He put a ring on it, now what? Here are some of my top tips for beginning your wedding planning process.
1. Contact family members by telephone, before updating your social media status. Some family members may get upset if they hear about your engagement without being included in the loop.
2. Set a range of dates. As soon as you start announcing your engagement, the first thing people will ask is “When is the wedding?” Even though you can’t set an exact date until the major decision of choosing and booking your venue, it will save a lot of headaches if you at least decide on a general idea of when you would like the wedding to take place. Engagements usually last anywhere from 6 months to 18 months. For example, “We like the idea of a fall wedding” or “Spring 2017”. It will give you a jumping off point when you start looking to book your venue.
- Create a vision board, either online (pinterest) or offline (collecting pages from bridal magazines) to help you create a vision of what you would like your wedding to look like. Collect ideas that inspire you to create the wedding of your dreams. Are you attracted to images of a rustic barn or is an elegant ballroom more your style? Home or away? Beach or mountain top? Big or small? Get an idea of the big picture. Don’t limit yourself to traditional sources of inspiration. Be sure to check out the variety of weddings here on this blog or some of my boards on Pinterest for lots of detail inspiration. Weddings, Wedding Reception Table Decor, Wedding Bouquets, Wedding Inspiration Decor
- Use either an online planner or paper planner to help you create a timeline for major wedding related tasks. Here are some resources for online resources. Wedding Wire online planner and Mashables 9 New Tools to Plan Your Wedding Online. For beautifully designed paper planners, check out Paper Plum Designs on Etsy and some Free Printables for a planning binder.
5. Create a preliminary guest list to get a general idea of how many guests you may have. (This is helpful when looking at venue’s that can only accommodate a certain # of people). Make sure to ask your parents for their ideal guest list. It is also helpful to create an A list and a B list. After you compile your “dream list” you can edit, add and trim where needed. Budget will be a major deciding factor as to how large your list is. Most venues charge per person, and vary greatly in price.
- If you are the type of person that gets overwhelmed, a wedding coordinator would be an asset. They can also negotiate with vendors for you. If you go that route be sure to meet and book them before you book your venue. They can show you venues that you may not have thought of that would be the perfect fit for your vision.
- Take a look at your favorite venues that fit your wedding style and budget. Don’t be afraid to look at unconventional locations for a venue. Most venues and popular vendors book up a year in advance, so you want to choose your must have vendors early.
8. Once your date is set and venue booked, now you can book your wedding photographer and DJ or band.
9. Don’t forget to relax and enjoy the process. It can get overwhelming at times, make sure to take a break from planning is you are feeling stressed. Plan a date night and not talk about anything related to the wedding.
10. Once the major items are booked, now is the fun part of creating the wedding of your dreams.
Bonus Tip: Don’t forget to contact us to plan your engagement photos! They can be used for Save the Date cards, Custom Guest book or reception decor.
