He asked….You said yes. Now what?
Since you were a little girl, (or at least since the era of Pinterest) you probably have planned your entire wedding all without having a potential groom. After officially becoming engaged, all those dreams are coming true because you now have a sparkly diamond ring on your finger, a real life groom and a notebook full of ideas waiting on your decision.
You are excited to start planning but you are also feeling overwhelmed. Here is where I can help. I am going to give you the first 6 steps to tackle that endless wedding planning to-do list.
1. Decide on the wedding date
Are there any dates that are significant to you and your fiance’ such as first date, first kiss or a special holiday? If most of your family will be gathering for a pre-planned family event, selecting a date during this time may make sense since most of your family will be in town. You also might want to re-consider selecting a date during this time because it may be a time that can bring on more chaos than normal with the already jammed packed family schedule. If you have your heart set on a particular venue, you may have to re-arrange your date according to the availability of that venue. At this point, you will have to determine which is important – the date or the venue. Another important fact to remember is the date you choose may also determine the cost of your venue. Venues during off season may be cheaper to rent versus renting during the peak wedding season months.
2. Decide on your budget
A budget is going to be your roadmap to keep you on track during the planning process. Remember those 6 feet tall vases with all fresh blooms that you saw on Pinterest? Your budget will determine if you can have those on all of your guest tables or only as a statement piece. We will get to the wedding planner next but she or he can help you with deciding your budget percentages for each category based on industry standards in your area.
4. Decide on your wedding planner
A wedding planner will be your advocate, your confidante and your counselor. She or he will be able to guide you through your Pinterest designs, help you to decide if and where to use those 6 feet vases and be in your corner throughout the planning process. If you just can’t swing a full planning wedding planner consider hiring a planner to come in at the end to tie all of the logistics together and to get you and your wedding party down the aisle.
We Are the Hoffmans Photography
5. Decide on your theme
Along with your budget, your theme will guide the rest of the planning process. If you are planning a modern and chic reception with all glass top tables, you probably don’t want to have your wedding in a rustic barn. Your theme will help determine the best vendors to hire and the best venue that fit your theme.
6. Decide on your venue
The hottest venues will book fast so planning ahead is key. When choosing your venue, don’t forget to keep your theme in mind. Next week, I will give you more insight on choosing your venue.
Imagine how it is going to feel when you have checked off the top six items on that planning to-do list. I promise you will feel a big weight lifted off your shoulder. Don’t forget to check back next week to learn more about selecting a venue.
I am currently booking clients for March 2016. If you want to go ahead and take care of #4 on the list contact me here.
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