Help starting to plan

Before you do anything, first figure out how much you are willing and able to spend. Sit down with fiancé and decide on your top 3-5 areas to focus on and eliminate the rest. Many go with the guest experience (good food, free drinks for guests, good dj) and great photography because photos are all you will have after the memories fade, cake is eaten and the flowers die.

Make a list of those you cannot imagine the day without. Make a second list of those you would only be inviting to please others. Do not invite anyone on the second list. Your wedding is not a family reunion..that is a bbq in the park or your backyard is for on another date.

With all that info, you can search for venues. Eventective.com is a great starting place. Be aware that if you are on a budget, a blank slate venue that allows outside catering is your best bet. Those are venues owned by the parks department, as well as gardens and converted warehouses.

All inclusive venues claim to be cheapest but they don’t tell you until you are locked in that they have a 5-6 figure food/beverage minimum that does not include photography, etc price.

We started by talking our realistic budget, we had conversations (initiated by our parents) about what they're willing and able to contribute, and then sat down with our parents to make a tentative guest list. We discussed the things we wanted in our day (good photographer, all inclusive venue, etc). Then we started to look at venues. We did most of our big items within the first two months for a couple reasons, one all of my family is out of state so we wanted to lock in a date and location so they can plan in advance, and second, a lot of vendors are booking fast because of all the rescheduled covid weddings, so we wanted to ensure we got the vendors we wanted.

Don't worry Taveana! That's what WeddingWire is here for!! 😉

There's a Checklist in your WeddingWire Planning Tools that walks you through wedding planning from start to finish. The first things you should talk about are a potential timeline, location, and guest list size! Here are a few helpful guides to get you started:

Just Got Engaged? The 8 Things You Need to Do First

How to Plan a Wedding Step by Step

7 Things Couples Should Agree on Before Wedding Planning