Yay, you’re getting hitched!

Congratulations on your engagement! 

Enjoy the moment, throw a party and celebrate with loved ones. Get dreaming of your forever. 

Photography by Harry Michael 

But then where to begin? Chances are you’ve never done this before, so here are some top tips on how to start your wedding planning journey…

As luxury wedding planners working across the Cotswolds we have years of experience under our belt. Whether you’re looking to hire a planner, or do much of it yourselves we wanted to share some tips on where to start.

Consider your wedding budget

Yes, we know you want to enjoy the beautiful bubble of excitement, and drawing up a spreadsheet doesn’t sound particularly fun but we cannot stress enough how important this step is. Consider what you are willing to spend; even those with an endless budget will have an ‘eek’ point! 

Speak to other family members; will anyone else be contributing? If so, discuss their involvement in the planning process and invite list.

Compile a rough guest list. Every guest considerably pushes the budget up so it is a good idea to start with the VIP’s and go from there. 

Main things to consider when starting on your budget: 

• Venue/Marquee 
• Wedding attire 
• Hair and Makeup
• Rings
• Photographer
• Videographer
• Catering 
• Drinks 
• Transport
• Accommodation
• Production 
• Florals
• Additional decor 
• Stationery & Signage
• Entertainment 
• Cake
• Officiant 
• Insurance
• Honeymoon

Photography by Zibi Photography

What are the most important elements to you both, what does your wedding mean to you? 

It’s so important that you are both on the same page. Chat in depth about the size, feel and style of your wedding. If you are hiring a wedding planner they will assist with this and use your relationship story, style likes and dislikes to build a day that reflects you as a couple. 

Hire a wedding planner

If your budget allows, a wedding planner it will be the best money you’ll ever spend. By finding a planner/stylist that you connect with that can support you with your budget, and source reputable suppliers will take away much of the pressure of wedding admin and make the planning process feel much easier. They will help to design, style, save time and ensure your day is uniquely personal to you. A good wedding planner will have great relationships with established suppliers; by having them in your corner you often benefit from supplier availability and they are able to negotiate on your behalf. Many times this year suppliers have agreed to stay later than is usual for my clients, and even taken on a wedding during time they planned to have off. 

Photography by Harry Michael

How it works with us

We build a bespoke quote based on the level of support you need, scale of the wedding, travel, and staffing required. A marquee for example requires a lot more time onsite for the build and de-rig than say a venue hired for one or two days. Any trade discounts we benefit from are always passed directly onto our clients, so often the overall cost of hiring a planner might be much less than you think. 

If you are considering working with us, please get in touch and we’ll book in a call to chat more about your fabulous day. 

Lots of love, Rach x

Photography by Harry Michael

Hear it from one of our fabulous 2022 couples

“I can’t even put into words how incredible Rachel was at producing the most spectacular, special and out of this world day for us. From start to finish her attention to detail, organisation, calmness and kindness went far beyond anything, nothing was too much – however elaborate, wild or annoying, and on the day she managed everything so so smoothly and beautifully, everything ran like clockwork and she worked so so so hard, I really could NOT recommend Rachel and her team at Salt and Scent more!!!!”

Eliza and Simon – Marquee Wedding in The Cotswolds, Nov 2022