Wedding Planning: Where to begin!

You just got engaged... Congratulations!

Planning a wedding is an exciting time, but if you aren't careful it can become a very stressful time. My goal is to help you have the exciting times far outweigh the stressful times. From personal experience, I have learned that there are a few things that need to be decided fairly soon after getting engaged in order to get the wedding planning off to a good start. Here is a list of the three things that are great ways to get started on planning your big day.

1. Determine how many guests will attend the wedding

It may seem impossible to know how many people will attend your wedding when you JUST got engaged, and that's because it is impossible. However, without getting a rough count, it is impossible to know how big of a venue you will need and what your budget will be. You can get a rough estimate by deciding if you want it to be a large affair with all your family and friends, or if you want it to be an intimate celebration with just your family and closest friends. Once this is determined you can start to get an idea of how many people will attend and thus move forward with making a decision on the budget and venue.

2. Set a budget

Talking about a budget isn't the most exciting thing about planning a wedding, but it is definitely one of the most important. Once you know about how many will attend the wedding and reception, it is time to start budgeting. It is important to sit down and talk with both sets of parents and figure out who is paying for what so you can start figuring out the details. Once you have a budget prepared it makes it easier to choose a venue, photographer, honeymoon location, etc. because you know how much money you have to work with.

3. Choose a venue

Choosing a venue is an extremely important task to tackle right away. Venues fill up quickly and if you aren't on top of it, you may miss out on the venue you prefer. When choosing a venue, you want to take into consideration the cost and what is included in it, the size, the distance from ceremony to reception if the venues are different, and what the overall look is that you are going for. If you are going for a vintage, rustic look, then a romantic, upscale events center probably isn't the best option for you. On the flip side, if you are going for chic and elegant, then an antique-style barn is not an ideal choice. The biggest thing is to do your research, check out a lot of places and compare them, and choose what you feel will be best for your big day.

Most of all, take it all in and enjoy every minute of the planning. This is an exciting time for you and your fiance and your families. Happy planning!