The first five steps to start planning your wedding.
YOU’RE ENGAGED!!! You are on top of the world, emotions are flying, you can picture your entire life unfolding like a dream. BUT, where do you start planning for the greatest day of your life? There is so much to do before that dream becomes a reality. Here are five steps to jump start the wedding process and enjoy your engagement.
#1 Discuss a budget!
This is not only the best wedding advice, but also the best marriage advice. Yes, I said it. Your excitement over the engagement, the ring, and telling your friends and family just hit a wall. Money is definitely not the most fun thing to talk about, but get used to it… you will be married and this topic is unavoidable. If parents are offering to help pay, they need to be a part of the discussion. Decide on an overall budget and stick to it! You do not want to start your marriage off in the hole because you decided at the last minute to splurge on something seemingly important.
#2 Determine your guest list size.
If you all stay together after these first two decisions, there isn’t anything you can’t tackle in your marriage! Have you always dreamed of a small wedding with just close friends and family? This became a standard under COVID restrictions and people saw the beauty of an intimate wedding. Or do you envision the biggest party of your life? Your budget may answer that for you. Either way, come up with a rough draft of who is most likely to get invited. Remember to include plus one invites. This does not have to be set in stone, but you do need a ballpark estimate.
#3 Get Organized.
Once you have decided on an overall wedding budget, you can prioritize your wishlist. As a couple, you can decide what three things are most important. Do you have your heart set on a specific venue? Do you want a live band? Is a wedding planner going to fit in the budget? Whatever you decide is most important for your big day, make sure you know your priorities and be willing to compromise on whatever else may come up. Need help with a budget breakdown by percentage? Take a look at What is included in a Wedding Budget? Here you will see what percentage of your budget should be allotted for the venue, attire, flowers, etc. Start a spreadsheet or use an online app to help you organize not only your budget but a checklist and timeline of what needs to be done. Again, this does not need to be set in stone, but a starting point is helpful and you will feel much more relaxed when you start to become organized.
#4 Choose a venue and date!
Finally, the fun part! This step in jump starting your wedding planning makes it real and tangible. Start researching a venue based on budget, guest list size, and location. When you get an idea of what you like, you can start setting up tours with the venues. Sometimes you will not know the cost until you tour a location. But understanding your budget beforehand will help you communicate with the venues.
Some things to consider when looking at venues are…
- Will it be an “on-site” wedding? Meaning will they have a kitchen for the catering staff? Think places like a beach or field versus a wedding venue or hotel. A wedding venue or hotel will make it much simpler when selecting caterers.
- Do they have access to the basics? Some venues will be a basic space with nothing included and other venues will have everything including chairs, tables, china, and linens. It is not difficult to call a rental company to order everything, but then you also need to recruit help to set everything up (and tear down). Many venues have it all and your only job is to pick what color linens you want and some even include a selection of centerpieces, which is a huge budget saver.
- Do they have a planning team or on-site coordinator to help with the process? This is SO HELPFUL because you know that the little things will not be missed. Professionals know the process and can help with the timeline the day of so you can enjoy your day. If the venue does not offer a day of coordinator, consider hiring or asking a friend who is not an integral part of the wedding to assist.
When you have narrowed down a venue or a couple venues that you like, look at available dates and set a date! After this step, all things wedding will come together quite nicely. Once the date and venue are set, you can relax and enjoy being engaged.
#5 Get Organized… Again!
If you are not an organized person, you will be after your wedding. The key to staying on top of deadlines for the wedding is referring back to your spreadsheet or app and reviewing your budget and timeline. Once the date is set, you can set deadlines for things that need to be done such as choosing a cater, photographer, and DJ. If you selected a venue with a planner to help you do this, setting deadlines just became even easier because you will go through many decisions with them during planning meetings. Start creating a list and make sure you set deadlines. A helpful tip is to assemble a wedding crew to help you with these tasks. It will be much more fun to have a team surrounding you and less stressful to know that people can complete tasks when you have too much on your plate or are trying to enjoy your big day!
Cheers to your engagement! Remember, your wedding is one day and your marriage is a lifetime. So, relax, celebrate and be joyful!
