Wedding Planning Guide: Where to Start (Tips from a Manchester Wedding Photographer)

(3 min read)

Wedding planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. As Manchester wedding photographers working across the UK, we’ve seen what really helps couples plan a day that feels relaxed, personal, and fun. These tips will help you make decisions confidently and enjoy the process along the way.

1. Decide What’s Most Important

Make a list of what matters most to you both — whether it’s specific moments, experiences, or how you want to look back on the day. Rank your priorities to separate the non-negotiables from the things you may want to DIY or skip entirely. Ask yourselves: do I really want to do that thing everyone does or would that budget mean more if it went towards one of our big priorities? This clarity will guide how you spend your time, energy, and budget.

2. Book Your Key Vendors Early

If you’re getting married in 2025 or 2026 in the UK don’t wait to book vendors like photographers, venues, and florists. These suppliers often book up 1–2 years in advance and have waiting lists for when their books open. If someone feels like the one, secure them as soon as you can!

3. Have a Plan B for Weather

UK weather can be unpredictable (Manchester, we’re looking at you!). If your venue has outdoor spaces, check what their Plan B is in case of rain to make sure it feels just as good as your original vision. Bringing transparent/white umbrellas to your wedding too: they let the light go through and avoid harsh shadows on your face.

Nothing wrong with a bit of rain, a little preparation makes all the difference!

4. Be Mindful of Social Media

Comparison really is the thief of joy. Whilst social media can be inspiring, it’s not always realistic — lots of things (and people) you see online are completely staged, heavily edited or simply just unclockable AI. Use it for ideas (and dream big!), but try not to feel pressured to recreate every detail you see or to change your body. Stay true to what feels authentic to you as a couple and focus on what matters most.

5. Set Boundaries Early

This is your day, so focus on what feels right for you. Keep your guest list to people who genuinely support and love you both. Politely but firmly say no to ideas or requests that don’t align with your vision or your values —you’ll thank yourself later.

6. Build in Time Buffers

Weddings can often run late, so add 10-15 minutes of buffer time between key parts of the day (like getting ready or moving between locations). It keeps things feeling calm and gives you breathing room. Plan a few private moments with your partner to help slow down time, a short couple shoot or even just five minutes to step away and soak it all in can make a big difference.

7. With a little help from my friends

You don’t have to do this alone! Make sure you’re both involved in the wedding planning process and ask for extra help when necessary. Delegating small tasks will free up more time for you to enjoy and be present on the day. Lots of people like feeling useful on the day and would love to contribute so don’t be shy (don’t make them work too hard though!)

8. Minimise Travel on the Day

Keeping everything close together can make your day run so much smoother and avoid unnecessary stress. If having more than one location, choose venues near each other and stay close if you’re getting ready separately. This reduces the chances of delays from traffic, road closures, or getting stuck behind a tractor on one of those pesky Cheshire countryside one way roads (it happens!)

9. Pack an Emergency Kit

Pack a small kit with essentials like safety pins, stain remover (I’ve heard chalk works wonders removing makeup stains from white dresses?), plasters, etc. We actually have a whole emergency kit checklist included in our client welcome guide to help you prepare and avoid any hiccups.

10. Be Clear with Your Guests

Send your guests all the details like parking, dress code, timeline and any logistics they need to know ahead of time (a wedding website can help with this) This minimises questions on the day, and will hopefully avoid you receiving any last-minute messages (or calls!) while getting ready.

11. You’re not just hiring someone, you’re inviting them to your wedding.

Your wedding is an extension of you, so choose suppliers who align with your values and make you feel at ease - ESPECIALLY if they’ll be present on the day and interacting with you/your guests.

12. Don’t Overpack the Schedule

A packed itinerary can leave you feeling rushed and exhausted. Instead, focus on a few key moments and leave room for spontaneity, mingling, and dancing. You can include interactive elements throughout the day to avoid any lulls like entertainment, garden games or something like this. The most memorable weddings feel relaxed and authentic, not rushed or overly staged.

13. Enjoy the process!

It’s easy to get caught up in the to-do lists and decisions, but don’t forget to enjoy this season of life and take breaks from planning to do things that have nothing to do with the wedding!

And remember: 15 years from now, you may not care about some of the small details that much — you’ll remember how the day felt and the moments you shared with the people who matter most.

📸✨ Looking for natural, candid and fun wedding photos and/or video?

Hiya! We’re Billy and Cin and if you think we’d be a good fit we’d LOVE to hear from you! Here’s a bit about us and here’s a link to our pricing page. If you’re ready to chat you can check our availability below ↓↓↓