Planning the perfect wedding
1. MEETING
First things first! Plan a meeting. Yes, that’s right, you would do it at work so why not at home!
Set aside some actual time to sit with your partner to discuss what you BOTH want. From the venue to the honeymoon, from guest lists to cakes. Talk it through - hell why not even have an agenda and make it really worth your while.
Grab your significant other, get settled at the table, and talk through what you each want from your special day
2. PLANNING
Write a list! Get it all down on paper, clear your heads and map out all your ideas into a to-do list. Whilst it may seem daunting at first, creating an organised plan allowing you to keep track, actually simplifying the whole process.
We love The Curator – an online free planning tool - from managing venue options to guest lists and most importantly budgets.
“Spend less time worrying about the little things, and more time getting ready to marry your favourite person in the world.” -The Curator
Image: The Curator
Image: She Said Yes
3. BUDGETS
Not the most exciting topic but nonetheless it’s an important one, with the average wedding in New Zealand costing $30,000. Money Hub NZ offers some sensible wedding budget advice: with 20+ tips on how to plan and hold the best, most memorable wedding (without the usual expense and stress worries), plus a number of other wedding budget-related info.
Image: Southern Bride
4. GUEST LIST
Whether it’s determined by the previous budget planning or simply because you only want a small group of close friends and family, it’s good to plan your guest list as soon as you can, it makes planning much easier. Don't forget your celebrant! Take the time to meet the perfect person to make the day extra special for you - My Wedding Guide has a list of celebrants to pick and choose the best celebrant for you!
Southern Bride have broken it down into easy steps for you.
Image: Southern Bride
5. VENUE
Choosing your wedding venue is actually pretty exciting – it’s the first step of wedding planning where you really get to think creatively and can begin to ‘see’ your wedding. It’s going to be the best day of your life, you just don’t know where it is yet!” - She said Yes.
Check out this comprehensive and fab feature from She Said Yes - It really helps you to think about the questions you need to ask when it comes to choosing a venue: guest capacity, budgets, location, season/date, priorities, weather………
This reception venue checklist from My Wedding Guide is another handy tool. If you want to create a space of your very own - how about looking through Flagship Event Company's stunning tents to create the perfect outdoor celebration.
'Cape Cod' and 'Boston Round' from Flagship Events. Image: Frank & Peggy
6. CATERING
Run through NZ Wedding Planner's checklist to narrow down the best food and drinks options for your day. Here at Parihoa for catering, we love Delectable Cuisine for larger gatherings and Good from Scratch for more intimate groups - they use the best locally grown ingredients and the food is fabulous.
A celebration isn't much of a celebration without food. Your wedding day is definitely the mother of all celebrations, and as such, a feast is in high order." - NZ Wedding Planner
For drinks, we love Ruby Tuesday - with a lovingly restored 1976 Sprite caravan bar.
7. CAKE
Cake or no cake? New Zealand Weddings and honeymoons team talk to 4 of the top Auckland wedding cake providers to bring us the latest trends in cakes, from multi-tiered to many minis, doughnut towers to edible pearls.
We dare you not to drool over the stunning options from The Caker. And if you can't decide exactly which flavour you want - they are introducing Cake Banquets - yum!
Image: The Caker
Or why not consider doing it yourself and saving on the costs. Backyard Weddings have pulled together 15 DIY alternatives to the traditional wedding cake.
8. FLOWERS
Bring your day to life with your favourite floral bouquets - but will those flowers be in season? Will you need a bouquet, a buttonhole and a corsage? All great questions to ask your florist to bring the bloom to your wedding day. We love Greenpoint Florist, Blush and Floral Stylist Co.
Image: Danelle Bohame
9. PHOTOGRAPHER
This is a tricky one to advise on – It’s really all down to your personal taste. But one thing that is certain is this is the person who will capture your special moment so it's worth investing some time in choosing the right one.
We love looking at all the different styles – Try searching for #NewZealandWeddingPhotography on Instagram and get an idea of what you like – There are thousands of posts there to help you decide.
We love Danelle Bohame and Frank & Peggy.
Image: Together Journal
10. OUTFITS
A biggie for sure. How do you find the dress of your dreams and what should you consider before choosing your wedding dress? Dell'Amore Bridal, wedding dress boutique in Auckland, share their tips.
Image: Together Journal
Don't forget a beautiful hat for the Mother of the Bride! Rue de Seine have a stunning collection of hats amongst other beautiful pieces.
11. HONEYMOON
Bawah Reserve have pulled together a fabulous guide to planning the perfect honeymoon.
Image: Bawah Reserve
Whether it’s romance or adventure you are looking for, or perhaps a bit of both, work through this step by step guide to get to the best solution for both of you.
AND DON'T FORGET
To enjoy the process! Treat yourself (or spoil a friend) to a bridal box filled with treats and inspiration from somethingblue.co.nz , and flick through the latest Together Journal - remember why you're doing the hard yards and celebrate!
Image: somethingblue.co.nz
Enjoy planning your special day!
ABOUT US
Parihoa Farm, located just 50 minutes from Auckland, a beautiful cliff-top farm with accommodation. Offering wedding packages for a wedding adventure you won’t forget – let your imagination run wild with dramatic views of the wild west coast amidst clifftops, rolling hills, wetlands, and a rugged farmscape.
With a trusted list of dedicated suppliers, it’s all about teamwork at Parihoa Farm, bringing you and your partner the wedding of your dreams from venue to catering we have it covered. For further enquiries email enquiries@parihoa.co.nz