Tag: wedding advice

If choosing a dress for yourself wasn’t tricky enough, now you have to choose bridesmaids dresses that are universally flattering, in shades and styles that all your gal pals love, to complement your attire and any wedding colours, and possibly without even having them nearby to try on. Wow… whoever thought bridesmaids dresses were a good idea?

Of course, the modern wedding party doesn’t just include bridesmaids and groomsmen either, you may be dressing bridesmen, groomsgirls, flower-people, possibly helping with Mother(s) of the Bride outfits too. Where do you begin?

Choosing Bridesmaid’s Dresses in Australia – Where to Start

1. Uniformity, Mismatched or Choose-Your-Own Bridesmaids Dresses?
2. Colour Palette: Pastels, Neutrals, Monochrome or Patterned?
3. Are you buying the dresses for the girls to keep? If so, what’s your budget?

The first decision in choosing attire for your bridesmaids, and wedding party in general, is to consider whether you wish to have ‘uniformity’, or if you’d like to have a mis-matched bridesmaids dresses, or even letting them choose their own dress.

Do you have a particular vision for matching dresses, or will it be easier to dress quite different shapes of women by choosing a colour palette, general style or other? Pinterest may just be your friend here, search mismatched bridesmaids dresses to find beautiful, modern inspiration. This Nouba featured wedding of Steph & Callum showcases stunning mismatched bridesmaids who wore mismatched Hansen and Gretel dresses in lilac and yellow hues, tailored to fit each of their personal styles. “I wanted them to all feel comfortable and have their own style but still work together,” explains Steph.

The last thing you want is your bridesmaids feeling uncomfortable in front of a large group of people, so whatever you opt for, consider how your friends will feel in whatever you (or they) choose. Bridesmaid outfit etiquette is much more relaxed than it used to be, modern brides are looking outside the box when it comes to finding dresses for their bridal parties, seeking non-traditional brands for elegant, unexpected looks that can be worn long after the bouquet toss. For the 2023/24 wedding season, even separates and pants are coming into the mix, and styles and colours are often varied.

Next comes affordability, especially if you are purchasing the bridesmaids dresses, and gifting them to your friends to keep. Though traditionally, bridesmaids would purchase their own dresses, our etiquette guide suggests that unless they get to choose their own, the couple should probably cover the cost. If you are buying the dresses, consider your budget – although it’s possible to spend thousands on your wedding party attire, it is not necessary to do so – Australia has beautiful options for unique, high quality dresses at affordable prices… “The best thing is, you can shorten it and wear it again!” (27 dresses)

So, without further ado… (and a warning, not all of these will come in under-budget, but a girl can dream)!

Australia’s Best Bridesmaid’s Dresses for 2023 / 2024 Weddings

Bec + Bridge Bridesmaids

In 2020, Bec + Bridge launched their first range of slip dresses that make for perfect bridesmaids dresses for sunny Australian weddings. With asymmetrical, cowl neck, long sleeved and spaghetti strap slips dresses available in an array of colours. Since then, their collection has only grown, with stunning silk-look dresses in styles to suit most body types.

Below: A collection of Bridesmaids Dresses by Shona Joy, Bec & Bridge and Rat & Boa for Charmaine and Brad’s Hunter Valley Wedding.

Rachel Gilbert Bridesmaids

Between dressing Nicole Kidman, the Kardashians and Chrissy Teigen (for her recent visit to The White House), Australian designer Rachel Gilbert has also turned her hand to a collection of luxurious bridesmaids dresses. These are not your average bridesmaids dresses (nor are they low-budget( – see below the Evana Dress in Coconut worn by the Bride & Xanthy in Nude!

Shona Joy Bridesmaids

With multiple colours across every beautiful style, there’s a perfect dress for each and every bridesmaid and style of wedding. Buying bridesmaid dresses by Shona Joy for your 2023/24 wedding means you’ll not only have perfectly on-trend dresses for the Big Day, but also something that translates into a stunning party dress for any occasion. Get inspired below by Caitlin and Mark shot by Jessica Mary Photography – see their stunning 2022 Adelaide Wedding.

