Where to start 😬

Congratulations on your engagement!
A wedding involves a couple, officiant, and a witness ... everything else is optional. For the party (reception) set a budget, don’t go into into debt, and be a proper host (guests are fed, provided beverages, and don’t open their wallets to pay for your party). Keeping the guest list small helps accomplish this.
The wedding is one day but the marriage is a lifetime; keep your SO tight while planning and be on the same page for big decisions.Congratulations!!!! Best wishes and enjoy!

On another note ... you’ll get a lot of advice and opinions. What is most important is that you and your fiancé are on the same page. Be there for each other. It’s your wedding; not your parents or friends or ours ... this is between you and your fiancé.
Again, congratulations.

Congratulations!

Do’s and don’ts are quite subjective so I don’t have any to share other than DON’T look at options outside your price range. Nothing is worse than falling in love with a dress or a florist or a band (etc) that is outside your price range and realising you can’t make it work. Spare yourself the heartache by being prudent in looking at options within your budget.

My advice otherwise is evaluate your non-negotiables, that is, the things you cannot imagine not having at/part of your wedding, and once you have that sorted, allocate a portion of your budget for everything.

Congratulations on your engagement, and welcome to Wedding Wire!!

Start by looking at your budget and what you and your fiance envision your wedding to be. Consider things like estimated guest count, location, and your top 3 priorities for your wedding. Don't go into debt to pay for your wedding - only plan the wedding you can afford, or you could also plan your wedding date for a few years out to give yourself time to save up.

Once you have your budget and a rough guest count, start searching for venues and vendors that are in your budget and can accommodate at least the number of guests you plan to invite. I also suggest looking at non-traditional venues such as a local park or an aquarium or other location - those will likely be cheaper than a traditional ballroom. For dresses, check out secondhand shops! Many pre-owned dresses are still new with tags because the bride changed her mind on the dress, or the wedding plans changed and she didn't need the dress anymore, etc. These dresses are typically way cheaper than bridal salons, and the quality is just as good. Also check out Facebook Marketplace and/or Facebook wedding groups for your area - many times, people sell gently used decor/signs or dresses on there, and you may be able to find vendors who are less expensive on there too.

I also recommend using a checklist - check out the one here on Wedding Wire, or the one on The Knot. Those will help keep your planning on track. They also have budget tools to help you track your spending. And as always, feel free to ask questions or even just share your progress on these forums! Everyone here is happy to help.

Happy wedding planning!

Congratulations!
DO communicate with your fiancé, DO keep a lower count guest list and DONT play ‘what if’ outside your price range, DO pick priorities (ie, do you want real flowers more than a videographer?), and most importantly DO communicate with your fiancé lol. It will keep everything else in check.
Our budget was $7K, and with all the covid stuff I’m not sure what we actually spent (my guess is $3K) and we’re trying to not do more than another $500 on the reception we’re having got our 1 year. It’s hard but communication is why it’s going to happen.

Congratulations!!l everyone’s replies here really cover a large portion of what I would say. For me I guess a big do was figuring out what we would not compromise on and what we were willing to compromise for our wedding. For me it was photography, he didn’t want to spend a lot but I made it my goal to find a good and affordable photog and pay myself (more than he wanted to) as it was extremely important for me to have photos to look back on when I’m old and senile.
Also DO take much time to enjoy each other’s company and engagement period, it does get stressful planning a wedding sometimes it’s good to step back and relax.

Congratulations !! I also have a tight budget, so I totally feel you. Id say first things first, finding where your going to do the ceremony and reception, once that is set, all the other little things fall into place. im still trying to find my own ceremony and reception place. its the hardest part but needs to be done. good luck and have fun planning.

So do you have a target date or month in mind? That will help you as you’re scouting venues. If you’re on a tight budget, many parks or public gardens will charge little to no fee to rent the venue.
For a paid venue, Monday through Friday is usually cheaper. Saturday’s are most expensive and sundays usually the same or slightly less pricey than Saturday’s.
I agree with some of the other gals- smaller guest list will help! With that, limit or omit the bridal party. Even if you don’t pay for their attire or hand/makeup, you do have to give them a gift.
Depending on what vibe you’re going for, a food truck instead of a caterer may be more affordable. Flowers are also expensive. You can DIY your bridal bouquet and do simple center pieces in vases (if at all) or faux flowers are trending. Congrats and best of luck!!

Congrats hun!!!
Here's my advice:
1) Know your budget and stick with it (you do NOT want to go in debt)
2) Choose your bridesmaids wisely
3) STICK YOUR GROUND (this is your wedding so do what makes you happy, if someone or something isn't right then take action and do what you know you feel like you have to do to move on with your happiness)
4) Find a place that provides packages (in other words find a venue that offers packages that comes with photographer, videographer, catering, officiant/minister, etc. This helps if you would rather not start from scratch)
5) Azazie has great deals on dresses for brides and bridesmaids
6) Communication is KEY (do this with EVERYONE involved in the wedding party such as your FH, parents, future in-laws, bridesmaids, etc.)
7) At the end of the day it's all about what makes you happy, not others

Focus on what you and your SO want, not what everyone else says you need to have. If you don't care about having a guestbook, cake topper, or a photo booth, don't feel pressured into paying for those things simply because it is expected that you are going to have them. On the flip side, if you really care about having fresh flowers but the cost is too high, don't give up on your dreams without getting creative and exploring all your options. Prioritizing what is most important to you both will help you be happy cutting other expenses in order to keep the things you are excited about.



And communicate! This is a special day for BOTH of you, even if your SO isn't as involved in the planning! I spend one evening a week asking my SO questions (what I am thinking, specific options, does he care about certain things, etc.) so I don't overwhelm him all day every day. This works for us but figure out what your balance is.

Congrats!! I'm not just a bride, I'm also an event planner and in my early career worked in weddings. Here's my two (plus) cents:

-Sit down with your fiance and figure out how much money you and your families will contribute to the wedding. Then work with about 80% of that figure, so you have some wiggle room for any unexpected expenses.

-Next, you and your fiance should identify your top three priorities for your day. Ours were photography, open bar, and having a band, so we spent more on those, and cut back on other areas.

-Leverage any friends/family who have talents. One of my fiance's close friends is a graphic designer, so she designed our whole paper suite for us and got us discounted pricing on paper. I had a friend who had her younger brother DJ the wedding with a laptop connected to the venue's in-house sound system - it was actually pretty awesome because they customized the playlists and included songs requested by guests. If you have a crafty friend or relative, see if they'll help you with some decorations in lieu of giving you a wedding gift.

-If you're not tied to a particular date/month/season, having flexibility in your date will allow you to capitalize on off-peak dates and get lower rentals for venues. Typically Friday evenings or Sunday afternoons are less expensive, if either is an option.

-Keeping your guest list small will save you on costs big time.

-You don't need to go crazy with centerpieces, this is an easy place to cut costs. Same with favors - let's be real, most of the time people end up throwing them away.

-Don't go into debt for your wedding; it's just one day!

-Be firm; if family members want to invite more people than your budget allows or want you to have something specific that's out of your budget, tell them that.

Above all, enjoy this time with your fiance! Congrats!