Wedding Planning
So you are starting to plan your wedding….right? There are so many thoughts, ideas, and questions flying through your mind. Where do you start? Here is a simple way to get started.
1. Set a Budget
It is important to set a budget for your wedding right away. Whether you, your fiance, your parents or his parents are going to be paying for your wedding, be sure to sit down and discuss the amount of money you’re allowed to spend.
The average cost of a wedding in the United States is around $25,000. It’s okay to have a less-expensive wedding that you and your fiance can afford. A wedding planner can help you stay within your budget.
2. Hire a Wedding Planner
Not only can a wedding planner help you stay within your budget, but they can take the stress away from you during the planning process as well as on your wedding day! Many brides think having a wedding planner will cost them more money in the end, that is FALSE. Wedding planners have more connections to the wedding industry than anyone else which means they can get deals and negotiate prices so you don’t have to.
A Wedding Planner will be there for you every step of the way. You will be able to relax and have fun on your wedding day knowing your wedding planner is there to coordinate the caterer, florist and other vendors that are apart of your wedding.
3. Look at Multiple Professional Vendors
You, your fiance, and your wedding planner should take a look and meet with at least 3 professional vendors from each wedding category before choosing them to be apart of your wedding day. Ex: Meet with 3 caterers, 3 DJ’s or Bands, 3 Florists… etc.
Meeting with different vendors allows you to choose the right one that is compatible with you and your fiance’s personalities. Also make sure they are not apart of your wedding as a ‘side-job’ meaning they have a different profession that does not allow them to be connected to the wedding industry 40 hours a week like they should be and may be less than what you expected.
4. Take Time to Plan
Planning a wedding takes time! Who would have thought? Because a wedding takes multiple months to plan, be sure to set aside time to meet with your wedding planner, different vendors, and to go through wedding magazines choosing which flowers, dresses, and wedding decor you do and do not like. Picking out what you do and do not like from a magazine and taking it with you to meetings will help your planner, florist, and wedding dress professional get an idea of what your vision is for your wedding.
It’s okay if you don’t know what your wedding vision is! The vendors you meet with will help find what you do and do not like. In order to develop your vision… you NEED time.
5. Go With Your Intuition
You know what works and what doesn’t work. If someone you chose to be involved with your wedding day doesn’t feel right, change it! This is your day! What ever way you want something to be done it should be done because you are the the boss.
