You’ve made the announcement, there’s no going back. It’s all official now and things have taken a turn for the serious. Getting married is no joking matter – and soon you will come to realise this. Take a few moments to relish the pure joy of your love right now, because as a couple, planning your wedding is the first test of how resilient a union you have.

I’m not trying to scare the bejeezus out of you, just helping you adjust some of your expectations before the super-stress of marriage mania kicks in. You will have to stand strong together as a couple in the face of pressures from family and friends. There will be manipulation, conniving, nagging, shouting and tears along the way – but there is one thing you must remember over everything else.

Getting The Wedding You Want

This is your wedding. As a couple, this is your day – and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.

If you want a neoprene wedding dress, that’s fine. Your first song on the dance floor is Nelly The Elephant? Again, that’s okay. The speeches all need to be delivered with accompanied mime – totally fine. It’s your day, you are going to get what you want.

Because let me tell you now. It will take a fight to get what you really desire. Whether it’s through the influences of family or friends, there will be subtle pressures working upon you from the instant the news gets out. Everyone will have an opinion, they will know what is right – what is best for you. Do not give in to persuasion or compromise if it doesn’t feel right. Rolling over and agreeing to everything your mother in law or great aunt wants, is only going to guarantee you an imperfect day.

The best technique to getting your own way in wedding plans is to become a complete control freak. Ensure you instigate all decisions and make sure none are finalised without your 100 per cent agreement. For example, you’ve decided to get married in Kent because it’s a beautiful place close to London – it means guests can get there without too much hassle and you get your dream wedding in the countryside. However, as soon as you mention you are getting married in Kent you are hit with a deluge of suggestions from well-meaning (but annoying all the same!) people for venues to tie the knot. Cover your ears. This isn’t the wedding you want – it’s the wedding they want.

For many years the smartest couples have known the secret of getting the wedding they want. It’s all about creating the perfect stage for their union, an idyllic setting without compromise or restriction. This is what you get with a marquee wedding. The freedom a marquee gives when planning your nuptials is truly liberating – like starting with a blank canvas, you can slowly build together your dream wedding from the ground up. You may need to search a while before finding the perfect location, but once you do hiring wedding marquees in Kent to pitch right where you want them is relatively straightforward.

Once you have a location, you can decide on the type of temporary structure you’ll require. With the flexibility of floor plans available you can choose to have areas for dining, dancing, chilling out, a bar area – whatever you want, with marquee hire it is possible to have it. Unlike traditional bricks and mortar event venues that have finite options, when hiring wedding marquees in Kent your choices are endless.

You and your partner need to present a united front to the world when it comes to all wedding arrangements. Anyone noticing a chink in your armour will attack quickly. Agree upon all aspects of wedding planning together in private and if you need to discuss changes, improvements or alterations to the plan, again, do this discreetly,in private whenever possible. It sounds paranoid, but it’s the best way of preventing your wedding plans becoming derailed by well meaning but ultimately selfish agendas. Note to self, this is your wedding – only you are allowed to be selfish.

The wedding you deserve is the wedding you want and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. From now until honeymoon’s end, you are both in the driving seat, controlling your wedding day destiny. Be strong, stand firm together right from the start. It won’t take long for the self-interested meddlers to realise their ‘helpful’ suggestions are falling on deaf ears. When it comes to getting the wedding you want, listen to your heart and your head in equal measure and tune out the voices of dissent…