Congratulations! You’re engaged! How exciting!
Can you believe that your dream wedding is just around the corner? You’ve finally found your soul mate and now it’s time to tie the knot! After your engagement, you’re on cloud nine, but then reality hits! You have to actually PLAN the wedding! Don’t let wedding planning stress you out. As a wedding photographer, I am an expert in all things wedding & I’m here to save the day. Here is a list of all of the things you need to do in the months leading up to your big day. Let’s plan your wedding!
You’ve got the significant other, you’ve got the gorgeous diamond engagement ring, now what’s next?
1. Figure out what your budget is!
You need to think about a number that works for you, your fiancé, and any parents that will be involved in financing the wedding. Think about everything you will need on your big day and what’s most important to you. What are your must haves and the things that you can live without? Also, keep in mind that you may go over that budget. Just try to stay strong and remember, you don’t need to go into debt planning your dream wedding!
2. Find a coordinator!
You need to be able to enjoy this process, savor every moment, and not let stress overwhelm you. This is where a wedding coordinator comes into play! He or She will help you plan your wedding to a “T” and make sure that everything runs super smoothly! Let your wedding coordinator worry about when the florist will arrive, where your maid of honor is, and what you need to have stocked in your wedding kit!
3. Create a guest list!
What would a wedding be if not to be celebrated with close friends and family? You have to have witnesses don’t you? Unless a free-spirited elopement is more your style, you’ll need to start focusing on your guest list pretty early on! Your guest list doesn’t have to be final in the early stages, but having a good idea of how many people you want to invite will help you choose a wedding venue, hire your wedding vendors, and know how many invitations you need to have printed.
4. Find your wedding venue!
Arguably the most important step! This is when your dream wedding really starts coming to life. Once you find a space that meets your needs and also matches your budget, it will be that much easier to envision what your big day will really be like! Make sure your wedding venue has great reviews when you’re planning your wedding; you don’t want to get stuck with a venue that has a rat problem or doesn’t offer public restrooms! Do your research!
5. Pick your date!
This goes hand in hand with choosing your dream wedding venue; however, you can wait to choose your date until you have found your wedding photographer & video team! If you have a wedding photographer in mind for your big day, reach out to them before you choose your date to check their availability. Save yourself the heartbreak of finding your dream wedding photographer & then realizing their booked on your wedding day by contacting them first!
6. Reach out to your desired photo & video vendors!
If you’re unable to match dates with your ideal photographer, that’s okay! Don’t stress! Just reach out to your back up’s as soon as possible so that you don’t miss out on them as well! Photo and video are a super important part of your wedding day & they need to be booked out just as far in advance as your venues. They are the ones that capture your wedding day for generations to look back on!
I hope this wedding planning timeline has helped relieve some of your pre-wedding jitters! If you’re in the Southern, California area & are looking for a wedding photographer, get in touch with me via my contact page! I have 10+ years of experience and would be absolutely thrilled to be your right hand woman on your big day! Want to see more of my work? Check me out or follow me on Instagram!