How to Plan the Perfect Indoor Wedding

Planning your wedding is something that is very special and personal to you. It is your chance to share your love with your guests, create an event that speaks to you as a couple. Other than having a baby or buying a house together, your wedding day is the most special day you will have so it’s no wonder that you want everything to be “perfect”. Of course, a perfect wedding doesn’t just happen by accident. For a wedding to be all you hoped it would be, there is a lot of planning to do.


If you’re feeling a bit uncertain as to where to start in the planning process and feeling a bit overwhelmed about it all, then let this act as a basic guide that will discuss various steps and tips to planning the perfect indoor wedding.

Make sure you're giving yourself enough time

The very first tip to offer has to do with timing. Sure, it's possible to pull off a wedding in a short amount of time, but when you don't have much notice, you'll find you can't be very selective with your choices. You may not get your first-choice venue, photographer, dress, etc. Expert wedding planners suggest allowing for 10 to 24 months to plan the big day.

The wedding venue is often the biggest decision in the process

Every single aspect of the wedding will work together to form that perfect day, but few carry as much weight and influence as the venue itself. The venue isn’t just a place to gather and celebrate; it also sets the tone and atmosphere of your wedding. Wedding venues can help to make your wedding feel romantic, unique, and personal. These are all important ingredients in a “perfect wedding”.

How do you go about picking a venue? First, you’re going to need to narrow down the list of options, which means you need a very clear idea of your wedding. Figure out things like your budget, the number of guests, the theme (if applicable), the date and time, what type of menu you want to serve, whether you offer bar services, and location. As you come up with answers to each of these questions, you’ll find your list of possible venues shrinks, making the selection process less confusing.

If you're looking to make the selection process even more streamlined and more exact, you may also want to use Canvas, a venue-finding platform. You can select various criteria and the search platform will come back with a list of possible locations that meet your needs.

A photographer is a wise investment

For many couples today, planning a wedding on a budget isn't optional. Rather, it's something they need to stick to for the wedding to happen. This often means making cuts and sacrifices to keep things affordable. One vendor to save up for is a wedding photographer. As many will tell you, at the end of the day, the photographs will be the only tangible memory left of the day.

The great thing about a photographer is that you don’t have to go with a high-end one. You can usually choose from different price points/packages. You can even hire a student photographer or ask a competent friend or relative if you’re working with a tight budget.

Keep the guests entertained and fed

Part of what makes a wedding perfect is the guest experience. When you look around the room and see everyone smiling, talking, and having fun, the feelings are infectious. But how can you keep your guests in a celebratory mood? This is where entertainment, food, and drink come in.

The entertainment you choose can be as elaborate and unique as you want, or you can stick with the more traditional route and hire a DJ or band so guests can dance and let loose. Choose music that you both love. For example, if you enjoy classical music, hire a string quartet for the early evening, then switch to a traditional DJ later. 

As a side note, the venue you choose may also offer its own options where entertainment is concerned, so it’s a good idea to ask questions.

Food and drink also give you a few different options. You can go all out with a seven-course meal and a late-night buffet for snacking with an open bar. Or you may need to keep things much more low-key and just do appetisers and non-alcoholic beverages. Be sure that you indicate on the wedding invitation whether there is a meal or light appetisers, an open bar or cash bar, or a dry bar (no alcohol).

Each of these tips will help you through the planning process so your wedding is nothing short of perfect.

Got any more great tips for planning an indoor wedding? Let us know in the comments section.