Zimmermann Bridesmaids

If your Wedding Budget can stretch for Zimmermann Dresses for your Bridesmaids, your wedding party are in for a divine experience. Though they don’t have a ‘Bridesmaid’s Collection’ as such, their Celebration Edit has dresses perfect for your Big Day. Take your lead from Bride Georgia (wearing vintage Oscar De La Renta below), a senior design director at Zimmermann, who dressed her 8 ‘maids in each of their favourite Zimmermann silhouettes, customised in pinks and nudes for their French Chateau styled wedding.

Bridesmaids Only

Once you’ve decided whether to have uniformity or a little variety, consider colours, or a colour palette. Black bridesmaids dresses are certainly having a moment, and are easy to match if you are opting for different styles.

Bridesmaids Only have a collection of 88 black bridesmaid’s dress styles, at time of writing. Black bridesmaid’s dresses are perfect for the Bride looking for a dress that both elevates and resonates seamlessly with her modern everyday-luxe aesthetic. Of course, it’s also an eco-friendly wedding choice, and there’s no need to worry about whether the bridesmaids will wear it again! Pictured below, Zahara Bridesmaid Dress by Brisbane Designer Tania Olsen.

Your colour choice can create both cohesion and interest, while still offering your bridesmaids the best colour and shape to suit their individual style and skin-tone.  

Tania Olsen Designs

Pictured above, Tania Olsen Designs is an award winning Australia designer of bridal wear, evening dresses, bridesmaid dresses and couture. Ticking all the boxes, with a design philosophy centred around creating elegant, timeless, classic designs that stand the test of time. Featuring full length sleeves, pleated waistband and leg split the above style is available in sizes AU 4-40.

Use Tania’s ‘Boutique Finder‘ for a stockist near you.

Grace Loves Lace

Ethically made, with beautiful styles to suit all figures, Grace Loves Lace Bridesmaid dresses are sure to be treasured long after the wedding. A collection of luxurious lace, eco satin dresses and pieces in stunning hues.

Infinity Bridesmaids

Best known for their signature infinity bridesmaids dress, Infinity Bridesmaids have really made their mark dressing Australian bridesmaids since 2005. The design team have curated a unique, classic and fashion forward selection of beautiful bridesmaid dresses that are made to order for the brides special day, with the clear desire for the collections to be re-worn and not hidden away in the back of a closet after the event. Shop by fabric, order samples and see how many ways the dresses can be tied.

Leave Her Wilder

A New Zealand based company worth of mention, Leave Her Wilder specialises in mismatched dresses which complement, but aren’t matchy-matchy, “because no two girls are the same”. Of her chocolate-hued bridesmaids, Samantha said “The girls told me how happy they were to have bridesmaid dresses that felt so nice to wear and they were really comfortable throughout the day and night. They all said it would be a dress they would wear again which was really great to hear as I wanted to give the girls a beautiful dress that they would want to wear again.”

LHW has beautiful boho, relaxed silhouettes, that will be certain to be worn again. Their fabric is 100% natural, hand dyed and available in either a matte or sheen finish, and they’ll even make matching pocket squares for the groomsmen.

Forever New Bridesmaids

Forever New’s latest collection of bridesmaid dresses designed with a fresh range of spring colours and flattering silhouettes, perfect for summer. Complement the bride with one of the wide array of styles and colours – elegant wrap front dresses, romantic lace bodice gowns and modern one-shoulder styles. Forever New was founded in Melbourne, and its presence nationwide in Australia makes shopping for bridesmaids dresses pretty simple.

If you’re looking for bridesmaids dresses, you may also be interested in bridesmaids gifts – discover Something Blue‘s range of bridesmaid gift boxes, bridal robes and more.

Wedding planning and stress don’t belong together, but so frequently couples find themselves so overwhelmed with checklists and to-do’s that they’re too anxious to enjoy their wedding planning experience. We know there’s a better way, and it starts with an organised timeline, a couple of simple tools, and a few big deep breaths.

