Planning a wedding can be overwhelming and confusing! Where do you even start?? I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be that way. Just take a deep breath and let’s talk about it!
First things first,
just enjoy being engaged!
You’ve just said yes to marrying your best friend! This is such an amazing, exciting time so just soak it up. Relax, spend intentional time together and imagine your future without the stress of having to make decisions.
Once you’ve settled into the engaged life, you can start thinking about what you want your wedding day to look like. Here are some good places to start when you’re ready to jump into planning your wedding! These are not in exact order because everyone is different and things will be unique for each wedding and couple. I suggest focusing on nailing down the big things and the things that are most important to you!
The time of year you want to have your wedding can make a big difference. Depending on where you live there may only be certain times of year you can feasibly have a wedding! Here in Texas, some of the popular times are spring, early summer, and mid to late fall. Knowing what time of year you want can help you determine potential dates based on weather, and whether you want an outdoor or indoor wedding!
Choosing where you want to get married can be intimidating, but don’t let it be! Some people choose a place that’s meaningful, like the church they’ve grown up in for their ceremony and somewhere fun for their reception and other people like to have everything in one place. If you don’t have a meaningful place that you want, I’d suggest picking a venue that fits the vision you have for your wedding whether that’s classic, elegant, modern, or simple. And make sure to find a place that fits your needs as far as space for your guests, space to get ready, and for whatever else you’re envisioning.
Finding a photographer is something that should go along with choosing a venue and a date. If you have someone you know you want to work with then reach out to them with some of the ideas you have and see if they’re available! The last thing you want is to book a venue on a certain date to learn that your favorite photographer can’t shoot your wedding after all. I think it’s so important to pick a photographer that you love because your photos are the thing you have to remember your wedding day by. So don’t hesitate to meet with a photographer, and once you’ve booked to go ahead and get your engagement session on the calendar. Doing your engagement session early in the process will allow you to get your photos back in time to send out save the dates, and will make you more comfortable when your wedding day comes! Curious about my take on engagement sessions? Check out my blog post about why I think they’re essential here.
I believe that a having a wedding planner is a must-have! Every couple is different in how much of their wedding they want to plan themselves, so whether you choose a full service planner or month-of planner is totally up to you! Planners are an amazing resource for you as you make decisions and look for other wedding vendors. I find that no matter what, brides (and grooms!) tend to relax and enjoy their wedding day so much more if there is another point person that they can hand things off to on that day. So 10/10 I’d recommend finding a planner so you don’t have to worry about anything on your big day!
Last but not least, I’d say go ahead and start thinking about your guest list. You’re not committed to inviting all the people on this initial list by any means - but this can be one of the most daunting tasks of planning a wedding, so start early! You can start collecting addresses for people you’re sure will be there to save yourself some stress later on, and knowing about how many people you’re inviting will help you make some of your other choices, like how big your venue needs to be, etc!
There are so many things that go into planning your unique wedding day, but I hope this gives some direction on where to start and I promise everything will fall into place! At the end of the day, if you married the love of your life then it was a success!
