You're ENGAGED!? When is your date? Where is your venue? Am I going to be a bridesmaid? Are kids invited? I get a plus-one for my girlfriend/boyfriend of 3 weeks, right?
If you've been engaged for more than 30 seconds, some of those questions should sound painfully familiar.
Stop for a minute and take a BREATH- you've got this!
I know you want to jump into booking your photographer, baker, and all of the fun vendors, but here are 5 quick tips you should consider before filling out that inquiry form.
MAKE A BUDGET
I know that budget might as well be a four-letter word, but it is a necessary evil when you are planning your big day. Look up the average prices in your area to get an idea of how much your wedding could cost and have that dreaded money talk with your soon-to-be spouse and anyone else in your life that might be contributing to your wedding.
Create a budget for each vendor category and make sure you have space to shift funds around to make it work for you. Stay tuned for another blog devoted entirely to budgeting!
SET YOUR PRIORITIES
Picture your perfect wedding day! Do you see huge floral displays, your favorite local band, or a seafood bar? Sit down with your soon-to-be spouse and figure out what is at the top of your list and what you’re willing to compromise on. Make sure you leave room in the budget for gratuities and all of the extra items (cake topper, thank you notes, stamps, etc.) that add up QUICK!
MAKE YOUR GUEST LIST
Who do you NEED to invite? Divide your list into an A-List and B-List and don't promise invites to people before you create the list. Remember that the more guests you invite, the more expensive your wedding will be!
Guest lists can be pure agony for couples. Who gets invited? Who gets a plus one? This is one of the hardest decisions for most of our couples.
Decisions on the guest list can lead to a stressful situation, but it doesn't have to if you use some of these loose guidelines for your list...
Have you spoken to this person in the past year?
Do you spend time with this person outside of work?
Would you be in contact if you didn't work together anymore?
Have they met your partner? Do they even know your partner's name?
Does this person live with their significant other?
Can you imagine your day without this person?
CREATE A WEDDING EMAIL
If your email is a never-ending collection of coupons you never use from stores you bought something from once like mine is, you don’t want your wedding inquiry responses to get lost in the abyss. I recommend making a wedding-specific email so everything is in one place!
Also, remember to check your spam folder! Many response emails from vendors tend to end up there, so give that section a little peak every once in a while to make sure you haven't missed an email from your favorite vendor-to-be!
SET UP AN EASY WAY FOR GUESTS TO GET INFORMATION
Are you ready to give your guest experience an upgrade? Create a wedding Instagram to post your engagement pictures, story highlights for important information, like RSVP reminders and what to do in the area, and use an app like Milkshake or Linktree to create an easy place to link your wedding website, registry, and hotel block!
Think about it- you 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 just create a wedding website or send email reminders to your guests about hotel blocks, ceremony times, and the best local brewery, but how many of them are actually going remember to check your website or look at that email?
The answer?? Not nearly enough...because you will get a ton of questions like: What’s the venue address again? I can’t find the RSVP info, can you send it to me? Where is your hotel block? Are kids allowed?!
But how many of your guests are on Instagram? Probably most of your friends and some family members, hell even Grandma Harriet is probably down with the times. I'm not saying to completely omit a wedding website- but I am saying you can mix it up!
Go ahead and create that wedding Instagram (put it on private) and don't forget to send a friend request to your vendors, too!
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Still feeling lost?? Set up an initial consultation so we can answer your questions and help you get organized from the very beginning so you can feel confident on your planning journey!