a sucessfully planned wedding is one that is organised well. First you will need to select the all-important venue. You can easily search online for a venue and suitable shelter for your guests – maybe you will look for marquee hire London, marquee hire Hampshire, marquee hire Kent or something similar. Make sure you include geographical information in your search so that you get a fairly local company. A marquee, though expensive, can double as a ceremony venue, a shelter for guests and somewhere to dance late into the night. Confirm your booking at least two weeks before the wedding.

Depending on where you choose as a venue you will need to find out whether you need permits, how long they will take to be approved and whether you will need to inform neighbours. telling the neighbours is as much for you as them because you don’t want someone to mow the lawn just at the wrong moment. You should also consider where your guests will be able to park and if you need to arrange some transport for any or all of the guests. Remember to check tide times and access if you are choosing a beach for your wedding. It’s safe to send out the invites as soon as the venue has been secured. Include a map to the venue and make it clear the wedding is outside so that guests can be prepared with suitable clothing.

When you have chosen your venue and hired a marquee or something similar you will need to plan your decorations. Be really creative and have fun with them. Natural and found items such as pebbles, shells and driftwood can be used to designate different areas. Place names can be written on pebbles which the guests can take home as wedding favours. Tables and chairs will need to be rented or borrowed. You can save money by setting them up yourself but this will obviosuly require a few helping hands.. Hay bales can also be used as seating instead if they fit in with your decorating scheme. If you want music you will need to decide if you want a DJ, live music or a bit of both. They will need to be booked well in advance and you will need to confirm any special needs e.g. food and drink, shelter, changing rooms and electrical points. For the ceremony you may need a sound sytem with a lapel microphone so that everyone can hear properly. It’s surprising how much external noise can hamper the ability of your guests to properly hear what is going on. Consider whether you will need to provide fans or heaters for the venue. Extremes of heat or cold will not be pleasant for you or your guests.

Lighting also needs to be thought about. Select something that will give a great atmosphere but also enough light to safely see by. Electrical lights will need a power supply so think of whether you will need extension leads and whether the power supply and lights are suitable for outdoor use. You can light paths to Portaloos with candles in weighted paper bags.

Your catering will need to be thought about well in advance. What will guests eat and drink? Who will pay for it? Who will prepare food and drinks and where will it be cooked and served? Will guests help themselves or will you need to book serving staff? Will you need to provide snacks in between meals? Do any of your guests have special dietary requirements and have you got enough non-alcoholic drink choices? Note that you may need a license if serving alcohol so remember to check this out well in time. Food can be formal, casual, themed or buffet. If guesta re bringing food to the wedding, make sure that everyone doesn’t bring the same items. If there is a long time with guests doing nothing or long periods between food then you will definitely need free flowing snacks. Bar bills can be kept down if need be. You should decide what you are going to ask your guests to pay for such as after dinner drinks. As a note, champagne for the toast is usually free to guests. To keep bills down, you can buy alcohol in bulk from a wholesaler. Also look out for deals in the months leading up to your wedding date. As the big day nears, keep an eye on the weather forecast. Wind, rain and too much sun can all cause problems. The ideal weather conditions will be slightly overcast (to avoid squinting, glare on the photos and sunstroke).

A splash of rain needn’t be the end of your outdoor plans. Provide large umbrellas for guests that you have decorated for the occasion using waterproof materials and pens. Duck boards are a good idea to use as path as they stop your guests getting stuck in muddy grass!

Sunblock will be useful if the day turns out to be really sunny and a wrap will be useful for if it gets cooler. You should make a back-up plan incase weather or other unforseen circumstances scupper your plans. The best idea is to make a list of potential problems and address each one.

If you do need your plan B, you need to be sure who will make the decision to switch plans, how will you tell everyone and how you will move them all? Weather can change quickly a plan change can happen at very short notice.

However you go about your plans, creating a well thought about ‘to do’ list will ensure you don’t overlook anything important and that everything gets done on time. Make sure the plans are within budget and easy enough to arrange. Most importantly, enjoy the build up to the big day. When all’s organised, make sure you have the most fantastic day of your life whatever happens on the day..