In reading a lot of NZ and Australian wedding magazines and blogs, I soon realised that a lot of the content I was consuming was actually advertising – encouraging me to have a large guest list, have all the ‘bells and whistles’ and ultimately spend a lot of money on my wedding.

Though we had a flexible budget, and I had the confidence to set aside any wedding elements that didn’t really suit us personally, I wanted to share wedding planning advice without any element of sponsorship, advertising or influence from the wedding industry.

One of my most-loved articles was a simple wedding planning timeline, designed for wedding planning in Australia, according to how far in advance most vendors and venues need to be booked. These timelines are of course included in our wedding planner book, along with all the wedding planning advice you need, and nothing you don’t.

P.S. Before you start wedding planning, please take a moment to celebrate and enjoy the excitement of being engaged.

Your First Steps to Wedding Planning 

Depending on where in Australia you’re getting married, what day of the week, and which season, your first steps can begin as soon as you get engaged, or much much later if you’re planning a long engagement.

If you’re trying to secure one of Sydney or Melbourne’s most popular wedding venues on a Saturday in February, chances are you’ll need to book much further out than if you’re planning a DIY wedding at a family home. Either way, you begin with a wedding budget, a guest list and a few thoughtful conversations with your fiancé.

This wedding planning timeline is also unique, in that not only will it not tell you that you absolutely need to organise a troupe of {Brazilian dancers/wall to wall flowers/donkeys carrying Champagne/insert wedding vendor here} to celebrate, but it’s a timeline to take at your own pace. You may start this with 12 months or 12 days to go, it is your wedding so it is up to you!

• Start a wedding budget: discuss with your future spouse how much you both feel want to put towards your Big Day. If your families wish to contribute, do you feel comfortable doing so? Do you need to save for some time to plan your ‘dream’ day, are you happy spending less but doing more of the organising/DIY yourself, or do you just want a simple, small ceremony with some drinks to follow? I suggest considering what your wedding priorities are too.
• Draft your guest list: this will really tie into your budget and choice of wedding venue, though you don’t need to finalise anything early. As you start researching and planning, you may completely change your mind about how many guests to have or even what type of wedding you want, so don’t be in too much of a hurry.
• Find a couple of rough dates: If you have your heart set on a summer wedding, for instance, are you going to plan in time for the upcoming summer, or are you happy to wait another year? Work out with your fiance a couple of rough (but flexible) suitable dates, so that when you talk to venues, you know when you’re thinking about.
• Begin visiting wedding venues (online or in person): Once you have a roughly suitable date and an idea of your guest list and budget, you can begin enquiring with wedding venues in your chosen location. See Top Australian Wedding Venues for inspiration and ideas, and see How to Find a Wedding Venue. Choosing your wedding venue (and paying a deposit) will probably be the biggest decision you have to make in the entire wedding planning process, and may determine your theme and style and even your guest list. 
• Before you actually book your wedding venue, take a moment to breathe and revisit your wedding priorities. Does this venue tick all the boxes and fit comfortably with your budget – are you absolutely certain it’s ‘The One’? Consider using the Wedding Planning Pack which provides a list of all the questions you need to discuss with your venue before booking (available in a bundle with the little white book wedding planner).

Once you’ve Booked Your Wedding Venue

As with booking your wedding venue, the rest of your wedding planning timeline will vary greatly according to where you are, when you’re planning and how elaborate a wedding you’re planning, but once you’ve booked your wedding venue, you won’t want to wait too long to secure a few important vendors.

