did the holidays leave you with a ring on your finger?!
ENJOY THAT BLISS. and when you’re ready to start planning, here are the FIRST 3 things that you should take care of (even BEFORE engagement photos!)
NUMBER ONE: P R I O R I T I Z E
what are the make-it-or-break-it items for you and your fiancé? is there a venue that is everything you’ve ever wanted? is there a gown the bride has had her heart set on for as long as she can remember? is it essential for the groom that there is a full course meal for the guests? a photo + video team that you connected with months before you got engaged? do you both love autumn more than any other season?
talk about how you want your wedding to feel and the elements you can’t imagine it without. these may change as you get further into the process and realize some things aren’t as important as you thought and others are, but it is SO helpful to have this framework to go back to. for example, my husband and I knew that our priorities were photography, location (venue), and intimacy (feel). we built everything else around that!
NUMBER TWO: B U D G E T
now that you have a good idea of your priorities (things you’re willing to spend the most on), start looking at your numbers. what’s the realistic amount you can and want to spend on your wedding? do you want to wait a bit to save up, or work with what you have? once you have a ballpark, start designating funds to each of your priorities and necessities. re-evaluate. do you need to move things around a bit, or did it land right in the sweet spot? it’s great to do this early in the process because then you aren’t too emotionally attached to one thing or the other! the sooner you have guidelines, the easier the decision making process is later.
NUMBER THREE: D A T E R A N G E
this is the part you probably already know! now that you know your priorities and your budget, you can decide on your date range! the reason I suggest have a date range or a date with a couple backup options is so that you have some flexibility when you start looking for vendors. a lot of vendors are booked up because of covid reschedules right now so you’ll have a better shot at working with the vendors of your dreams if you have options!
and of course…
the next step would be hiring your vendors! finding a location/venue is obviously a big deal, but finding a wedding planner or photographer is pretty up there as well! often, your planner or photographer can help you find a venue around their availability. stay tuned for my next blog post on things to look for when choosing your wedding photographer!
p.s. if you’re at the photographer stage now, message me and I can give you those details right away!
