You just got engaged, woohooooo!
With blog posts packed inside this post, this is a one-stop shop to begin planning your dream wedding. I’m not a planner, but having walked through many engagement seasons with friends and photographed close to 100 weddings, I’m here to help as you embark on planning a wedding that reflects your personality as a couple, honours your guests and creates a memorable day for all involved.
This blog asks the questions: who, why, where, when and how. These questions are important to answer before you dive into full-on planning mode! Deciding these takes a lot of mental energy, so take the first week to pray, research and process all that’s about to happen!
Let’s get started.
Determine your most important thing.
One of my sweet brides said something simple that has stuck with me ever since: “People are better than things.” Make this your aim as you plan your wedding — to treasure people more than things. This for sure takes the stress off planning something to impress or investing in things you don’t actually love quite like you love your people! All of that said, your budget reflects your priorities. Are floral arrangements really important to you? Or is it the dress? Or the catering and tablescapes? Put your dollars toward things you’ll remember, things that will create an honouring guest experience and things you believe are a great reflection of your personalities as a couple.
Binge Pinterest for two days.
Seriously. Spend two days literally just
pinning things you find beautiful. Don’t worry about developing a theme as you pin… just do it, and you’ll find that a theme arises of things you love! Look up
signs,
florals,
decorations, bridesmaid gifts and allll the things. After you’ve found ideas for your magical wedding, here’s your next step:
Decide your colour scheme.
Run – don’t walk – to Pinterest for
colour palette ideas! This will help shape the look and feel of your wedding. If you’re looking at more
muted colours, you might want a photographer to bring some vibrancy to the day. If you’re looking for bold colours, ramp it up and carry the theme throughout the wedding. Don’t be afraid to choose something that is totally you, though it might be a bit different!
Contact your venue first.
Make sure that your date is secured before you plan anything else! Choose somewhere that fits your priorities (
click here to read more) and ensure that it fits within your budget. Ask alllll the questions (
click here to read more) and make sure you have all the information before making a decision. Your venue will be the biggest piece of your budget, so it’s a key piece!
Contact three photographers.
I suggest this before choosing your wedding planner/coordinator because they often have suggestions of people they like to work with. If you have someone in mind (
hello, contact me here!) or are in love with a photographer’s work, you can make this decision yourself! Just be sure to read this list before you decide. Spend some time on Google and Instagram to find a photographer in your area with whom you seem to fit.
Contact a wedding planner or coordinator.
Trust me, you don’t want to be the one on wedding day who has to delegate, answer questions and coordinate. A wedding planner or coordinator not only Choose someone who fits in your budget range, gets your vision and can be a peaceful, calming presence while being a total #bossbabe at the same time. See
five reasons why you should hire a wedding planner here.
Schedule your dress appointment.
Dresses take an unusually long time to make, so don’t delay! Let expectations go and try on absolutely anything. More often than not, brides end up choosing something they wouldn’t have originally picked. Dresses can look so different on your body compared to online. Here are
five wedding dress shopping tips every bride should know.
You’ve got it nailed down!
Those are the big rocks, friend! As long as you have a venue, planner, photographer and fiancée, you’ve got the biggest things nailed down! Choosing the best vendors for your day will be a huge relief and will help you to hand over the reins throughout the process. I hope you choose the best vendors and really get to answer the questions who, why, where, when and how.