• Choosing your wedding celebrant: The only truly ‘necessary’ vendor at your wedding is your celebrant – the person you choose to conduct your wedding ceremony and officially marry you. If you have chosen a religious venue, this decision may be easy, but for others, you can browse Australian Marriage Celebrants Inc or Same-Sex Celebrant listings.
• Wedding vendors to book beyond the celebrant are completely at your discretion. The majority of couples marrying in Australia have have a Wedding Photographer, Caterer and some kind of entertainment, though the options are pretty endless! Depending on your choice of venue, you may already have all furniture/lighting, catering and staff, whereas if it’s a DIY/dry-hire venue you’ll have to organise everything yourself. See Marquee Wedding Planning.
• The most important vendors to book first are those who can only do one wedding per day, i.e. those that spend the day with you: Photographer/Videographers, Caterers, Hair and Make-up Artists and Entertainers. For vendors who you’re going to spend a lot of time with, or have very personal interactions, you may also wish to meet with them prior to booking. Consider Wedding Catering Options.
• Think about your styling options – theme colours, decor, florals, etc – you may wish to turn to Pinterest for options, or browse wedding inspo on instagram.

Of course, the wedding planner book has a lot more detail on your wedding planning checklists, so think of this as a simple and stress-free way to begin.

A little later… (after you’ve patted your expert wedding-planning self on the back)

You’ve already achieved so much, honestly. Booking your wedding venue and choosing your most vital wedding vendors is no mean feat, so feel free to sleep for a week or a month, celebrate again, and relax a little while. If you’re using the little white book, you’ll have inserted your wedding date into the calendar and begun using the diary part, which will step you through each day, week and month to your wedding (i.e. it’s impossible to miss a thing). If not, your next wedding planning timeline begins here:

• If you haven’t already, decide whether or not to have a Bridal Party. Some couples choose a Best Man and Maid of Honour (or Best Woman and Man of Honour) while others will have 3-10 a side). If you’re having a small wedding, you may wish to have a smaller (or no) bridal party. See How to Choose Your Bridal Party and don’t underestimate their impact on the budget. Consider What should your Bridal Party pay for?
• Start thinking about what you’d like to wear. If you purchase a wedding dress off-the-rack, you may still need to make time allowance for alterations, and if the dress is made-to-order, or custom, you may need to allow up to 6 months or more.
• Decide whether to have an Engagement Party
• The all-important (or not at all important) details. Depending on who you are and what’s important to you, you may wish to organise any or all of the following: Decor and Styling/Florist, Fancy Lighting or a Neon Sign, Bridal Party Attire and Bouquets, Wedding Cake or Dessert Station, Wedding Invitation Designer or Calligrapher, Caravan Bar, Selfie Station, Dance Lessons, Wedding Alpacas yes, really (essential, obvs), DJ, Band, Hireage, Acccommodation, Food Trucks, Wedding Favours, Transport, etc etc – OR… you may decide you don’t need any of those things. 
• For each of the wedding elements you select, I suggest you get in touch with each of them and work them into your wedding budget one at a time, in order of their importance to you. As you work your way through, you may even decide that you don’t need to have all of them.
• Even if you’re booking wedding vendors a week out, you can usually find someone, so how far in advance you need to get in touch with vendors depends on your preferences, how fussy you’re feeling and the level of demand depending on day and season. While you don’t need to be in a hurry, it may certainly help your stress levels if you get onto each vendor sooner than later (and then you can enjoy your wedding countdown.

