a sucessfully planned wedding is one that is organised well. The first thing will normally be to find and book a venue. You can easily search online for a venue and suitable shelter for your guests – maybe you will look for marquee hire London, marquee hire Hampshire, marquee hire Kent or something similar. Make sure you include geographical information in your search so that you get a fairly local company. A marquee, though expensive, can double as a ceremony venue, a shelter for guests and somewhere to dance late into the night. It's a good idea to confirm your rental date at least 2 weeks before the wedding.

Depending on where you choose as a venue you will need to find out whether you need permits, how long they will take to be approved and whether you will need to inform neighbours. Informing neighbours is as much for you as them - a neighbour mowing the lawn can ruin the day somewhat. You should also consider where people will be able to park and whether you need to lay on any transport yourself for guests. If you are planning on a beach wedding, check the tide times and access. Wedding invites can go out as soon as the venue has been secured. Include a map and make it clear that the event will be outside so that guests can wear suitable attire.

When you have chosen your venue and hired a marquee or something similar you will need to plan your decorations. Have fun with them and be really creative. Natural and found items such as pebbles, shells and driftwood can be used to designate different areas. Place names can be written on pebbles which the guests can take home as wedding favours. Tables and chairs will need to be borrowed or rented. You can save money by setting them up yourself but this will obviosuly require a few helping hands.. You could use hay bales as seating if they fit in with your decorating scheme. If you want music you will need to decide if you want a DJ, live music or a bit of both. They will need to be booked well in advance and you will need to confirm any special needs e.g. changing rooms, shelter, food, drink and electrical poins. For the ceremony, you may need to consider a sound system with a lapel microphone so that the person conducting the ceremony can be heard by all the guests. It's surprising how much ambient noise can hamper your guests ability to hear proceedings. Consider whether you will need to provide fans or heaters for the venue. Extremes of heat or cold will not be pleasant for you or your guests.

Lighting also needs to be thought about. Choose something that will create an atmosphere but that gives enough light so that people can actually see where they are going. Electrical lights will need power so consider if you will need extension leads and if the sockets and leads are suitable for outdoor use. Candles in weighted paper bags can look very effective.

Your catering will need to be thought about well in advance. What will guests eat and drink? Who will pay for it? Who will prepare the drinks and food and where will it be cooked and served to guests? Do you need serving staff or will guests help themselves? Will you need to provide snacks in between meals? Do any of your guests have special dietary requirements and have you got enough non-alcoholic drink choices? Note that you may need a license if serving alcohol so remember to check this out well in time. Food can be formal, casual, themed or buffet. If people are being asked to bring their own food, share items equally. If there is a long time with guests doing nothing or long periods between food then you will definitely need free flowing snacks. The bar bill can come in very high yet it needn't be that way. You should decide what you are going to ask your guests to pay for such as after dinner drinks. As a note, champagne for the toast is usually free to guests. Wholesalers can do some great deals on alcohol. Also look out for deals in the months leading up to your wedding date. As the big day approaches, keep an eye on the weather. Wind, rain and too much sun can all cause problems. The ideal weather conditions will be slightly overcast (to avoid squinting, glare on the photos and sunstroke).

A splash of rain needn’t be the end of your outdoor plans. Provide large umbrellas for guests that you have decorated for the occasion using waterproof materials and pens. Duck boards are a good idea to use as path as they stop your guests getting stuck in muddy grass!

Sunblock will be useful if the day turns out to be really sunny and a wrap will be useful for if it gets cooler. A back up plan should be created to cover you for the possibility of bad weather conditions or any other unforeseen circumstances. The best idea is to make a list of potential problems and address each one.

If you do need your plan B, you need to be sure who will make the decision to switch plans, how will you tell everyone and how you will move them all? Weather can change quickly a plan change can happen at very short notice.

However you go about your plans, creating a well thought about ‘to do’ list will ensure you don’t overlook anything important and that everything gets done on time. Make sure that your plans are easy to arrange and that they come within budget. Most importantly, enjoy the build up to the big day. When all's organised, make sure you have the most fantastic day of your life whatever happens on the day..