by Paula Burns www.pabevents.co.uk

Welcome to my brand new column, where I will be sharing tips on planning a wedding or special event.

What to plan first…

I’m often get asked, ‘How do you do it? How do you manage everything that needs to be done for a wedding or event without getting stressed?’

The answer? Pace yourself.

Life is hectic enough without injecting unnecessary pressure. At the start of a wedding planning journey many people feel that it’s just all about having fun. It’s easy to envisage the beautiful completed event with everything you are dreaming of, but not so easy to see how you are going to get there. Timing is everything. If you currently find yourself wishing there was more hours in the day, these hours won’t miraculously appear once you start planning – especially if you have a family  and all the responsibilities that comes with that.

So first things first. Allocate some time on a regular basis to get tasks done and never underestimate how much time research will take. Something that often gets’ forgotten is that suppliers are not always available the same times that you are. So as well as allocating time, you have to be flexible. Create a spreadsheet and make a note of when the last connection was made, if it was successful and what was the outcome. If you need to follow up, set yourself a reminder.

It may surprise you to know that the majority of my time is spent chasing things up and making sure the foundations are strong enough to create a successful event. Quotes, deliveries, set ups and timings are just a few of the things I take responsibility for.

The event itself is the icing on the cake. So if you find yourself obsessed with just the fun side of things, it might be time to enlist the help of an expert.