Once the Wedding Vendors are Booked

• Before sending your wedding invitations, consider your choice of wedding gift. Would you like a contribution towards an experience, a traditional wedding registry, or something else entirely?
• Revisit your wedding guest and budget, consider if everything works with your venue and plans. 
• Even if you’re choosing to DIY or use an online option like Paperless Post rather than sending save the dates,do your guests a favour and give them as much notice as you can about your upcoming nuptials, to allow them time to make plans, especially if they’re visiting from out of State or beyond Australia. You may also wish to organise signage for the Big Day, if guests are likely to need direction about where to go, where to sit, and what their on-the-day timeline is.
• If you have a bridal party, consider delegating some smaller jobs to them – will one of them assist you with choosing suitable attire for them, are there any little DIY projects they might contribute to, or some tasks in the lead up to the wedding? You may wish to have a Hens Party/Bridal Shower or Bachelor, which the Maid of Honour or Best Man usually organises with the Bridal Parties.
• Start thinking about your speeches and vows. Hard to write, and even harder to write in a rush – so take notes throughout your engagement (the little white book is perfect for this and will prompt you to do so – just one reason it’s been voted the best wedding planner book); ask those friends and family you’d like to speak to prepare too, and work on your vows with your future spouse.
• Cake tasting, yum! If you’re choosing to have a wedding cake, don’t delay to enjoy the most delicious job of all, cake tasting. Take your fiance, or order wedding cake sampler boxes, and dig in. Even if you’re not sure whether you wish to have a wedding cake, this might be a task worth enjoying.
• Ensure your future spouse is also looking into his/her attire. Grooms in particular often leave this til the last minute, which is not ideal if they want a nicely fitted suit.
• Consider your honeymoon, including passports and visas where necessary.
• Once your guest list is set, confirm your catering, including food, drinks, desserts and platters.
• Think about your entertainment – if you’ve booked a musician, will you be providing ‘Play/Do Not Play lists’, or if not, do you need to organise Music yourself?

The Final Wedding Countdown

• Buy wedding rings
• Schedule hair and makeup trials
• Choose your underwear and shoes and take to your final dress fitting
• Make your day-before and on-the-day plan
• Organise the order of service including any readings or speeches
• Check in with your vendors to ensure they’re all on the same page (and share the on-the-day plan
• Chase any RSVPs, finalise your seating plan and provide to stationer/designer
• Revisit your vows
• Have any spa/hair/beauty treatments a few days in advance
• Clean your engagement ring
• Have an early night

Many of you come across this article by searching “Best Wedding Planner Book Australia”, but in my humble opinion, there’s more to choosing a wedding planner than simply what somebody else puts on the top of a google list. Planning a wedding is innately personal – it involves really complex decision making such as how best to allocate your wedding budget, as well as diplomatic skills like managing your guest list, while also trying to organise the ‘Big Day’ that feels right for you as a couple.

I don’t think there is just one perfect wedding planner book to suit all couples, regardless of their wedding. My sister is currently engaged, and for a long time she was planning an elopement with just a couple of friends, and all she used was a budget template. Unfortunately, due to Covid, her wedding was postponed twice, and now she’s planning a larger wedding and using a wedding planner book, as well as an online tool. She prefers having a physical planner book with her to take to vendor meetings and discuss/make notes with her fiance, while likes the ability to directly contact guests using the online tool.

This really got me thinking about the best way to help people choose a wedding planner book that’s going to suit them and their planning style. Remember, a wedding planner book can only help you if you are actually using it, so find the best one to suit you.

What kind of Wedding Planner Book or Planning Tools will be the best choice for you?

Before you choose your wedding planner book, consider the following:

• How long do you have until the Big Day? How organised are you feeling already?
• Do you enjoy writing, and want to have a keepsake of your wedding planning journey? If not, would you consider electronic or PDF templates/planning tools?
• Do you have any specific needs, such as gender-neutral language.
• Are you having a ‘traditional’ wedding, a small or ‘pop up’ wedding, an elopement, destination wedding, or other ceremony?
• Have you hired a wedding planner, and will they be doing a lot of the organising and keeping track of vendors on your behalf?
• How much are you comfortable spending, either as a one-off payment for a wedding planner book, or ongoing as part of an app or software?

Depending on what stands out to you from the above list, this is my curated guide to choosing the best wedding planner book to plan your wedding in Australia.

Australia’s 3 Best Wedding Planner Books (and 5 Alternative Planning Tools)

1. A Gender Neutral Wedding Planner Book and Keepsake Including a Countdown Diary to guide you through the months to your Big Day

The little white book may be the best wedding planner book for you, if you want to write down all the special moments, and create a lasting keepsake of your wedding planning journey. Its design is unique, in that it is the first wedding planner book designed to incorporate a 12 month diary which you can use as a daily planner, journal, or a bit of both. The best thing is, you can download a sample of the little white book, so you know exactly why it’s the best wedding planner book without spending a cent.

