Wedding planning has become synonymous with endless tabs open on your laptop, late-night scrolling through Pinterest, and wondering if everyone else has somehow figured it all out before you.

But a new monthly event in Launceston is proving there’s a much more enjoyable way to plan a wedding.

Kicking off on 10 June, the I Do Club Evenings will continue monthly every third Wednesday at the Plough Inn, bringing together local wedding professionals and engaged couples in a casual pub setting. 

The first I Do Club Evening recently welcomed engaged couples to an intimate night of parmis, flowing drinks and honest conversation, creating a space where wedding planning felt less like another job on the to-do list and more like an opportunity to reconnect with the person you’re actually planning to marry!

Hosted by Anita Wheeler from Honey Fawn Boutique and Kate Oswald from Blue Wren Events, the evening centred around practical advice, relaxed conversations and the realisation that nobody is navigating the wedding planning journey alone.

Kate opened the night with a presentation about the often-overlooked things couples should consider when booking their wedding vendors.

“The room really warmed up and the conversation started to buzz,” Anita said.

“What surprised me was that people weren’t necessarily making huge decisions that night. They were simply starting conversations about their wedding and talking about what they actually envisioned for the day.

“It became less about ticking things off a checklist and more about sharing ideas together.”

Those conversations didn’t just happen between couples and vendors.

Around the tables, couples naturally began chatting with one another, swapping advice, comparing experiences and discovering they were facing many of the same challenges.

“There were conversations about family dynamics, decision fatigue, working through different opinions and just having a chance to vent a little,” Anita said.

“It genuinely felt like a community where everyone was on the same journey together.”

That sense of community was one of the biggest takeaways from the evening.

Rather than the pressure of a large wedding expo or formal appointments, couples could ask questions in a relaxed environment, discovering that wedding professionals are approachable people who genuinely want to help.

“It was a great opportunity to show that wedding planning doesn’t have to be a mundane task,” Kate said.

“It also highlighted that every couple experiences similar challenges — decision fatigue, worrying about asking what they think are silly questions, or feeling overwhelmed by all the choices.

“The vendors on the other end of the emails are actually great, friendly human beings who also love a good pub meal.”

As the evening progressed, those barriers disappeared.

“Once people realised that, the conversations flowed much more freely and some fantastic insights were shared between everyone in the room,” Kate said.

“We even had one bride tell us she’s already planning to come back next month.”

One unexpected endorsement came from Anita’s own fiancé, who admits he isn’t naturally drawn into wedding planning.

“I wanted him to experience the evening too,” Anita said.

“When we walked out he turned to me and said, ‘I think that has great potential.’

“I think that says a lot.”

Unlike one-off expos, the monthly format gives couples permission to slow down.

Instead of trying to organise an entire wedding in one weekend, they have a regular date in the calendar dedicated to planning together.

“I think having it every month gives couples consistency,” Anita said.

“It becomes scheduled time where you can lock in and focus on your wedding with minimal distractions — no kids, no pets, no work commitments — just time for the two of you.

“At the end of the day, that’s really what the wedding is all about.”

If the first evening is anything to go by, the I Do Club isn’t simply another wedding event.

It’s becoming a place where couples can ask questions without judgement, meet local wedding professionals, hear from industry experts and, perhaps most importantly, realise they’re not the only ones figuring it out as they go.

And sometimes, that’s exactly the kind of support wedding planning needs.