The world of all things wedding and bridal is something completely unknown until your fiance goes down on one knee and asks you the forever life changing question. And now with your brand new ring, you have a first class ticket into this world of the unknown. Let us be the first to congratulate you! This is such an exciting time, but it can also be stressful. Where do you start? How do you plan a wedding?
Set a Budget:
First things first, let’s set a budget. How much are you realistically willing and needing to spend? Make a wish list of all the things you want for your big day, research what the things on your list will cost: this way the sticker shock and wedding tax doesn’t shock you when it comes down to the bottom line. Make a digital spreadsheet so that everything is easy to track and edit as you go and if you spend under in one area, you can see where those funds can be reallocated quickly and easily.
Let Pinterest Be Your New Best Friend:
Make a pinterest board that you can share with your fiance, mother/mother-in-law, best friend, wedding planner, ect. This way everyone involved will be on the same page from the start in terms of style, theme, and everything wedding related. This will help with planning more down the road.
Make those Empty Boxes:
Make yourself and your fiance a checklist. This will seem ever growing and never ending until the big day, but it will really benefit you in the long run. Start off with simple things: do an engagement photoshoot, set a date, search for venues. Make it light when you start so you don’t get overwhelmed and add things to the list as you check others off.
Shop for Venues:
Go around, find venues and take a look around all of them until you find the one. This is important, take your time and have fun with this part. And before you agree to any one site, read over the paperwork and contract a few times to make sure you aren’t surprised by any hidden fees.
Set a Wedding Timeline:
This way you can organize when you want things to get done. Sort it out by months, and please do not stress if things don’t get done when you expect them too, trust that it will happen.
Set Your Guest List:
Your venue will most likely have a set limit of guests allowed. Divide that in half and have both you and fiance write out your list’s. Start out with the most important people in your lives and go from there. It can be super stressful if you feel like you have too many people, but just talk it over and comb through your list. And remember: too many people at the wedding can be too overwhelming and you might not be able to see them all that night.
Set Up The Party:
Who do you want to be in your wedding party? Figure that out and then propose to your groups! Have fun with this and celebrate with your people. Also: include this into your budget. If you can, include what the bridal party should expect to pay. This is just a nice way to not let them be surprised by anything either.
Insure EVERYTHING:
God forbid anything goes wrong, have a plan. You can insure your wedding and your rings so you have a safeguard in case anything happens.
Find THE Dress:
Now comes the part most of us dream about: finding your dress and having that “Say Yes” moment! Shop on Pinterest, look at websites, and start looking at different stores to see if their style lines up with yours. And let it happen! We can’t plan life moments, sometimes they surprise us. Whether it’s the first store or the store you really didn’t think that you would find it at, let the moment come to you and find your dress!
Wedding planning is hard! We know that, but take a breath and start with just a few things. Have fun being engaged and find whatever first step you need to tie the knot!