If you are here, then you probably just got engaged! Congratulations!
Now there is a lot to decide and do. You may be feeling overwhelmed.
Here we’ve made it easy for you by providing a Free Wedding Plan to help you stay organized.
We have made a chronological list of what should be decided and done first.
This Wedding Plan will help you plan any type of wedding from start to finish.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
Before you Start your Wedding Planning
Before you even start wedding planning. Sit down with your partner and decide the following things:
What is most important to us?
Who do we want to be involved in the wedding planning process?
What are the key things we visualize on the wedding day?
What is the wedding budget?
Where do we want to spend the majority of the money?
The biggest thing couples fight about is money and miscommunication. Money and miscommunication are actually the leading causes of divorce and you want to start your marriage off on the right foot. Ask these questions without any parents, siblings, or friends around so your partner feels able to speak freely about what they want. Make sure you answer these questions honestly so the other person feels understood and heard.
Once you have answered these vital questions you can go on to the rest of the wedding planning!
Where to Start: Wedding Plan Order
Here is the Free Wedding Planning list of what should be chronologically done. This is the order of general importance and timing. However, at the end of the day, feel free to use this list however is most convenient for you.
Pick a wedding date: Before you do anything, pick your wedding date(s). Your venue, photographer, caterers, planners, etc. will need that date to be able to commit to you. Picking a date that is special to you and your partner is important. However, remember to give yourselves enough time to plan everything. Think about the overall wedding vision, how much time you have, how many people are helping you, etc. Most traditional wedding timelines say to give yourself at least 4-6 months. A lot of couples will have an engagement of around 8-12 months. Some couples plan a wedding in 3 weeks though, so whatever you think is best is what will be best.
Decide how many people want to invite to your wedding: You will need to know a rough estimate of how many people will be attending your wedding. You will need to know how big of a venue you will need, how much food to order, etc. Knowing an exact number is hard when planning a wedding. So a rough estimate will work great. Be realistic about this number.
Pick the venue: Picking your venue will be one of the first things you do because these tend to book up fast. You want to make sure your day is booked. Many venues have certain rules and regulations as well. Some will not let you bring your caterers or decorators. You will want to know that before your book any other services you may not need.
The ring: You probably already have your engagement ring. However, if you need to order a wedding band and/or the groom's ring, you will want to do that ASAP. Special customizations take months. Make sure that is in the process and will be done before your wedding day.
The wedding dress/suit: Similar to the ring, the wedding dress/suit can take months to order or make. You want to give yourselves plenty of time. Make sure that your dress/suit will be in your hands at least a month before your wedding day. Bridal and suit shops are often really good at making sure you will get your dress/suit before your wedding day, but just be extra cautious. The worst thing is for you not to have your dream dress/suit on your wedding day. Give yourself plenty of time, because orders and designers can get backed up and delays do happen.
Wedding Photographer and Videographer: Really good wedding photographers and videographers get booked up FAST. If you want a certain photographer/videographer make sure you contact/book them ASAP. If you are still needing your wedding photographer and videographer Starr Photo & Video creates timeless footage all for an affordable price. You will also want to get your engagement photos done as soon as possible so you can get your invitations out.
Send out Invitations: Once you have the date, place, and engagement photos, you can send out your wedding invitations. The more time you can give your guests usually the better.
Caterers: As we said before, some venues will not allow you to bring in your own caterers. However, if you can, you will want to decide how much you want to feed your guests, and who your caterers will be. There are a lot of great caterers so feel free to be picky and get the one you exactly want.
Wedding Cake: While you are deciding on food, you will want to decide on the design and flavors of your cake. Some couples even choose to do a his and her wedding cake. Some couples choose to serve their cake to their guests and some do not.
Wedding Florist: You must plan with your wedding florist(s) to create the look you want. Many flowers come and go with the seasons, so be patient with your florist because sometimes what you want on Pinterest isn’t exactly what you can get. With more time the florist can make solutions for you to get as close as they can to what you want.
Any Other Decor: It is popular to put big beautiful prints/canvas-prints around the venue of the couple. Then the couple can take those prints and put them in their home. If you do want prints to make sure you get those ordered with enough time. And then any other decor needs to be purchased and organized.
Wedding Day Plan: Once you’ve gotten every ordered and organized, you will want to plan out your wedding day. Create a timeline of what is going to happen, where, and when. Your photographer and videographer can be a great help when doing this. There is also this guide to help you plan your wedding day: https://www.starrphotovideo.com/post/sample-timelines.
Who to Contact Right Away
These are the people you need to contact right away when you get engaged:
Anyone you want to help you plan your wedding: family, friend, or wedding planner
Venues you want to tour
Wedding dress/suit store to make an appointment
Caterer
Wedding Florist(s)
When to Let Go and Enjoy Your Wedding Day
There is a point where you have worked hard to plan everything, that you just need to sit back and enjoy your day. Some things you just can’t control. It is good to accept this at the beginning of your planning. At the end of the day, it is really about you and your partner joining your lives together. Enjoy it when the time comes. Enjoy the process of being engaged. Good luck, you got this!
