I say this a lot. One of the favorite parts of my job is meeting with couples and talking about their wedding day. I want to hear about everything from the dress to the flowers to what the guys are wearing. By the time I meet with couples, most of the big stuff is planned. Invitations make their way to the middle of the planning list, which is actually perfect.
But I have met with couples who don’t even know where to start. I mean, how many newly engaged couples have planned a wedding before? And I’m sure that moms/sisters/friends/cousins/random people on the street are giving you their opinion on what you should and should not do.
If you’re just getting started, here are a few tips from me on where to begin.
- Take a deep breath! – Unless you have to get married tomorrow, there is no rush in planning your wedding. Take time to be engaged! Talk about your wedding dreams and what you both want for your wedding day. And then start reaching out to vendors based on your dreams.
- Who’s paying for this anyways? – Ah…the big budget question. How much money do you want to spend on your wedding? That’s something only you know the answer to. Do you have parents contributing to the wedding fund? Are all parents or just a few? How much money do you want to spend? Start penciling down some numbers BUT keep an open mind. Again, you’ve never done this before so start researching how much things cost. If you’re dreaming of a floral filled wedding day but have $100 in your budget for flowers…you may be disappointed.
- Location, location, location. – The start of your wedding plans should be planning where you want to get married. Do you have a specific venue you want to get married in? Or maybe it’s even location…destination weddings are so popular! Narrow down where you want to get married. Sometimes, that’s more important than WHEN you want to get married. Venues book up, so if you do have a favorite location, find out what days the have available and go from there.
- Inquire with Vendors – The only way to know what you like and what you can afford for your wedding day is by reaching out to vendors. Most vendors will be more than happy to meet with you (usually free consultations) to give you an idea of what things cost based on what you want. I have pricing on my website so I’m upfront about your investment into invitations. Where do you find wedding vendors? Some of my favorite websites are TheKnot.com as well as Nebraska Wedding Day and All About Weddings Omaha, for local Omaha and Nebraska vendors.
- Pick your non-negotiables. – What have you been dreaming about for your perfect wedding? Is it that cathedral long veil? Is it that Kim and Kayne-esc floral wall? Or maybe sending out invitations that will wow your guests. Figure out your top categories and reach out to those vendors first. The rest of the details will fill in.
Wedding planning can be overwhelming, but if you slow down and decide what you actually want for the big day, start there.