1. DISCUSS WHAT TYPE OF WEDDING YOU BOTH WOULD LIKE
It’s important that you both have a clear idea on the wedding you would like to create before you get too far down the planning path. Would you like a destination wedding or a local wedding? Would you like a small and intimate wedding or will it be a large affair? These are the questions you should be discussing. Here at Gabbinbar Homestead we pride ourselves on our flexibility so whatever you decide we can help you design a wedding which suits your needs.
2. DO YOUR SUMS AND WORK OUT YOUR BUDGET
Your budget will create the framework for your wedding planning so it’s important that you work it out early on. The venue you choose and the number of people on your guest list are two major decisions which will impact your budget. Unlike a typical wedding venue, we don't offer lots of different (and confusing) wedding packages. Rather we simply provide 'The Gabbinbar Experience' for each and every wedding - which includes all-day use of the Homestead and gardens. 'The Gabbinbar Experience' also includes wedding planning, exceptional service, attention to detail and handcrafted food. Other venues often have numerous hidden or extra costs however, at Gabbinbar Homestead our packages are all-inclusive and we aim to offer exceptional value.
3. DETERMINE YOUR GUEST LIST (INCLUDING AN A & B LIST)
When putting your guest list together it’s a good idea to create two lists. Make list A the people who you must have and list B will be the people who you’d like to have but may be cut depending on budget restraints and venue capacity. Remember your guest list will influence your budget so having guests divided into an A and B list will make it easier to know where to draw the line if need be. At Gabbinbar Homestead we have found that on average 20% of your invited guests won't be able to attend your wedding – this is a good statistic to keep in mind and will assist with your budget.
4. PICK A VENUE, THEN A DATE (IN THAT ORDER)
When you’re looking for a venue, you want as much flexibility with the date as possible so you can book the venue you want. There is nothing worse than falling in love with a venue only to find out they don’t have availability for your specific date. We would recommend narrowing it down to a month or even a season, that way you can keep your options wide open. At Gabbinbar Homestead we give each newly engaged couple a private viewing of the entire Gabbinbar Homestead estate and it’s here that we discuss what dates we have available. We complete viewings seven days a week and you can book online or simply give us a call, it’s as easy as that.
5. JUST RELAX
It’s easy to let yourself get overwhelmed with the wedding planning process. Make sure you enjoy being engaged and don’t lose track of why you are doing this. Choose to focus on fun acitivities to help your relax and enjoy being a bride. Give your bridesmaids a gift and have a party when you ask them to be part of your bride tribe, or sign up to a bridal subscription box and receive a curated box of bridal-themed items in the mail each month! Your wedding day is one of life’s biggest moments which you will treasure forever. At Gabbinbar Homestead our team of wedding planners are here to help make the wedding planning process as stress-free as possible. We have checklists available to keep you on track and we can even create customised supplier lists to help you narrow down the somewhat daunting number of suppliers in this industry.