When you are planning a wedding, no matter how organised you are even the best laid plans and budget can easily fly out of the window if you don’t take control. Having been involved with two family weddings recently, I soon realised how many similarities there are between business and weddings.
Here are some top tips learned from years helping companies applied to the serious work of wedding planning!
1. Have a Vision
Just as you have to set your commercial horizon and think through what you want your business to be – do the same for your wedding. What do you want it to look like, the feeling to be, the memories you will have? Make sure you communicate it clearly to family and friends.
2. Understand who is on your ‘Team’
In a small business, everyone has a role using their strengths to best advantage. Ask everyone who offers to help with your wedding what skills they have and if they genuinely mean it. 
Can they sing at a service or hand-letter invitations? Could an organisational whizz help with planning? Agree their contribution in advance and confirm it.
3. Set a Budget
Weddings cost money, no matter the size or the scope. Agree your budget early on, allowing a little ‘wiggle’ room and stick to it. Irrespective of who is paying – you need to be in control of the money at all times. There is nothing worse than not knowing where you stand financially.
4. Run a Budget/Expenditure Spreadsheet
Just like a business, you need to ensure you run a budget/expenditure calendar, with money flow mapped for each month. You don’t want to be hit with unexpected surprises when you are least expecting them.
5. Buy well
By planning ahead, you can buy ‘well’ and agree discounts with suppliers.
Seasonal flowers and food will be cheaper as will venues that don’t market themselves as ‘wedding venues’. Paying in advance or ‘sale and return’ could give you a discount.
6. Time Planner
Similar to a budget/expenditure spreadsheet, create a time plan for the six weeks leading up to the wedding to ensure everyone in the team knows what they are doing and when. This relieves worries and last-minute panics.
7. Ask for Advice
Ask friends or colleagues who have tied the knot recently for advice and tips. You will identify all sorts of invaluable ideas you may not have thought of – whether to save money, time, creatively or whatever.
You see – there are so many similarities between business and the organisation of a wedding. Both should contribute in a really rich, wonderful way to the texture and colour of your life. Enjoy the planning, the day and your life together afterwards… it’s a fabulous adventure!
About the author
Erica Wolfe-Murray is a leading business growth and innovation expert, having worked with countless fast-growth companies. Short-listed for the Business Book Awards 2020, her book ‘Simple Tips, Smart Ideas : Build a Bigger, Better Business’ is full of her easy-to-use advice, lots of case studies, quick tips, diagrams and innovative ways to think about growing your business and developing greater commercial resilience. With only 5* reviews, it is available from Amazon and all good booksellers.
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