6 Tips for Starting Your Wedding Planning Process
Written by: Cora Gold
Getting engaged is a major life milestone many people experience in their 20s or 30s. While planning a wedding can be a joyful time, it can be stressful, especially if you don’t know where to start.
The first thing you do after getting engaged is break the news to family and friends so everyone shares in your excitement. The second thing is to start planning — but how? This is a moment many people spend their entire lives anticipating. Now that it’s here, you might worry about missing small details while daydreaming about dresses and cake toppers. Consider these wedding planning tips that make the experience easier to navigate.
1. Choose Your Top Three Dates
People book their wedding venues sometimes a year or more before their ceremony date. September and October are the most popular months, so it’s important to plan accordingly.
Choose a date you’d prefer for your ceremony, then pick two back-up dates. You'll already have other options if your top pick isn’t available at your preferred venues. There won’t be any reason to sweat over a lack of availability.
2. Make a Guest List
The size of your guest list is a foundational factor for many wedding planning choices. Work with your fiance to create a list of people you need at your ceremony and those you hope can make it. Highlight them in different colors to tell them apart.
Adding these two parts to your guest list will provide your total. That’s the number you’ll give your vendors to estimate catering, drinks, and more.
Remember, not every guest will make it. Some cancel due to timing or budgetary constraints, which may help reduce costs beyond your postage fees.
3. Create a Basic Budget
Budgeting is the most crucial part of the wedding planning process. Pick a number for your maximum spending limit. You and your fiance will determine this based on how much money you’ve saved and how much you can put away in the months before your ceremony.
Remember that your budget must be somewhat flexible until just before your big day. Each vendor will get a piece of your budget pie, and some will cost more than others.
If you’re on a tighter budget, you might decide to skip hiring a wedding planner and do it yourself. Planning your own wedding can be overwhelming, so be sure to work with vendors who can bring your vision to life within your budget.
4. Consider Your Guests’ Needs
When picturing all the people who will be at your wedding — like parents, siblings or your best friends — consider what they’ll need. They may require accommodations like these to enjoy your big day:
An on-site babysitter or two if you invite families with small kids
Extra seating throughout your venue for elderly guests
A ramp and bathroom accommodations for loved ones who use wheelchairs
Make a list and discuss these needs with related vendors. If your guests are comfortable, everyone will enjoy your wedding as much as you and your fiance.
5. Find Your Hard Limits
Every couple has hard limits for their weddings. Some brides don’t want to compromise on their gowns. They're willing to spend more on a designer dress and reduce the amount of money going into their floral budget.
Talk with your fiance about where you’re comfortable compromising and what’s a hard limit. Finding these preferences early in your planning process can help you save between $80-$400 by making centerpieces at home or baking your own wedding cake.
6. Share Your Planning Tools
You and your fiance might not be the only people involved in your wedding planning process. If your parents or best friend are also helping, share your notes with them. They should be able to access spreadsheets and folders where you’ve saved information related to your big day.
At the very least, they should have the contact information for your vendors in case anything goes wrong. Your loved ones can work with your contracted vendors to shift or reschedule plans if you get sick or can’t reach out due to an emergency.
Enjoy Every Moment of Wedding Planning
Planning your wedding takes a lot of thought and requires attention to detail. Once you know what you’ll spend, who’s on your guest list and what you won’t compromise on, you and your fiance will have a much easier time pulling your dream day together.