The little white book is also gender neutral, and comes highly recommended – included in almost every ‘Best Wedding Planner Book’ list since it launched in 2016, including Cosmopolitan, Glamour UK (#1), Bridal Musings (#1), Wedding Forward, Ink & Volt, CNN, Karen Willis Holmes and more.

Cosmo says: This planner/diary hybrid combines your wedding plans with your everyday routine. Containing a 12 month countdown to *the* day, it pretty much accounts for every moment of your life up until the big day. And, the perks of shopping at small businesses, it arrives in the post with a celebration card. Love!

Ink & Volt says: One of the best-selling wedding planning journals on the market, the Little White Wedding Organiser is the antidote to those who don’t want a big, bulky planning binder or an A4 sized spiral-bound journal. This minimalist chic hardbound white journal contains a 12-month diary structure for note-taking and daily usage (so you can live your life and plan your wedding), necessary wedding checklists, and more.

However, like I say, there is no perfect wedding planner book to suit everybody – the little white book is actually less ‘instructional’ than others, it has checklists integrated throughout, and every page you could possibly need for wedding vendors, guest list and the all-important wedding budget but it doesn’t give you every possible instruction on exactly how to make each of those decisions, because that will vary so much from couple to couple.

Details: 200 pages, A5 (210 x 143) gender neutral, hardcover white leatherette (vegan), $69 – or as part of the Ultimate Wedding Planning Bundle of wedding planner + anniversary journal + wedding planner templates) for $130 (full value $183)

So, if the style or design of the little white book aren’t for you, here are some other best wedding planner books in Australia

2. Ivory Tribe – Bride Business

Designed and printed in Melbourne, ‘Bride Business‘ has a chic, ‘cool bride’ aesthetic and vibe. With a monochromatic design, this wedding planner book has a modern feel to a more traditional wedding planner design – divided into sections for each of your wedding vendors to organise. The budget sections are also broken down across multiple pages, which would give you a lot of space to think about each, and then you would add them up to be part of your total budget.

It’s simple, chic and looks cool too, “Slipping easily into handbags, this 132 page sleek and sexy planner will escort a bride to all her important appointments and is designed to be shown off!”

Details: 132 pages, white hardcover paperbound book, 21 cm x 17 cm, $69

3. Write To Me ‘Together’ Wedding Planner

Melbourne designed, Australian business Write To Me’s gender neutral wedding planner book ‘love‘ is a simple design, with sections divided into: Budget Planner, Wedding Checklist, Supplier Notes, Guest List, Ceremony, Table Settings, Wedding Day Schedule, Photography, Gift and Thank You’s. “With tables, spreadsheets, lists and lots of room to stick in inspiration on the way. It will become a trusted wedding planner bible whether you are celebrating low key or going all out.

Details: 144 pages, A5 size, hardcover linen, $43

4. You want a Simple Wedding Planner Journal

You may not need all the bells, whistles and details of a comprehensive wedding planner book, if you’re planning on eloping, you’re having a very small wedding, or a very short engagement. If that’s the case, consider choose a wedding planner book without too much structure, to make some special notes in along the journey to your Big Day.

This little ‘Wedding Notes‘ is an affordable personalised wedding notebook that you could make your own, filling with notes, photos and mementos.

If you aren’t using a guided planner, you may still find it’s worth purchasing a wedding budget template like the one in our wedding planning pack (ours includes 32 printable pages of questions and information to consider with each of your vendor bookings as well as the budget and guest list template).

5. You may Prefer Planning Software rather than a Wedding Planner Book

If you think you may need a lot of assistance with wedding planning, but you’re not sure if you want to write it all down, or have a keepsake after your wedding, rather than a wedding planner book you may wish to consider an app or other wedding planning software (not everybody loves to write!). Something Blue offers incredible professional wedding planning software for a monthly subscription or one-off payment – the reviews are exceptionally good, and though it’s a big investment for some, it’s a lot more affordable than hiring a wedding planner, and is well worth the money according to everybody who has used it!

