When you first start your wedding planning process, it can be incredibly intimidating! So many numbers and vendors and dresses and invites…it can be hard to know where to actually start. If you’re newly engaged and want to make sure you’re getting off on the right foot, or already planning and want to make sure you didn’t miss a crucial step- let’s get started! Here are the very first steps you should take when you begin wedding planning:
1. Estimated Budget- This is the most important thing to have when starting to plan your big day. EVERYTHING comes down to the budget! Sit down with your fiancé and discuss exactly how much you want and are able to spend. If there are others like parents, aunts and uncles, or grandparents who are wanting to help contribute to the wedding, now is the time to have those conversations and find out exactly how much they’re committing to. Your budget effects every other thing you’ll need for your event, and it goes hand in hand with our next step…
2. Guest Count- Your guest count is the second step that effects everything else for your wedding, and it is equally as important as your budget in the fact that if you change one, the other is affected as well. Smaller budget usually means smaller guest count, and vice versa. A change in guest count will change your overall budget, rental numbers, your catering head count, even which venue you can book! Having a good estimated number in mind of how many people you’ll want to be there on your big day will make the rest of your planning much easier.
3. Wedding Date- Believe it or not, your wedding date can have a big impact on your overall budget! The majority of venues have peak season and non-peak season pricing, some with very drastic differences in price ranges. Most also have different pricing for days of the week. The best place to start when picking our wedding date (if you don’t already have a specific one chosen), is to narrow down the season you’re wanting to get married in and find out whether that is peak or non-peak season in the location you’re getting married. That will help you estimate whether that season in that location is feasible for your budget, then you can narrow your date down from there by either selecting one that feels right to you and your fiancé, or by looking at the calendar of your favorite potential venues to see what they have available!
4. Hire a Wedding Planner- A wedding planner is your new best friend while you’re planning your wedding day. You should automatically be adding a line to your budget for a planner! A wedding planner’s job is to make the planning process smooth, relaxed, and easy for the couple. Most planner’s have multiple packages available that range in pricing, ensuring that you can have a planner to guide you along the way without breaking your budget. Having someone there on your wedding day to follow a timeline, ensure all vendors are there when they should be with the items they were contracted for, and put out any fires during the day of is priceless, making sure all you remember of your big day is the love. If you’re taking my word for it and looking for a wedding planner, Moon Child Events would love to assist you! Click here to go to our services page!
