Step-by-Step Guide to Planning Your Wedding

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Congratulations, You’re Engaged!!  Where do you even begin when planning your wedding ceremony, celebrations and honeymoon?

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When starting to plan your wedding there are things to consider.

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First, make the engagement announcement.  It’s best to notify your parents and close family members before announcing your engagement, especially when announcing through social medial platforms such as Facebook.

 

Plans and dreams.  Communication is vital!!!  If your fiancé is dreaming big and you are more conservative, how do you meet in the middle?  Firstly, think about the style of the wedding, whether you want a destination wedding on a tropical beach somewhere, a quaint church ceremony, a mountaintop wedding or the cutest little backyard blowout.

 

Determine the wedding month and year.  Depending upon the desired location of your wedding, you may have to book out much farther. It’s a good idea of what month or season you want to get married, if it is a snowy mountaintop wedding of a June ceremony on the beach.

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Determining the Guest List.  Understanding the size of the guest list for both the brides and groom’s family is vital. This will also help determine what venue might be more appropriate for your wedding. Both you and your fiancé should make a list.  You can make edits and cuts as you get farther into the wedding plans.

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Money.  Money can be a great source of stress in planning your wedding.. According to Psychology Today, “Financial problems can affect how we think, act, and feel about our partner in general, causing hostility and marital dissatisfaction. Stressful events affect our moods and make us more sensitive.” Many couples are waiting longer to wed and traditions have changed over the years.  Once upon a time the bride’s parents footed the bill for the whole wedding.. times have changed. It is best to have discussions early on and find out if or how much the parents will contribute.

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Organizing the wedding.  Designate a notebook, or purchase a wedding planner and separate each budget of your wedding into categories. Keep notes on conversations with vendors and pricing.  This is a good way to stay on track with your budget and not completely blow your wedding budget.

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Wedding Ceremony and Location.  Determining where geographically to have the wedding is key.  If you or your fiancé have aging parents and grandparents, having a wedding nearby may be a suitable alternative to having them travel to attend your wedding.

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Wedding Reception Venue:  Determining to have the wedding.  Depending upon the type of wedding you desire, whether it be the beach, a snowy mountaintop, a quiet historic venue you will want to start scheduling visits to venues.

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