The question has been asked, the engagement has been announced, and you’ve shown off that sparkly ring. Now you probably find yourself Googling “How to Plan a Wedding” because the reality of the situation has finally set it – YOU NEED TO PLAN A WEDDING AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO START. Lucky for you, we’re here with the five things you need to do first!
1.) (and most importantly) Set a budget.
Before you spend one dime, make one wedding decision, or basically do anything else, you need to determine a budget. This will impact almost every other aspect of the wedding, and you don’t want to start off in the red. Do some research on how much weddings cost. They aren’t cheap. You don’t need to spend the national average or even what your friends spent, but you do need to be realistic about how much money is needed to throw a huge party for your friends and family. So do your homework. Then, have an honest conversation with your fiancé and families and come up with a number that everyone is comfortable with. Then, STICK TO IT. While wonderful, a wedding is NOT worth a mountain of debt.
2.) Draft your guest list.
Start off by writing down every single person you’d love to invite to your wedding if money was no object. But of course, money is an object and whatever your determined budget is will greatly impact how many invites you can dish out. Have your fiancé write down his or her dream guest list as well, and then each of you consult your parents to make sure you didn’t forget anyone. Then, start making cuts until you’re in a place where your guest count is realistic with how much money you plan on spending.
3.) Determine a style.
Nailing down your wedding style early will save you time in the long run. Have you always envisioned a princess dress and getting married in a big ballroom? Is the grittiness of an old warehouse more your vibe? Love the outdoors and want to dance all night under the stars? The answers to these questions and others like them will help you determine what type of wedding you’d like to have – a decision that will impact nearly every other wedding choice you’ll have to make.
4.) Set a date.
Whether it’s a date that is meaningful to you and your better half, one that works best with work/school schedules, or a day that is totally random, you need to decide WHEN you’ll be getting married. If you’re flexible with dates, try to at least have a general time frame in mind. This will allow you to hire vendors (see next step), choose colors, and a make a myriad of other decisions.
5.) Book priority vendors.
Secure a venue first! It will be the backdrop to 75+% of your wedding day and it should coincide with the style you’ve determined. Find one that best suits your vibe, guest count, and wallet! Booking a wedding planner (if you’re hiring one, and we highly recommend you do) and a photographer should be the next items crossed off your to-do list. Other providers like a florist, caterer, DJ, and videographer should be considered after that. Here are some other tips on when to hire your wedding vendors!
There are a whole lot of other steps that follow, but these first five are a great start to the wedding planning adventure! No matter what you do, remember to have fun! This is supposed to be one of the happiest, most joyous times of your life…don’t let the stress of it all ruin that for you.
What were the first few steps you took in the wedding planning process? Have you crossed any of these items off of your to do list yet? Comment below and tell us how things are going!
Great advice to get the couple started on the right path to a wedding they love and one that can afford.
YES! Afford is the key word there. Sticking to your budget is SO important!