How to Start Planning a Wedding
How to Start Planning a Wedding
Congrats on getting engaged! Now what? If you’re not an event organizer or wedding planner by profession, chances are, you have the slightest idea of how to put together a wedding! Don’t get intimidated or overwhelmed by the idea because we have prepared 8 simple steps that will help guide you on how to start planning your own wedding.
1. Inform your families
Before anything else, the first thing you must do is to tell your parents or your closest family members about your engagement. Ideally, this must be done in person and both of you must be present. Once it’s done, now is the best time to share the news with your few closest friends - those who are likely to be included in your bride and groom entourage.
2. Purchase your wedding planning journal
Getting your own wedding planning journal at the very start of your wedding planning process is a must-do as it will help you keep organized and on track throughout your wedding planning journey. To help you jumpstart your wedding planning process, download our FREE Wedding Planner Check List!
For stress-free wedding planning, check out our Faux Leather Wedding Planner. Are you having a grand wedding? Never run out of pages on your journal and just insert a few extra Wedding Planner Work Sheets.
3. Set a Wedding Budget
Your budget for the wedding will be the core of your wedding-related decisions. Take note to have a realistic picture of how much you can spend in order to avoid debt as much as possible. You can also talk with your families and ask them if they'd like to contribute to your wedding.
4. Choose and finalize your wedding date
Before booking anything else, come up with a few ideal dates for your wedding. Take into consideration the availability of your preferred wedding venues or whether it’s a popular wedding season as there might be cost implications to it.
5. Find and book venues for ceremony and reception
Scouting for and booking your wedding venues must ideally be done one year in advance in order to have the place on your preferred wedding date and time. It’s nice to have a few venue options in mind so that you can compare the inclusions and prices in order to get the best deal. Be sure to carefully read the contract before signing it off.
6. Choose your wedding party
Now is the best time to decide whom to include in your wedding party. Make the decision with your partner and try to consider who you really want to involve in the planning process and if they are capable of performing the duties required of their position.
Pop the question to your bridal party with our Bridesmaid Proposal Boxes! It’s the perfect way to build your Bride Tribe as you can dress your creative and personal gifts which you've collated to ask the all-important question: "Will you be my Bridesmaid?" Be sure that your
7. Hire priority wedding vendors
Are you eyeing a specific wedding photographer whose work you really love? Is that local band you want to play in the reception always gets booked so fast? These non-negotiable vendors that you want to hire for your wedding should be booked as early as now because once they’re booked, they’re gone and you’ll just have to stick with the second-best or the alternative vendor.
8. Select a theme
Believe it or not, this is the right time to decide on the theme of your wedding! Decide with your partner on how you want your wedding to feel like. Once you have a vision of your wedding, it will be easier to decide on other matters such as wedding gown, invitation, cake design, etc.