Congratulations, you’re engaged!

Being engaged and beginning wedding planning should be a fun experience, but sometimes it can feel stressful or overwhelming instead.  You may be wondering where to begin as you start visualizing your wedding day. What should I do first? How much is this wedding going to cost? Who should I invite?

Here are three things we recommend you put at the top of your wedding planning to-do list.

1. Discuss key wedding planning decisions with your partner.

Once engaged, the first step in the wedding planning process is to sit down as a couple and discuss three key wedding planning topics.

First, establish who is involved in the decision-making process. Throughout the wedding planning journey, you will be faced with countless decisions. Where will the wedding take place? How many people will be invited? What is the overall vibe of the day? It is important that you and your partner decide early whether decisions will only be yours or whether your parents or other family members will be contributing.

Next, as you think of all the initial considerations, you’ll also want to figure out your overall budget. Talk with anyone contributing financially to gather the information needed to set your maximum wedding budget. Before you start booking anything, it is crucial to decide how much you’re comfortable spending.

Lastly, talk with your partner about your top priorities for the wedding day. Perhaps your top priorities are the food, or maybe it’s having a live band. Regardless, it’s important to remember the must-haves as you begin to work through your budget and plan your wedding day.

2. Hire a wedding planner.

Okay, okay, I know we’re biased, but for many people, your wedding day is one of the most important (and expensive) days of your life, and we believe you should be able to enjoy it! Like your engagement, your wedding day happens once, and it will be over in the blink of an eye! So why not hire someone who will allow the wedding planning process to be stress free and enjoyable? A wedding planner guides you in the decision-making process based on your priorities and budget. Planners help you mediate between different opinions throughout the process. Plus, they allow you to be fully present on the wedding day! There are wedding planners for all kinds of people and budgets, so regardless of how long you’ve been engaged, now is a great time to begin looking for a wedding planner who is within your budget and set up a few consultation calls to find the best fit for you and your partner.

Pro tip: Book your wedding planner before you book a venue. Your venue choice will have a huge impact on the rest of your budget and planning, and a wedding planner can make sure you’re making the best choice for your vision and budget.

3. Determine your VIPs and ensure they can attend on your ideal wedding date at your preferred location.

Your third top to-do after getting engaged is to determine your VIPs – your loved ones you can’t imagine your wedding day without. Check with them to ensure they can attend on your ideal wedding date at your preferred location! Being transparent with your inner circle is a great step towards ensuring they’re all able to make it to your wedding day.

All in all, enjoy this amazing time of being engaged! Wedding planning tasks can quickly pile up, but I encourage you to take a step back and a moment to breathe before diving in too deeply. Booking a wedding planner will save you time and stress when getting started, so contact us if you’d like to work together to plan your dream wedding day!

Booking a wedding planner will save you time and stress, so contact us if you’d like to work together to bring all your great ideas to life!