5 Tips for Planning your Essex Wedding

1.Plan together

The couples I work with who have planned every element of their day as a team, have been less stressed in the build up to and more relaxed on the day of, their wedding. There may be certain surprises you want to save for the day itself but the more in tune you are from the start, and the more you make sure each decision sits right with each other, the smoother your planning journey will be.

2. Choose your venue wisely

Your wedding venue has a huge impact on how your wedding day pans out. It will dictate how far your guests must travel, whether you can stay onsite overnight and much scop you have for adding your own style to the setting. It will also impact how your wedding photos look, how long you can party for and what food you get to enjoy.

Therefore, consider all these things before deciding on your perfect venue. Make sure you know what factors you absolutely will not compromise on. Does it need to be accessible? Do you want to bring your own alcohol or for there to be a fully stocked bar? Does it need to have facilities for rainy day photos?

3. Don’t feel restricted by local or national trends

Trends can be a good and a bad thing. They can inspire and highlight what’s possible, opening your eyes to ideas you’ve never considered. However, they can also make you feel like you need to conform and restrict your ideas. Essex has an unfair reputation when it comes to how people look and dress on their special day, but the wedding industry can sometimes perpetuate this stereotype. Look beyond Essex wedding media and understand that your Essex wedding can be as unique and non-traditional as you want it to be.

Trends come and go – whether local or national – and so if you are too guided by them, not only will your wedding seem really dated when you look back at the photos after a few years, you’ll also realise your day did not truly reflect you.

4. Be practical and realistic

Essex has everything, from picture-perfect villages to gorgeous coastlines and everything in between, but do remember every area of this wonderful county can succumb to the good old British weather. Essex can be wet and windy at any time of the year (and super warm in the summer months). Make sure you are prepared for every eventuality; pack for all elements and make sure both sunscreen and umbrellas are to hand if needed.

When looking at inspiration online (especially in terms of wedding photo ideas), try to be realistic about what will be possible at your venue. For example, our beaches aren’t like the Californian ones you might see featuring on the Pinterest boards. Find out what’s possible in your area at the particular time of year you’re getting wed.

5.Support local businesses

As I’ve mentioned, Essex boasts so many incredible wedding suppliers, from florists to videographers, musicians to make-up artists. Supporting local business is great for the economy, and more sustainable as vendors have to travel less to get to your venue.

Below I’ve listed some of my favourite Essex wedding vendors to help make your wedding super special.

Florist – Petal & Wild 

MUA – Pretty Faces Make-up

Hair – Bridal Hair by Jennie

Celebrant – Michelle Taylor 

Videographer – Lewis Adger 

Cakes – Heavenleigh Cakes

DJ – Terry Lewis