5 Tips for How to Start the Wedding Planning Process
Congratulations, you just got engaged!
Now, the real work begins – starting the wedding planning process to create your dream day.
If you’ve never been a part of someone’s wedding, or never planned a wedding before, don’t sweat. I suspect many readers have been to a family member or friend’s wedding and can remember the basics. As a child I remember attending a few weddings of friends of the family. Granted that was years ago, I can still form an image of the bride and groom, the reception hall, and even them cutting the cake.
I know that attending a wedding is definitely not the same thing as planning one. Which is why I want to help you start down the road in the wedding planning process, through both personal experience and the things I’ve come to learn as a wedding blogger over the past few years.
5 Tips to Start Wedding Planning
- Organize Your Thoughts, Ideas, and Plans: There is definitely a lot to keep track of when it comes to the planning process. You need to know who all your vendors are, what your expenses are, and what items are still left on your checklist.
- Find a great Maid of Honor (MOH): There’s a lot you’re going to stress over, lots of changes, problems with family, and everything in between. You need a really awesome maid of honor by your side who has the time and energy to help you with every step of the planning process.
- Pick 5 Things to Obsess About: Yes, there are a million and a half things to do when it comes to planning your big day, but you can’t obsess over all of them. Pick the 5 things that are most important to you and focus on making those exactly how you want … then, let the other items fall into place.
- The First Thing to Do: The first thing to do in the planning process is decide on the type of wedding you want, the number of people who will attend, the geographic location, and then find/book a venue.
- Start Early: The key to planning your special day is to start the planning process early. The more you get done at the start of the process, the less you’ll have as you get closer to your special day.
Wedding Planning Printable Kit
I have to stay there are a few key things that really helped me in my wedding planning process. The first would be picking the right wedding workbook and planning materials.
One kit I like is this PDF printable wedding planner kit. Choose to purchase and download this PDF if you aren’t looking for a massive book that you have to carry around with writing, tips, and advice. Instead, its a book that you can write down all the things you need to do, and use checklists to help you plan the perfect day.
I did TONS of research, purchased many books, but this was hands down my favorite. After purchasing, I downloaded the files and had them send to a local print shop to get printed in a ring-bound format.
Hire a Wedding Creative Person
The second best move I made was finding Morgana Lamson. After I started working at Creative Market I got to know the CCO well, Gerren Lamson. Gerren was one half of the design team Satchel & Sage, who create incredible designs and textiles.
After working at Creative Market for a while I was introduced to Morgana who became the chief creative officer of my special day. Morgana’s done an incredible job of helping me coordinate and plan all of my printed goods and textiles for my big day. She hand crafted my save-the-dates and is working on my invitation suite.
I suggest that if you’re going through the planning process to find and hire someone to help you with decorations, printables, and helping everything coordinated. It’s important to have someone who can help and has an eye for design and color choices.
Questions to Consider
First things first. What kind of wedding do you want?
Use the questions below to help guide your process so that you can do one of the most important things in the early planning process – book a wedding venue. What I suggest is that you and your fiancé answer these questions individually first, and then come together to see how your answers match up.
- How important is the ceremony?
- What type of ceremony do you want to have?
- Is having the ceremony in a church important?
- Do you want the wedding to be intimate and small or filled with friends and family?
- Does the ceremony and reception need to take place at the same venue?
- Is it important to have live music at the reception?
- Will you hire a DJ, a band, or both?
- Is it important to have the reception venue cater?
- Food options: buffet style or full service dinner?
- Will you have a cake, cupcakes, candy cart, or other specialty desserts?
- Do you want an outdoor wedding ceremony and/or reception?
- Day or evening wedding?
- Is there a specific season you want to have the wedding?
- What things do you absolutely need to have at your special day?
- Who is paying for the wedding?
- How many bridesmaids and groomsmen do you want?
Phew! A lot of questions I know. But I hope you took the time to at least think though each one. That way, you can sit down and discuss with your fiancé to start the negotiating process. Trust me, there will be lots of discussions and negotiating for your wedding planning!
Next Steps
After you’ve taken the time to think through the above questions, then start looking for inspiration. Go on sites like Pinterest, review wedding blogs (like ours!), talk to recently married friends/family, and generally get as many ideas as possible.
Spend a good amount of time to just see what other people are doing so that you can understand what is important to both you and your new spouse.
Good luck and all the best in your wedding planning process!
Meredith
Despite her dreamy wedding blogger lifestyle, Meredith's day job is running ClassicVeils.com and a full-time mom to an active toddler. If she could, Meredith would spend her days taking cruises, helping animals in need, and watching Big Brother!
