I'm Engaged, Now What? 3 Helpful Steps to Planning your Wedding
He proposed, you said yes! Now, you start planning for your special day, the one you've been dreaming of since you were a little girl. Where do I start? How do I create my perfect day? And how do I stay within my budget? What is my budget? When the planning begins so does the stress.
You are not alone. Many new brides find themselves exactly in this spot! Some have sisters, friends, mothers to help make sense of the many ideas, possibilities, and choices you have. Others must make plans all on their own. Either way, once you read this post, you'll be well on your way to designing your most amazing wedding day!
Know Where You Are and Where You Want to Be
Step number one is to become clear about your own expectations for this day. What exactly will your big day be about? Will it be an elegant affair, a casual outdoor event, or something entirely different? Some will want a celebration with family while others may envision a huge party with friends. Do you want your guests to feel they were part of something special? That they just attended the party of the year? Discuss your expectations with your fiancé and be prepared to learn that his could be very different from yours.
Know Your Resources
Step two in planning a successful wedding is knowing how much you have to spend and deciding where you want to spend it. Again, this will vary by couple and by each person within the couple. Today, wedding costs can be shared in a number of ways. More couples are paying for their own weddings, but, in cases where family is helping pay the bill, an open discussion about the budget becomes even more important. (Did you know that numerous free wedding budgets are available online and can be easily modified to fit your event?) Most importantly, be honest with yourself (and your co-contributors) about what items are most important to you; set limits; and then stick to them. If a change needs to be made you will have a clear idea of how much money can be moved from one item to another.
Hold To Your Vision
Step three is the fun part: creating the vision of your day. Here you can day-dream about the magical venue, inspiring flowers, and scrumptious food that will make your wedding so special. Focus on crafting an experience for your guests. What will they feel, see, smell when they arrive at the venue? Will there be soft candle light and gentle breezes? A jazz singer and waitresses in vintage cocktail attire? Creating the vision is all about the five senses - how you can engage your guests at each step of the event, making it a unique experience for all. Use a vision board - paste up pictures from magazines, words/quotes, fabric, colored paper - anything that encapsulates your vision. Once complete, hone the vision into a statement or phrase. For example, “whimsical carnival” or “Gatsby elegance.” Keep this phrase in mind when designing your wedding.
Follow these three steps and other decisions will become much easier. When shopping for a venue or flowers, ask yourself , "Is this Gatsby elegance?" If not, keep looking. If it does fit your vision, the next question is does it fit your budget? And finally, does it help you meet your own expectations for your day?
Using this three-step framework will help keep you focused and within budget.
Happy planning,
Allie
p.s. Have questions about the planning process or looking for tips and ideas? Live in Southner New England? I invite you to attend my I'm Engaged, Now What? Wedding Planning for Brides workshop February 4th from 1:00 - 5:00 pm. Click here for more information.
Other Allie Crowder-Schaefer Classes at Learning Connection:
Start a Wedding Planning Business
Be a Wedding Planner: Start a New Career
Allie Crowder-Schaefer is the owner of Eventium - not your ordinary planning company. An industry professional with more than 7 years experience planning corporate and social events, Allie loves connecting people through the event experience.
