Planning a wedding involves making a ton of decisions, and it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. If this is you, don’t worry. This comprehensive list will help you regain control.
For those newly engaged with a wedding to plan, this overview contains all the tips and tricks you need—plus a little inspo, too.
Your Dream Wedding
Yes, you know you’re planning a wedding, but what kind of wedding are you planning? Planning a wedding begins with you. What’s your vision?
What theme or aesthetic are you going for?
Is it a big wedding, or a smaller intimate affair?
As you stand there at the altar, how is it decorated? What’s your wedding gown like, and which gorgeous Bella Bridesmaids dress are your bridesmaids wearing?
As guests make their way up the polished marble venue steps, past the woman playing an ethereal tune on her Celtic harp, how do you want them to experience your big day?
It’s imperative you have answers to these questions before you start planning.
Knowing what vibe you’re hoping to achieve is extremely helpful in the decision making process.
If you’re not entirely sure, Pinterest is bursting with all sorts of different wedding-related visuals and ideas.
Budget
Establishing a budget is important, as there are many different expenses associated with a wedding and when combined, they quickly add up.
One way to create your budget is to see what you can afford to spend overall, and then break your budget down by allocating funds from the total amount into each of these categories:
- Venue
- Wedding gown
- Catering
- Wedding cake
- Reception Entertainment
- Flowers/décor
- Photographer
- Hair and Makeup
- Transportation
Your wedding may also include other expenses, so be sure to include those.
Organize
Chances are you want to thrive while navigating the wedding process—and you can, if you’re organized.
The best organizational system is the one you’ll actually use. If you’re old skool—pen and paper all the way—you can buy a planner created specifically for weddings, or use a simple notebook.
You’ll need to keep track of your vendor info, your guest list, where you are overall in your to-do list, important dates, and more.
If you love Notion or other digital calendars, use those instead.
Wedding websites can be an excellent resource as well. They let you post wedding details, registry info, allow your guests to RSVP, and even act as a planning hub—often allowing you to connect with vendors.
Check out the different ones to see which wedding website has the features that will help you the most.
Wedding To-Do List
Okay, you know your budget, you know the theme you’re going for, and you have a way to keep everything organized.
Now, you’ve got to create your complete to-do list, ranked by priority.
Luckily, there are tons of free resources and templates online that help ensure you don’t miss a thing. Most include everything you need to accomplish broken down over a 12-month timeline, and each task is ranked by priority.
The goal is to make sure you jot down everything you need to accomplish, with enough time to complete it.
Delegate
Guess what? You don’t have to do everything yourself.
Chances are, your fiancée, bridesmaids, and future mother-in-law can accomplish some of the tasks on your list—and perhaps do it better than you.
When delegating, a good way to frame it is: What are you looking for, and who do you know that can help?
Just be sure that you’re clear about what your expectations are, what your budget is, and when you’d like the task to be completed.
Wedding Day Timeline
Failing to come up with a wedding day timeline—and sharing it with vendors and everyone involved—is a recipe for disaster.
You need to know when to set up the venue and who’s helping with what.
You need to know when to be ready.
Your caterer needs to know when to have the food ready.
The band needs to know when to hit the stage.
Collaborate with everyone involved and create a timeline that everyone is aware of.
Appoint a point of contact who can alert those who are impacted should something fall behind schedule.
Thank You and Goodnight
As the night draws to a close and you make your grand exit, be sure that you have people who stay after the guests have left to help clean up the venue.
Keep track of who each of your gifts came from, so you can thank them.
And finally, don’t forget to thank all the people who rallied around you, and helped make your wedding day dreams come true.
Conclusion:
Navigating the wedding process feels like a lot because it is a lot.
However, with clarity, organization, and a little help from your friends, it’s something anyone can do.