If you’re looking for free software, project-management tools like Trello are also extremely useable and functional for wedding planning, you’ve just got to populate them yourself, or purchase “Ultimate Wedding Checklist”—a template for Trello that you can purchase for US $96 from a wedding planner.

6. Best Wedding Planner Apps!

For those who prefer to do it all on a mobile device, a wedding planning app may be just the thing. Honestly, because I am such a lover of writing, I can’t say which I’d use, but here’s a couple I’ve been recommended. WeddingHappy is an easy-to-use wedding app for managing wedding planning tasks, payments and vendors, and they say “we’ve helped more than 1 million couples plan their weddings from their phones” – Download WeddingHappy app on iOS or Android

Bridebook calls itself “the world’s number one wedding planner.” They advertise that you can find inspiration and wedding planning tools all in one place, but at the moment the vendors appear limited to the UK (while the rest of the app works all around the world). It’s completely free, so worth a look too! Download Bridebook app on iOS or Android

6. Bride on a Budget and still want a planner… this have all the basics!

Not everyone wants to spend $60+ on a wedding planner book, and we’re okay with that! The Kmart Wedding Planner Book is just $8 and includes 60 pages of organisational help divided into 6 sections. There’s nothing wrong with a bargain when it comes to wedding planning. It’s currently available on Kmart Australia, I couldn’t find it instore to review, but even if you ‘get what you pay for’ it may be a step in the right direction!

I hope this article on choosing the wedding planner to suit you has helped, and not confused you. While I am slightly biased towards the little white book being the best, I still don’t think it will be the best wedding planner book for absolutely everybody. As somebody with ADHD who is not particularly well organised and needs to put pen to paper to get things organised, it was exactly what I needed to plan my wedding.

Are you dreaming of a wedding in Australia? Let me help you navigate every part of the planning process from the engagement party right through to the post-wedding tasks without putting too much strain on your pocket. 

Before you Start Planning Your Australian Wedding

1 Take a moment just for yourselves and enjoy being engaged. Spend time talking about what’s important to you – why you want to get married, what your dream day looks like, and who you want to celebrate it with.

2 Announce your engagement and possibly plan an engagement party to celebrate with your friends and families.

3 Think about the kind of money you feel comfortable spending. It’s no secret that weddings can be expensive, and that managing your wedding budget is a big task. Make sure you are on the same page about how much to spend, and what your priorities are.

4 Let people help you. Talk to friends who have married recently, and subscribe to our emails, and we will help you with the best wedding advice without spamming your inbox (that’s a promise!)

Build your Wedding Planning Tool Kit

We suspect that you may have a a Pinterest list, or Instagram saved folder as long as your arm, and probably quite a bundle of wedding magazines too… Still, to order all of your ideas into a cohesive, well-organised, and easy-to-follow plan, you’re probably going to need a few wedding planning tools.

Most brides-to-be choose to create or buy a wedding binder or wedding planner book, but for those who prefer everything electronic, there’s the little white planning pack – an electronic resource comprising worksheets and questionnaires to guide you through everything you need to think about and ask, as well as checklists, worksheets, and the budget and guest list templates.

Work out your Budget, Guest List and Wedding Date

After discussing with your fiancé what ideas they have about the big day, the first step to planning your wedding is to work out your wedding budget. You may wish to talk to each of your parents about whether they would like to contribute, but be certain to understand if they wish to have any say over your plans too..

Once you’ve worked out the basics with your fiancé in terms of what’s most important to both of you for your special day and how much you can allocate towards your wedding budget, you may have to sit down for some tricky conversations and decisions around your guest list. You can also choose your wedding party now – they may even help with some of your wedding planning tasks.

You may find it helpful to consider a few articles on what a wedding in Australia costs – be aware that the “average” cost of a wedding can be misleading, and instead look at sample wedding budgets.

