How to plan your wedding

At its heart, a wedding is very simple - it's just about two people committing to love each other.

But when you start planning your wedding, you quickly realise that there's a lot to think about.

Here are some steps to get you on your way:

Plan ahead

It may be tempting to just elope and get a drive-through Elvis wedding in Vegas or whatever, but if you want some kind of event that includes your family and friends then you are going to need to plan ahead.

Think about your venue, think about who you want there - the more notice that you can give everyone, the more likely it will be that you'll have the kind of day that you've been dreaming of.

Get some help

There's a lot of professional wedding planners out there who will be keen to help you navigate through the complexity of your special day. Getting professional help makes a lot of sense, but if you want to keep things more low-key and intimate maybe see if any of your friends could help with some advice or guidance.

If you are getting help from a friend, be clear on what you're asking them. There's a lot of emotions involved in a wedding - you don't want to fall out with your friends over a bit of miscommunication.

Set a budget

Weddings don't have to cost a fortune but it doesn't take long for the bills to mount up.

Set a budget up front and try to stick to that. Having a clear budget will help shape your decision-making as to what is possible as you begin planning the event.

Agree a concept

You and your bride-to-be need to be on the same page when it comes to the wedding that you're going to have. There's no point putting a lot of energy into something that doesn't match with what your partner wants.

Sit down and discuss it as a couple. Take notes. You'll need to regularly review what you're planning against the original concept as you see what's possible and consider the options available.

Keep it simple

You don't want to be stressed on your wedding day. You want to be able to enjoy what should be a really special moment - a memory for a lifetime.

Delegate as much as you possibly can - whether that's to a professional wedding planner or to trusted friends. Let other people ensure that all the details that you've planned are in place and that everything is going smoothly.