It Happened! So your partner asked or maybe you asked, either way you are now about to start the planning for your Wedding Day! But where do you even start??
There is just so much to do, so many Vendors to book so many options, so much research to do. Everything is just super overwhelming!
I broke down the beginning process in a couple steps to make things easy and keep your focus. I will be diving into these subjects more throughout my blog posts so please check back for more!
"You want to get those good happy bride vibes!"
First things first! I want you to write down all your must haves, the things you have always imagined for your wedding day, that are non-negotiable. I want you to make sure your list mentions the absolute necessities too. What kind of Venue, ceremony site, wedding dress, veil, hair and makeup services, And photographer. These, for most people, are all must haves. These are also the things you are willing to spend what you need to, to have the very perfect one for you. And once you have found the one that fits your style, personality and vision, you are booking regardless of price.
You are going to begin to create a vision board for your wedding.
Vision boards are such an amazing way to create focus and narrow down or even discover your personal style. You can do this on your Instagram, Pinterest board or a poster board and a couple wedding magazines. Don't over think it, just collect everything you love looking at. Go through occasionally and weed out things, and eventually you will start seeing similarities in style. Like, everything is colorful or neutral, lots of flowers or greenery. All the hair styles look boho and makeup styles are bronzy. You May see that you are drawn towards more photo journalist shots in cool filters and everything is outdoors. From here, you will start imagining what your wedding may look like and what to strive for when searching.
Second, begin writing a budget. Honestly, lots of people are unaware of how expensive things can be when It comes to weddings, so you want to do some research.
If you have some places or people in mind that you would like to hire, contact them and ask for a price list and contract. Trust me, they will be Happy to help!
Go ahead and ask several people and places so you can get an average price.
This way you can get an idea of how you want to spread out your budget as well.
If you are way over and seriously underestimated how much weddings cost,
go back and reevaluate your wants and needs. Having a 130 guest count at an estate may sound great but you may only be able to honestly only afford 80 people at your local Golf Course. Maybe you had a dress by some amazing designer in mind but its time to see what Davids bridal has instead, and that is okay. Your budget is so important when planning because you don't want to get in over your head, be frustrated or disappointed and have it ruin your experience. Remember, at the end of the day you throwing a party for your friends and family that love you and you are getting married to the person you love! Sure showing off is fun, but if you can't pay your bills and you and your new spouse have to move into your parents house now, well that is no fun!
Create a budget that is realistic by evaluating your income and finances.
You may even want to start a savings plan or have a longer engagement so you can afford the things you want. You can also see what small loans are available. I had a very good experience with Prosper which is a loan through investors instead of a bank. They assume some risk as a lender but you get an easy low interest loan.
The Third step, would be to come up with
a date, now for lots of people that date is the first thing they think of but personally, when it comes to a wedding date, I would have several in mind.
Some people choose a date and stick to it like it will win them money. Being flexible makes it so much easier to coordinate with all vendors and it can really make a huge difference in price.
Also, keep in mind the season you choose can also really effect the venue you pick and the style you are going for. Farm weddings are amazing in the fall, beach weddings are better early or late season like May or mid September to beat vacationers and humility, Winter weddings are great at Golf courses and historical venues because everything is decorated for the holidays so this can cut down on your decor budget. So when planning your wedding date think about all that goes into that season and that will also help narrow your search.
Now that you have your budget together, some dates and your list of Must haves you can now start your search. Sites like the knot and wedding wire are amazing places to begin. They offer so many great wedding planning tools and vendors search tools that narrow it all down according to the style, cost, guest count etc. I actually advertise on both of them, so I highly recommend!
When you are contacting these vendors Don't be afraid to ask questions, schedule visits, trials and meetings. You want to get those good happy bride vibes.
Be confident in your choices. your wedding is going to be beautiful no matter what you choose honestly and you and your partner are going to have those memories to cherish for a lifetime.
Good Luck on your Search!
#wedding #weddingplanning #isaidyes #bride #love #weddingplanningtips #planning #weddingvendors #howtoplan
Comments