Work out when you want to get married – do you want a winter wedding, or will you be competing with many other couples for some of the most popular days. If so, and especially if you must have a particular date, you will probably need to book a venue very soon (some venues book up to 2 years in advance). However, 75% of couples still cite Saturday as their first choice, so even if you are flexible with dates, begin finding a wedding venue as soon as you can.

Choose the best Australian Wedding Vendors and Venues

I genuinely believe that those wedding plannings in Australia are amongst the luckiest in the world, with such excellent and relatively affordable access to every picturesque venue, from the beach to lakeside and mountain-top, and everywhere in between. So I suggest you get onto booking your wedding venue at least 12 months before your D-day. Have a look at 20 alternative and unique wedding venues.

Grab your wedding planner book and visit some wedding venues – take note about everything you love, find real wedding photos and see what sort of options you have for decor, photos and more.

Begin by drafting a list of what your ideal wedding venue should have in terms of appearance, services, on-site catering, wedding-planner inclusion, or a sound, all-inclusive package deal. Once you have a good idea of how many guests you plan to invite, this will help you to determine the costs of going forward with a particular venue. Next, you must visit a few venues to get a feel for each, and you can compare the packages and costs and how much work would be involved to turn the space into your dream wedding venue.

See How to Find Wedding Venues. 

Book your Wedding Photographer

The most important wedding vendors to secure are your wedding photographer and videographer. Many of the best Australian photographers and videographers would be in high demand and will book out at the same time as wedding venues are booked. So make this a priority booking. To find a wedding photographer, you may wish to browse Instagram – lookup for hashtags relevant to your area, i.e. Australian wedding photographer, Melbourne wedding photographer etc.

Shortlist a few wedding photographers whose style you like and who are available on your wedding day. Then, make sure you meet them before your wedding date! You will be spending much of your special day with them, so it’s imperative that you feel comfortable – personalities will make a huge difference. Wedding videography is also gaining popularity, especially for couples who can’t have all their loved ones attend the wedding, as videography is a great way to share the feeling of the day. Start researching nearby areas for your photos, especially sunset pictures. Make sure to find a few places for photography if the weather isn’t great too – you can use this tool to see the likelihood of rain on your wedding day.

Once you’ve Booked your Wedding Venue and Wedding Photographer

Booking your wedding venue and photographer will be a great feeling; they’re probably the most complex decisions to make. The good news now is that you can probably take it easy for a while, especially if your wedding reception venue is a full-service one. If it’s a DIY/Dry hire venue, you may soon wish to get onto wedding hireage and styling, but otherwise, the remainder of your wedding planning tasks can be picked up with around 9-11 months to go.

One of the best ways to start searching for your wedding vendors in Australia is to look at a couple of the leading Australian Wedding Vendor directories:

• Wedshed
• Easy Weddings
• Nouba

Keep your wedding budget in mind as you continue; you may like to read How to Allocate Your Wedding Budget.

Your next steps are outlined in the 12-month wedding planning checklist, which you may want to bookmark for later. If your wedding venue has an events manager or you have hired a wedding planner, some of these will be taken care of, but otherwise, it’ll soon be time to organise the rest of your wedding vendors. At any point, you can start talking to other wedding vendors and professionals such as wedding florists, stationery designers etc. Still, you don’t need to be in a rush to book all immediately. See the wedding planning pack for questions to ask.

Wedding Planning Legalities in Australia

A wedding in Australia can be officiated by a Religious celebrant, a civil celebrant, staff in some local courts, or a marriage officer working in the BDM (Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages). Unlike the New Zealand legal marriage process, there is no such thing as a marriage license in Australia, so that means that you do not need to apply for or receive or lodge a marriage license in Australia before the wedding. Instead, celebrants must lodge the paperwork within 14 days. Your marriage celebrant will give you a Commonwealth Marriage Ceremony certificate on your wedding day, after which you will need to apply for a standard marriage certificate.

Next, browse some real weddings for inspiration!