Planning A Wedding 101

First, congratulations on your engagement! Now that you’re engaged, it’s time to start planning your wedding. While some people prefer to let wedding planners handle all the details, you can plan and execute a perfect wedding on your own. This process is long and a little stressful, but in the end, it’s all worth it when you both say, “I do.” We have put together some tips on making your wedding planning process just a little bit easier.

Set Your Budget

This part of the process isn’t romantic, but it will be one of the most important factors as you move along. Before you begin planning, determine your budget. Now is the time to speak with any family members that may be contributing financially to your wedding. Have a talk with them about what they feel comfortable spending. If you’re covering the wedding yourself, it’s time to look over your finances to determine a number that you don’t want to exceed. Remember that a wedding can be expensive, so take a hard look at your finances and plan out a specific budget.

What Are Your Priorities?

After you determine that budget, now is the perfect time to go through your priorities. What’s the most important thing for you and your partner? Is it the wedding venue? The band? Whatever they are, write them down. This will give you an idea of who you need to talk to first and it may show you that some stuff may not fit within your budget. Once your priorities are set, begin those phone calls and visits to kick off your wedding planning.

Find Your Style

Ready for some fun? It’s time to figure out the wedding theme. There are multiple ways you can go about this, but some of the easiest and most popular are scrolling through wedding Pinterest boards and bridal magazines. Take some time to find the designs and looks that suit you (and your budget), and then pick the final one for your wedding. Your theme will be incorporated throughout the venue, dresses, and decorations.

Organization Is Key

As you get further into the wedding planning process you will have multiple contacts, invoices, and dates to remember. It’s vital that you stay organized right from the start. Today, it’s easy to create an Excel spreadsheet on your computer to keep track of almost everything. When you first start the wedding planning process, create an Excel spreadsheet, and take time each day to keep track of your contacts and finances. This will save you the hassle down the road and let you enjoy the wedding planning process with just a little less stress.

Work On The Guest List Early

You always hear how tough it is working on the guest list, so start the process early. There’s a good chance that your guest list will have an effect on where you have your wedding and the reception. It’s important to get with your significant other and close family members to work on narrowing down the list. Remember that you will have to consider whether or not you want to invite children or allow a “plus one”. The odds are that you will have to make cuts and that’s okay!

Planning for a wedding is a long process that requires time and effort from both you and your partner. We can’t stress how important it is for newlyweds to talk to married couples for advice when it comes to planning their special day. Every couple and wedding is different, but these are a few tips to help you out a little bit as you get started.

Need help managing your time? Check out our wedding timeline checklist.