1. Dreaming + Research

First step is to start dreaming! Start imagining what your wedding is going to look like. What does your ceremony look like? Does it have a big beautiful arch? A decorative backdrop? Will you have a friend or someone close officiate? What does your reception look like? Do you want a big beautiful cake? No cake at all, maybe a dessert table instead? Do you have a DJ playing music in the background or do you have a playlist you created playing over the speakers? Do you want a photographer and/or videographer capturing everything?

Once you’ve dreamed up your biggest wedding dreams, research everything you’d want to have your dream wedding and figure out how much everything costs. This will help you have solid expectations of what you’ll need to spend to have the wedding of your dreams! It will also help you decide a reasonable date so you can have enough time to save and book everything you’re wanting.

 

2. Set a Date + Budget

After you’ve researched + dreamed up your wedding, it’s time to officially set a date and budget! Having these two big things set will help you figure out the rest of your planning ?.

 

3. Find + Book Your Venue

You need somewhere to have your wedding! Booking your venue first and foremost will get a ton of undue stress out of the way. Plus, venues get booked the quickest out of all of the services you’ll need. Venues can get booked out 12 months to 18 months in advance! 18 months being the more extreme end but still, venues get booked first!

 

4. Find + Book Your Photographer + Videographer

As a wedding photographer, I can tell you that right after the venue is booked, the photographer + videographer get booked next. We also get booked up to a year in advance! Wedding photography + videography are the two things you’ll get to keep forever outside of your spouse from your wedding day. You’ll want these services set up and ready to go ASAP! That way you’ll know you have those important services booked and ready ❤️.

5. Book a Bridal Shop Appt/Suit Appt.

You ever see something on the rack and think, “that’s gonna look so good!” but then you try it on and it’s not what you thought? That’s why it’s so important to try on a bunch of styles of formal wear for your wedding. Making an appointment also doesn’t mean you’re buying that day! It just means you’re trying things on to see what you like and don’t like, plus it will give you a better idea of what those clothes cost! Lastly, once you’ve figured out exactly what you want in attire, you’ll have plenty of time to order it and have it properly altered to fit you perfectly.

 

And that’s it for the first 5 steps! I hope it helps you begin your wedding planning on the right foot ?. Happy wedding planning!