Congrats! You are engaged to the love of your life!! Now, it's time to start wedding planning 💍
You are engaged or about to be engaged if you are reading this - so one of the top 10 things are already done - fiancé ✅
I remember as soon as my husband and I got engaged back in April 2019, it was a whirlwind of emotions and we were escatic but also so lost on what to do next - so I am here to help you! Don't worry, in this article you will find the top 10 things to do when planning for your wedding whether your wedding will be in Texas where I am located or in another state.
1. Enjoy the sweet season of being engaged
One of the most important things to do....take a moment to breathe and reminisce through your love journey and how you've come to this important next step of your lives. It's so easy to start looking on Pinterest and start dreaming of your day but before you do that....keep reading ↓↓
2. Talk to your fiancé - what are y'all's wedding visions?
Before you start discussing any details with anyone else - sit down with your future spouse to hammer out some key important details you will want to discuss before the planning happens. My favorite way to discuss important things are over food because why not!? Make it fun by having a brunch or coffee date! ☕ It's so important to figure out what you both want for your big day.
Some important topics to discuss are:
What size wedding? Small and intimate (50-100), or a big party (100+)
How much do we want to spend? (see #3 for more info)
Do you want a wedding party? How many bridesmaids and groomsmen?
How much does your fiancé want to be involved?
How much do we want our families to be involved in the planning process?
Do we want to hire a wedding planner to help us out during planning and during the wedding? IF you both work full time or time is just tight then I would highly suggest hiring a wedding planner/coordinator to help you out to help ensure all bases are covered and that way you can relax during your sweet season of being engaged and almost married!
What kind of food do we want to serve at the wedding?
What month/day do we want to get married in? (see #5 for more info)
Of course there will be tons of topics to cover and you certainly won't get them all covered in this one conversation but it's a good place to get started.
3. Set a budget
When you set down to really start dissecting some important details, you both probably starting feeling nervous or overwhelmed on how you both want all these fun magical things at your wedding - like a 4 course meal plus a dessert food truck for a late night snack?! But with those fun activities, comes $$$ and it can add up REAL quick REAL fast. That is why #3 is so important - it's time to create a budget and try to stick with it as close as you can. Money doesn't grow on trees sadly 💸 Having a wedding shouldn't put you in debt, and starting a marriage that way is not the best. Here at Simply Martin, we aim to still make your magical wedding day a success but without breaking the bank and helping you and your partner stay within your budget!
Now for 4-6, they go hand and hand are needed to set the foundation for wedding day.
4. Create a rough guest list
Begin compiling a rough guest list. This will be crucial for determining the size of the venue and estimating other expenses. Keep in mind that this list may evolve as you move through the planning process.
From my personal experience, we were looking at venues and making our guest list at the same time. We knew our venue could only hold 200 people to begin with and that was at it's max capacity so we didn't want it full to the brim with people and no where to dance or spread out. Depending on your preference you and your fiance discussed we knew that we wanted our parents to help us with creating the guest list since we knew there would probably be family or family friends we would forget to include in our list. S/O to MK (my mom) and Mel (my MIL) for ensuring we had the closest family and friends at our wedding to celebrate us on our big day!!
5. Pick a date/season
Select a tentative wedding date. Having a target date will make it easier to plan other aspects of the wedding, such as booking venues and vendors. Do you want to have a summer wedding? Fall wedding? Christmas or NYE wedding? Helpful tip: if it is near a holiday, you might have to pay a holiday fee on vendors/venues since they are popular dates so be aware if you decide to go that route.
6. Hire a Wedding Planner or Coordinator
Whew! You've been busy. After you set a budget, create your dream wedding vision and have a date settled on. If what you have done has been so fun and you aren't stressed out at all or maybe you are crippling with anxiety and have no clue what to do next. Both of those feelings are normal and okay! At moments during our engagement season, I felt both of those emotions. One week I would be loving wedding planning, teaching my kinder babies full time and then just enjoying time with friends and family. Then, the next week I could be so stressed out and completely overwhelmed with anything and everything. Luckily, I have the sweetest friends and family that were ALWAYS willing to help out with anything I needed them to do. But one thing I didn't have was a full wedding planner to help me walk through every step of the process. Whether it is in the budget to bring on a full wedding planner or not, there are always options to help relieve some of the stress that brides are carrying through the wedding planning process. I own a wedding + events company now called Simply Martin and I have 2 different options to help brides in different capacities! Whether it is me, or someone else I HIGHLY recommend you hire a wedding professional to help you make your dream day the best! Think about it: you or your family don't want to be running around working on your actual wedding day? So leave it to the wedding professionals at Simply Martin to help you 💗
7. Choose a venue
Now you have some of the details work out, it will be helpful when researching venues to figure out what will accommodate you and your needs! Start researching potential wedding venues. Consider factors such as location, capacity, and style. Once you find a few options, schedule visits to see them in person.
When visiting a venue, they will ask you a million questions which you may already have figured out if you are type A person like me (hi 👋🏻) but maybe you don't have it all figure out yet - which IT IS OKAY TOO! Don't let the venues stress you out more. Take it day by day, and be honest with what information you have and what you are still trying to figure out.
8. Hire the rest of your key vendors (photography, dj, catering) 📷 🎶
One thing I always tell clients or friends when they get engaged is to not cheap out on certain key vendors such as a photographer and DJ! These 2 important vendors can make or break your wedding. Photos last a lifetime and can always be cherished. Hiring a photographer who is skilled and professional is key to ensuring your style is portrayed through your wedding photos!
When you hire a DJ - you'll want to hire someone that can keep the party going on the dance floor and not let the party drag. 💃🏽
WOW! Thank you to all who made it to the end of this (long) but detail list of 8 things you should now once you are engaged! I'm so happy for you and your partner as you start to planning the new chapter of your lives together.
Loved our wedding tips and inspiration? Share this post with friends who are planning their special day. Let's spread the love together!
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