Planning a wedding can be one of the most exciting, but stressful, times in your life. Preparing for this milestone occasion comes with lots of to-do lists and decision making, but ultimately, I want everything to go perfect for you on the big day. No late vendors, runaway grooms, or bad weather to rain on your parade. Pop Parties is a team of professional wedding planners with over 10 years of industry expertise, and together with D Weddings, I’ve rounded up a quick guide to prepare you for how to plan a successful wedding celebration!

1. Be Yourself
Your fiancé wants to marry you because they fell in love with the person that you already are. Your wedding day should not be the day to change your hair color, overload the makeup, or turn into a wild diva if that isn’t your style. There are so many opinions that go into making wedding related decisions. Your parents, your fiancé, your bridesmaids, and so on. Remember that the big day is a reflection of your love for each other and the things that you love the most. So, if you really want a backyard wedding for 50–don’t let other influences land you with a ballroom soiree for 400.

2. Budget Correctly
Take some time to do your research on average wedding costs for the style of event you are looking for. Or, schedule a meeting with a wedding planner for a consultation whose portfolio, and reviews you admire. Most times, a professional wedding planner can help to save you money (and time!) in the planning process. Even if your budget doesn’t allow for a full-service wedding planner, many companies offer complimentary consultations with budget assistance to help get you on the right track.

3. Manage Your Expectations 
No matter what amount you spend on your wedding day, you have to be realistic about the products/services that you can get for the amount you are willing to spend. Let me be clear, there is no right or wrong on how much you should spend on your wedding day, but–you can’t expect to purchase a Mercedes for the cost of a Kia. As in car buying, the same applies for weddings. The more you spend, the more “features” you get along the way. Do you need those features? Maybe heated seats are not important to you, nor is the moon roof, so you skip those and save money. This is what I mean by managing your expectations. Ferrari’s come with a price tag, so if that’s what you are looking for, then be ready to pay for it.

4. Hire Professional Creative Partners 
DWeddings.com is a great resource for quality vendors in our city if you do not have a wedding planner. A professional vendor is defined as having multiple years of experience, back-up plans in place in case of an emergency, and carrying liability insurance for their company. Yes, I am sure that your Aunt Karen makes a lovely vanilla sponge cake, but what happens if someone gets sick at your wedding because of the cake and Aunt Karen doesn’t have insurance or a food handler’s license? I think you know where I am going with this. Hiring professional vendors will give you peace of mind that knowing everything will go great on your big day.

5. Have Fun! 
At Pop Parties, we believe that every bride should have at least a day-of coordinator to handle the setup, facilitate the ceremony, and run the wedding day schedule. This gives brides and their families time to relax, sip mimosas, and not have to worry about potential day-of disasters. I’d be totally lying to you if I said that everything went perfectly all of the time. Hire a professional planner to help guide you through your day so that you can soak in every moment of the celebration as Mr. and Mrs!

Pop Parties is a team of five wedding planners offering full service planning and design as well as day-of wedding coordination. For more information, please visit their D Weddings listing.