Congratulations on your engagement! Looks like someone is going to get married soon. Have you started planning your wedding? Is it going to be a simple or elegant? Where's the venue? What will you wear? Who's going to be your bridesmaid? What's on the menu?
Wedding planning itself is an amazing life experience, yet it brings a lot of challenges if not planned carefully. We know once you're engaged, people start asking about your wedding plans!
How Long Does It Take To Plan A Wedding?
Plan your wedding at least a year in advance to avoid any unnecessary stress. Yes, weddings have been planned in a week, but there are advantages to giving you more time!
Is it Good to Plan a Wedding in Advance?
If you plan your wedding well in advance, you can save a lot of money and stress. Wedding venues and vendors are booked months in advance, so the sooner you book, the cheaper. The second-best thing is that you can save some extra cash to spend if you like. You can get your body in shape.
If you're looking for wedding lingo, take a look at our wedding dictionary with words and meaning.
#1 Set A Clear Budget
It's true that your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event, so getting emotional and spending more is often considered legit by everyone. But you must remember that the years following your wedding are the most important ones, so think carefully before saying yes to anything.
Instead of turning your beautiful wedding event into a financial worry, make it a joyful occasion by setting a clear dollar figure on paper because this will help you in the next chapter of your life. Start asking questions like How big venue you need? How many guests will you invite? To start with your wedding budget, ask the question: who is paying for what?
Download our free Ultimate Wedding Guide that includes budget tracker spreadsheet (Google Sheet and Microsoft Excel based) to put your budget number and kick off your wedding planning!
Pro Tip: Try setting aside 20% of your monthly salary from now till your wedding date to use toward your honeymoon and other special expenses.
#2 Define Your Wedding Style
Once you know how much you've got in your pockets to spend, it becomes a lot easier to find what wedding style you actually (I repeat, actually!) need.
When it comes to wedding planning, two key aspects define everything from wedding time to venue and decor to food, i.e., wedding themes and wedding colors.
Begin your wedding planning by exploring themes and colors to see which fits the perfect to your style because that's going to set the mood for your wedding.
I personally like fall wedding colors but if you like the summer season, then you definitely go for summer styled wedding theme such a beach or barn. See, it's that easy!
Pro tip: Take a paper or notepad and list the top 05 things you want the most on your wedding day.
Explore our blog and other popular magazines such as Brides to get a clear idea (only after you have set the budget, otherwise you might feel tempted!) of what you want your on your big day because whatever you like will reflect you as a person on your big day.
Pin the favorites on your Pinterest.
Again but worth it: don't forget to discuss this with your partner and important family members.
Recommended read: 08 Steps to Avoid Common Wedding Planning Mistakes
#3 Get Ready Your Guests List
We have seem new couples not paying attention while making their guest list. It's always someone who pops up the next day to be added to the list because you don't want to feel guilty for not inviting them. Take a look at our dedicated article on “How Many People Should I Invite To My Wedding?“
04 tricks while planning your guest list:
- Allow your parents a set number of invitations and hold them to it
- Do not invite coworkers if you are not friends outside of work
- Take children off the list to save cost on food and entertainment
- Remove the “plus ones”. If your friend is unmarried, he can travel alone (and perhaps meet a nice lady at your wedding?)
#4 Set a Wedding Date
Now that you know your budget and wedding style, the next best thing is to decide a wedding date.
Don't stress too much about picking the perfect wedding date right now; that's not as crucial as other aspects of planning the wedding.
Keep in mind that your loved ones will be there for you whether you want to have a summer wedding in a barn or a cooler October reception at your backyard wedding event.
Pro Tip: More people to discuss your wedding date means more wisdom on your table!
You are going to need another catch-up with your to-be hubby and/or important family members to present the following information to decide the wedding date.
- Budget
- Wedding style
- Guest list
Here are some words of wisdom to help you get started:
- If the anticipated wedding location is close by, it will be simple to arrange the standard details like cuisine, music, logistics, etc.
- An unusual location, such abroad or in the country side, you might need more time to carefully organize so set a date a bit far.
- Think about your guests if they are required to travel
- And vendors too to ensure they can make it there
- Take a look at the calendar to see if your proposed date is not in the middle of the holiday season
- Find out which date is the most acceptable by doing a social media poll or suggesting two potential ones
- Make a note of your current financial situation as well as your anticipated wedding costs
#5 Choose a Wedding Venue
Once you know the wedding timeline, style (including location), guests, and budget, it's time to hunt for the best place to host and celebrate your wedding. By now, you might already know what type of wedding venue you need (or can afford!).
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From barns to indoor, beach, and Disney venues, we believe there's always a venue for every couple! Scroll back to the top, and you can see a picture showing a pie chart with wedding budget breakdown information. I have included many other tips and tricks to save money on wedding venues. Get your copy of the Ultimate Wedding Guide ebook.
How to find a perfect wedding venue?
Wedding venues should complement your wedding style, which includes your wedding theme and colors. Start looking for an ideal wedding venue during the off-season to save money and get superior service.
If you do a search on Google, you can find just about any venue suitable for a wedding. Always check the source of the information to see if it is an advertisement or a genuine search result, as the internet is filled with both. You can thank me afterwards. In a hurry? Check out our small wedding ideas on a budget to get some inspiration.
Check out our free ai-powered wedding hashtag generator to create some unique and memorable hashtags for your big day!
The Next Major Steps
Next major steps in wedding planning become lot easier once you have overcome the previous ones. Here are the key next steps:
- Wedding vendors: Go for a complete package for venue + vendors
- Wedding Party: Give them the freedom that they deserve to bring their creativity
- Dresses & Accessories: Explore our curated collections on wedding dresses.
- Invitations: Take our guide on how to save money on invitations.
- Wedding Registry: Start creating the registry on websites such as Amazon.
- Honeymoon: Book travel and accomodation for off-season to save more money
Conclusion
So you made it to the end of this article. Good on you! As you can see, the two major players in wedding planning are budget and expectations. The more you expect the more you need money to fulfil the dream. Wedding planning is an costly affair, so don't ruin it for the sake of pleasing others or getting too emotional. Your wedding is a beautiful chapter of life that opens the doors to the next beautiful one, where you'll soon become parents. We hope you enjoyed our guide to wedding planning. Don't forget to share this guide with your loved ones. Ciao!
