Morgan Elizabeth Weddings WOOO! You’re engaged to your soulmate! It’s a wonderful feeling and special time for both of y’all and your loved ones. It’s easier said than done, but if you can, soak up some time for just the two of you so you can enjoy your engagement to its fullest. The planning will be there whenever you get around to it.
We want to make it as easy as possible to help you get your wedding planning started on the right foot. If you’re like Ashley, you had quite a bit of your dream wedding planned out via a Pinterest Board and other ideas you jotted down. If you don’t have a clue, don’t worry… that’s why we’re here to help!
Establish a budget
Determining your budget drives the rest of your wedding planning process. This topic will become repetitive in our blog posts, but it’s for a good reason. It starts with a conversation with your fiancé and then with any others who might be contributing. Make sure you leave a little wiggle room for unexpected charges. We can tell you from experience, you will forget something in your budget…even if you have a planner with suggested costs. Venues charge service fees and taxes… Don’t forget you have to tip other vendors along with supplying their meals. We highly suggest you create a budget tracker whether it’s in Excel, in your planner or simply in a notebook. Expenses will begin coming at you from all angles.
Discuss how you and your fiancé envision your wedding day
Share your dream wedding with your fiancé. You both can share important elements or traditions you wish to have on your special day. This is a time for you to determine the location, size, and what time of year your wedding will take place. Discuss whether your ceremony will be at a church and if there is a certain theme or color scheme you would like throughout your wedding. Don’t hold back on your ideas…you might be surprised with what your fiancé has in mind!
Set Boundaries with your Fiancé
Talk to your fiancé about how much they want to be involved in the wedding planning process. It can easily become the bride’s sole responsibility, but it’s important to talk about this role upfront. Maybe your fiancé will be there for moral and financial support and will leave you to bring your dream wedding to life. Ashley’s fiancé has been hands on since the start. He’s been part of the vendor research process and is a great sound board to bounce ideas off of. While he will say he trusts Ashley to make the right choices since she has good taste, Ashley likes to run ideas past him since it is both of their day! It’s up to both of you to determine what the boundaries will be during the planning process. For Ashley’s sake, it also helps that Stephen is super handy and has been helping build things like their ceremony arch and signage. Kevin also built a ceremony arch and centerpieces to make Shannon’s dreams come true. We’ll have them on the blog to share some of our DIY wedding projects in the future!
Tour Venues and book one
Do not stop at just one venue and say yes. We highly recommend you shop around for venues. Be sure to see different venue styles (gardens, golf clubs, banquet halls, theatres, outdoor sites, etc) and consider whether venues can host both the ceremony and reception. Think about whether they can accommodate outdoor and indoor events. Bring loads of questions with you and take notes. Ashley learned valuable information from each person at the four venues she toured. One would say make sure you discuss x and y with the other venues you tour because each of us design our packages differently. Don’t worry it’s not a secret that you’re probably looking at multiple options. Venues may even ask while you’re on a tour if you have considered other locations.
With everything going on in the world right now, we suggest you secure your venue and date as soon as possible. Ashley actually booked her venue prior to being engaged because her and Stephen knew when they wanted to get married and dates were filling up quickly. Once you select a venue, you can send a courtesy email to the venues you did not select and thank them for their time.
Begin thinking about your bridal party
You have a budget and a venue with a rough guest list in place. Next step is to decide on your bridal party. Who do you want by your side for your big day?! Keep in mind it is ok to have uneven bridesmaids to groomsmen. Bridal parties are TOTALLY up to you… this should be personal to you and can be any size. Shannon and her husband, Kevin, did a smaller bridal party while Ashley and her fiancé, Stephen, will have a larger bridal party. There is no right or wrong way here.
P.S. We’re working on a future post about Bridal Party Proposal Ideas so be on the lookout for it!
Search for other vendors
As your vision starts to become more clear, begin searching for other vendors such as a photographer, videographer, florist, bakery, and entertainment. If you have certain vendors in mind, reach out to check their availability once you lock in your wedding date. If they’re already booked, ask them for recommendations of other companies who have similar styles. The Knot is a good place to start if you need suggestions. Also, talk with other people you know who got married in the same area. There’s nothing better than word-of-mouth recommendations!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the vendor search, check out our Personalized Vendor Recommendation package on our Services page. We will make a customized preferred-vendor list based on your dream wedding vision and budget. This package is available nationwide.
There are many many things on the to do list when it comes to wedding planning, but don’t let everything overwhelm you. Use this post as a starting point to get the planning started. Don’t forget you have us and our MEW bride community supporting you along the way!
