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Planning a wedding can be stressful, but with good organisation it needn’t be.

First you will need to choose the all-important venue. You can easily search online for a venue and suitable shelter for your guests – maybe you will look for marquee hire Sussex, marquee hire Surrey, marquee hire Essex or something similar. Use geographical information for your internet search terms so that you find 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. Make sure you confirm your rental date at least two weeks ahead of the big day.

you should consider whther or not you need permits for your venue and if you need to inform any neighbours. Informing neighbours is as much for your benefit as theirs because lawnmowers and loud music can somewhat interrupt your day. 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 choosing a beach, check the tide timetables and access.

Invites can also go out as soon as the venue is chosen. 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 rented or borrowed. It is cheaper to set them up yourself but this will obviously require a few helping hands. Hay bales could be used for seating if they fit in with your decorating.

If you want music you will need to decide on whether this is going to be live band, a DJ or a combination of both. They will need to be booked well in advance and you will need to confirm any special needs e.g. food and drink, electrical points, shelter and changing rooms.

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 the ambient noise can affect the ability of your guests to hear proceedings.

Also consider whether you will need to heat or cool your 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 a power supply so think of whether you will need extension leads and whether the power supply and lights are suitable for outdoor use. Candles in paper bags weighted down with sand can be effective to light paths to Portaloos and car parks but they may need replacing throughout the night and need to be used safely.

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 food and drinks and where will it be cooked and served? Do guests help themselves or do you need serving staff? Will you need snacks to keep people going between meals? Do you have guests with special dietary requirements and do you have enough soft drinks? Note that you may need a license if serving alcohol so remember to check this out well in time.

Food can be themed, formal, casual, sit-down or buffet. If people are bringing their own food it will need to be a coordinated effort. 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 be one of the most expensive parts of the whole event but it needn’t be. You should decide whether you are having a free bar or what you need people to pay for. As a note, champagne for the toast is usually free to guests. To keep bills down, you can buy alcohol in bulk from a wholesaler. Also look out for deals in the months leading up to your wedding date.

Keep an eye on the weather as the big day approaches. Rain, wind 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. Decorate large umbrellas using waterpfoof pens and provide them for your guests. 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.

A 'to do' list will prove invaluable.

Make sure that your plans are easy to arrange and that they come within budget. But most of all don’t forget to enjoy the build up to your big day!

Once all your organising is done, there is nothing more you can do but hope that all things conspire to make your wedding everything that you hoped and dreamt of.