all the responsibilities that come with those challenges.
How much work is involved when planning a wedding?
Imtazur Rahman: You want the quick answer? A lot. It takes a lot to make a wedding work. No matter how simple you think your wedding plans are, there is an endless number of things that you need to work out in order to make sure that nothing goes wrong during your special day.
What kind of work should one expect when planning their own wedding?
Imtazur Rahman: Think of this as the ‘longer’ answer to the question above. This is the kind of work that you should expect when planning your wedding:
- Creating a budget that is realistic and compatible with you and your partner’s lifestyle.
- Developing a ‘master plan’ for the kind of wedding that you want (whether that’s a simple, traditional church wedding or an obscure, themed wedding). Complete with a timeframe for when you want your wedding to be held.
- Scoping out the venue that matches your desired wedding theme (in a location convenient for your friends and family) and ensuring that it is within your budget and that it’s the right size for the number of guests you plan to invite.
- Contacting and working out deals with vendors (for flowers, food, music, entertainment, etc.) that are within your budget and available for your wedding date.
- Working out a timeline of events for the days preceding the wedding.
- Tackling your guest list to make sure that everyone knows when and where the wedding is happening, and tracking RSVPs for organizational and budget purposes.
- Setting up emergency procedures in case there are any last-minute changes or incidents that need to be addressed.
And so on and so forth. Mind, all that I listed just now? That’s only the basics when it comes to what a wedding planner like me will do for my clients.
Also note that, if you do decide to tackle your wedding planning yourself, you’ll have to do all this along with the more personal duties usually set aside by planners for the bride and groom (from the fun stag parties to the dreaded planning of seating arrangements.)
Do you recommend DIY-ing your own wedding?
Imtazur Rahman: Wedding planning takes all sorts. I certainly will not stop you if you’d prefer to work things out on your own. It’s your wedding. It’s your special day. And you should be able to go about it exactly the way you want to.
If doing the planning yourself is what will make your wedding perfect in your eyes. Then I have no reason to recommend anything else.
Why should one hire a wedding planner?
Imtazur Rahman: As someone who has been working as a wedding planner for over a decade now, the main reason my clients recommend me to their friends and family, again and again, is because I make planning a wedding easy for them.
That’s the reason the job exists, after all. Some people may enjoy the stress involved with planning their own wedding (all the more power to them, if so). But, for those who want a more relaxed wedding experience? A wedding planner is always available to help ease the burden.