Where to Start When Planning Your Wedding

Happy New Year! And if you’re entering 2022 newly engaged, congratulations! This is typically a time of year where lots of new couples come to me to start planning their wedding. I absolutely LOVE it!

The early stages of wedding planning are so exciting! It’s a time to truly get excited, visualise your day and consider exactly what you want for your wedding. However, if the idea of starting to plan your wedding is feeling a little daunting right now, this post is for you.

I’m breaking down the steps that you should take at the very start of your wedding planning journey. These are the aspects to consider before you even start thinking about which suppliers you’d like to book, so that you can kick-start wedding planning in the most efficient and stress-free way possible.

Carry on reading to see my step by step guide on where to start when planning your wedding.

Get Inspired & Visualise Your Day

This is the really fun part! Whether you’ve been Pinning wedding ideas for years or you have no idea what you want, begin to visualise how you want your wedding to look and feel. Get inspired by the things you and your fiancé love – whether that’s travel, home interiors or a shared hobby. Visualise the time of year you can see yourself getting married in, the type of venue and the style of your day. And, of course, you can rely on places like Pinterest and Instagram to provide an abundance of wedding inspiration.

Establish Your ‘Must Haves’

This involves a very honest conversation with your fiancé about the non-negotiable parts of the wedding. Consider the aspects that you would really like to prioritise as early on as possible in the planning process. I recommend each writing a list of ‘must haves’ – these will be the things that you absolutely can’t compromise on. Then, write a list of ‘nice to haves’ – things that you would like, but aren’t essential.

Set A Budget

Let’s talk numbers! The ‘budget talk’ can often be an awkward discussion to have, but it’s vital that you agree on a total budget when you first get engaged. There may be some movement in your budget as your wedding approaches, but having an initial figure in mind is so important. Be realistic with this! And make sure that your budget aligns with your expectations for the day. A wedding planner can help you to establish what is doable with the overall spend you have budgeted.

Decide on a Guest List

I always recommend drafting your guest list as early as possible. Having a rough idea of your guest numbers is a must before you begin looking at venues. Whether you’re hoping for a big wedding or an intimate affair, your guest numbers will really impact how you plan your wedding. If you’re looking for advice on how to write your guest list, visit this post!

Consider Possible Dates

Is there a specific time of year that you’d like to get married? Would you ideally like a weekend, or a weekday wedding date? Are there any significant dates that you’d like to be your anniversary? You don’t need to decide on a wedding date straight away – after all, this will largely depend on your venue’s availability. However, it’s good to decide on the year and season that you’d like to get married in.

Hire Your Wedding Planner

If you are looking to hire a wedding planner to support you with your plans, this is the time to do so. They will be able to establish a planning timeline to keep your plans on track, create a budget breakdown and help you source the best possible team of suppliers for your day. Call me biased, but the support of a wedding planner is one of the most worthwhile investments you can make for your wedding. Get in touch to learn more about my Full Planning & Design service.

So there you have it! These are my top tips on where to start with planning your wedding – I really hope that you found them helpful. If you are looking for support with planning your wedding, or would like to learn more about my services, get in touch.