Recently, I’ve noticed a lot of proposals on my feed. So, let me start by saying CONGRATULATIONS to all of you who said, YES! Take a few days or even a couple weeks to just celebrate! This is such an exciting time for you and let me tell you, marriage is the greatest!

Now that you’ve celebrated, I’m sure your mind is racing with everything that needs to be planned. It’s all very exciting, but it can also be somewhat overwhelming. To help you, I have put together items that need to be done right away.  Here are the first five steps of wedding planning!

1. Set a Budget
   • This is one of the most important steps in the wedding planning process and if I were honest, this isn’t always fun. However, it sets the foundation for all of your wedding purchases and helps you to stay on track! Below is a list of the basic wedding expenses to consider:
   • -Ceremony/Reception Venue
     -Photographer and Videographer
     -Florist
     -Catering
     -Musicians/DJ
     -Stationery
     -Decorator and decorations
     -Bridal gown, veil, jewelry, shoes
     -Groom’s attire
     -Wedding rings
     -Hair and makeup
     -Officiant
     -Musicians
     -Bridal party gifts
     -Honeymoon
   • Here is a site that has a wedding budget spreadsheet. You can click on the link and choose to download a PDF file or editable excel file. Don’t feel like you have to use this one, there are plenty out there and any of them will work! This spreadsheet will help you stay organized and plan accordingly!

 If you are anything like me, I am a very organized person and like to have everything in one place. I also had a wedding binder and separate tabs for each category. Every tab included photos of what I wanted, costs, contracts, etc. 🙂 Just a side note: Choose the most important items to you and make those the biggest budgets. I have seen weddings with budgets from $5,000 – $40,000+. The $5,000 weddings can be just as beautiful as the $40,000 weddings. In the end just remember, it’s not all about the decorations and details… it’s about you and your sweet fiancé promising to love and cherish each other forever.
2.  Choose a Theme
   • When deciding on a wedding theme there are a few things to keep in mind:
     • Personal Style – Think about you and your fiancé. Do you both showcase a similar style? Is it outdoorsy? Clean/Modern? Love Vintage? Incorporating your own touch into the wedding makes it even better because it is a representation of you two as a couple! For example, if you love being outdoors, consider having your ceremony in the woods!
     • Season- If you are envisioning an outdoor garden wedding then it will have to take place in the spring/summer months.
     • Meaning- Are there any special details in your hometown or did you and your fiancé meet in college? You can always incorporate a special place of meaning while choosing the theme.
     • Location- A building, city, or state can set the mood and your wedding vision. For example, you typically don’t see a formal black and white tie wedding inside of a barn.
     • Colors – Typically you can make most wedding colors with any theme. However, a rustic country wedding will usually have a least one type of brown or black color.
3. Select a Wedding Date and Book your Wedding Venue
   • Selecting your wedding date was thankfully an exciting and easy task for me! We got married on the same date that Brian (my husband) asked me to be his girlfriend, and the day he proposed to me (with our pup, Kya!). I know this often isn’t the case. There are so many factors that could determine the wedding date and the first step I recommend is to select which season you want to get married. Once you decide on the season, talk with your family and close friends that will be involved in the wedding. Find out if there are any other weddings or big events already on the calendar that would interfere with your date selection. Once you have narrowed down these two important details, it’s time to begin your search for your wedding venue (refer back to #2 above!) Connect with the venue to set up a time to take a tour, learn about their wedding packages, and look at their wedding date openings. This is when you get to officially select your wedding date! Just a heads up, because wedding venues ( just like photographers) book up quickly. Past brides have had to change the wedding date/season they wanted in order to have their dream venue. Decide which is most important to you (Date or Venue) and go from there!
4. Book your Wedding Photographer and Videographer (and other important vendors!)
   • I recommend contacting photographers/videographers as soon as you finalize your wedding date! For most couples, this is 6-14 months out. 

Be sure to do your research when booking your photographer/videographer! I want you to find the right photographer for YOU! I am not the best photographer for everyone and that’s totally fine. I always tell my potential clients, no matter who they choose as their wedding photographer, I want them to fully love and trust them. Find the one who you love and adore (if that’s me – yay! I promise we will have a blast!!). Do your research, find out their style, what they love to capture, their “why”, and if you genuinely feel comfortable around them. Why is this so important? Because that is when the magic happens and your photographer can capture the beautiful raw emotions and tell your unique love story.
   • Engagement sessions are important! I highly recommend booking your engagement session with the photographer you hire. I personally include this in my wedding experience because I believe it is so important! During this time, I build a relationship with each couple and get to know them on a personal level. I teach them how to interact naturally in front of the camera, so my couples don’t have to be nervous for portraits on their wedding day!
   • Here is a list of other vendors to consider:
     -Florist
     -Catering
     -Ceremony Musicians
     -DJ or Live Band
     -Stationery (Save the dates, invitations, etc.)
     -Decorator
     -Wedding Coordinator
     -Hair and Makeup Artist
     -Officiant
5. Cherish this Time!
   • Yay! Celebrate! The big decisions are over (picking a budget, theme, and venues/vendors)!  It’s now time to relax and start on the little details… select your bridal party, pick out colors and decorations, go dress and suit shopping, taste testings, etc.! Be sure to cherish this time and enjoy this season! It will fly by – trust me! I already can’t believe my husband and I are celebrating our 2nd Anniversary next month!! Also, remember MARRIAGE is more important than the wedding. The wedding will come and go in a matter of hours, but your marriage needs to stand the test of time. Even through this season, continue to make time for each other, it’s so important!

xo,