Getting married is one of the many milestones that an individual can be so proud of and excited to achieve. Many women even have a scrapbook where they jot down ideas on what they think will be a perfect wedding for them. And ever since Pinterest came, a lot of the most active boards are definitely wedding-themed. Then there are the couples who continue to breathe life into the wedding planning industry, hiring an army of planners to do the heavy lifting and take the load off their shoulders.

If you’re one of the excited individuals who want to make your celebration truly a personal, memorable experience, there are certain things that you will need to consider. For one, personalising your wedding will mean that you will have to coordinate and monitor the progress of the preparation closely at all times. Will you have the time and energy for all these? How far are you willing to go to make your dream wedding possible? Keep in mind that you’re preparing for your special day, and the last thing you want to happen is to celebrate it while you’re looking haggard because you were stressed the entire time.

You will also have to consider your spouse-to-be. Remember that it is not just your day but your partner’s as well. You should discuss together how the event should go to make it truly special for both of you. In most cases, men don’t have specific things that they want to have in their wedding. However, they may have a strong preference for the basics such as the venue (inside a church, at an open garden, in his hometown or outside the country) or the style of wedding (traditional or modern).

Then there’s the financial concern. Will hiring a wedding planner be much cheaper compared to sourcing your own materials? Will it be practical to spend for a wedding coordinator who already knows the companies who can help? If you’re thinking of DIY items, make sure you know where to get the best materials; otherwise, you’ll end up wasting your money and time.

There are couples who sat on their wedding, thinking how the event didn’t really reflect who they are. The best event, whether it’s a wedding, birthday or anniversary, is one that the hosts and even the guests can relate to, and thus, creating meaningful memories that could last a lifetime. If you’re working with an event planner, it helps if you can work closely with her. But then, if you and your partner really want to personalise your wedding, here are valuable tips that can help you.

Decide on a theme that reflects you and your partner’s interests

Think about what you and your partner love to do together and see if you can arrange your wedding around that. Besides, having a theme can greatly help you save time when it comes to making decisions on many wedding matters such as the layout of the venue and the design of the wedding stationeries. It will also help you decide what kind of activities you want to include during the reception.

For example, do the two of you love sports? You can consider booking a football field as your venue. If not, you can decorate the location with colourful sports banners – and make sure they are also reflective of the sports teams that your guests love.

Add personal touches to wedding invites, decors, etc.

There are many ways to DIY your wedding materials. While it would be interesting to create them on your own and adding a personalised touch to them, there are some things you need to consider. For one, a DIY wedding item can look cheap if you’re not used to arts and crafts. So you might want to consider having expert assistance in creating your wedding decors, favours and other materials.

Don’t worry though. You can still create elegant personalised wedding invitations and other stationeries without the high costs. You can use online tools such as Pure Invitation’s invite designer where you will be guided step-by-step in creating the perfect personalised invite. You can then choose to order easy-to-assemble DIY kits or ask a professional to materialise your ideas.

Make each detail of the wedding programme special

Check your programme plans and see where you can add a personal touch in the ceremony. Perhaps you can choose your own set of songs – maybe some romantic tunes that are meaningful to you and your partner. Maybe the two of you can have a surprise performance for your relatives and friends – a show that will really make them say, “it is so them!” Or perhaps while the guests are having dinner, you can play a slideshow with pictures that tell your love story. Add pictures of your guests, too.

Choose a venue that means a lot to you and your partner

If possible, consider booking a place where you and your partner have special memories. Is it the beach where you first met? Is it the church where the two of you often go to? Is it the park where you officially became lovers? It’s also a great idea to inform your guests the reason for your venue so that they can share the excitement of knowing why the place is special.

Add meaningful accents to the venue

There are various ways to further make your big day special, and your creativity is the only limit. Consider hanging or clipping your pictures on twine or clothesline that runs from the entrance to the party area. Arrange these images in a way that they will somehow tell your love story from the beginning until you’re married. Or how about adding the family’s special dishes into the menu?

Don’t lose yourself amidst the trends

Bridal magazines, social media sites and celebrity wedding news are common resources used to obtain great ideas for your special day. But with the overwhelming information on the latest trends that you’ll be bombarded with, it can be easy to just go with the flow.

But stop!

Pause for a moment and analyse what you really want in your wedding. Don’t just pick the trendiest theme; consider how you can add a bit of your personality into it. It doesn’t mean you should avoid the trend though. If a vintage-style wedding is the “in” thing, then go for it if it’s really the style that is reflective of you and your partner.

Work with suppliers and professionals who know your style

Organising your wedding can be easy when you’re working with like-minded professionals. Whether you’re looking for photographers, florists or makeup artists, among others, it helps to look at their portfolio first to know their style. Make sure to discuss your plans with them to further understand how they can work things out.

Getting married is one of the special milestones that people can experience. So it just makes perfect sense if you and your partner ensure that your wedding will be an amazing event for the two of you.