Three Simple Steps To Start Planning Your Wedding
Tis’ the season of engagements! Did you know that over 80% of marriage proposals happen between Christmas and Valentine’s Day? It makes perfect sense when you think about it. Why between the magic of Christmas and a time of new beginnings with the start of a new year it really is the ideal time to propose. Like any good bride, I’m sure you are ready to delve into the world of wedding planning, but I have a few hints that will ensure you get started in the right direction.
Step #1 – Decide On What Is Most Important
The first step in planning your wedding should be having both you and your fiancé sit down individually and make a list of the five most important things you each want for your wedding. Do you envision being married in your family church with the ceremony being performed by the same minister who baptized you? Perhaps you want a live band that will keep people dancing from dusk until dawn? Maybe making sure your caterer can serve an Italian feast fit for a king is your top priority? Have you pictured your wedding in various shades of pink since the time you were five years old? Whatever you’ve envisioned, come up with your top five essential elements for your wedding and write them down.
Once you each have your lists, sit down together and be ready to share . Remember that this first chat should be just the two of you. There will be plenty of time to plan with your family or BFFs, but this time is about deciding on some of the key elements. Keep it just the two of your for starters to make sure your wedding is about what the two of you want. (Are you familiar with the saying, “too many cooks spoil the broth”?) Set the main ground rule that you won’t criticize the other’s ideas and remain open to possibilities. Compare your lists with each other, possibly elaborating and explaining the significance behind some of your decisions if necessary.
In an ideal world, your two lists would be identical, but more often than not, this is not the case. There will be differences, but keep and open mind and really listen to each other and why you each wrote down what you did. Can you begin with finding similarities? Are there things you both want? Begin with those. Then begins the art of compromise. Both of you should be able to get at least your first or second choice from your list. He might be willing to give on his number three so you can get your number two, but be ready to do the same for him.
Together, create a new list of the five key elements that you both agree on. This is the process that will start your wedding plans and will help you develop the framework for the rest of your wedding planning process. This list is like the golden rule. All other decisions are made based on whether items contribute to the top five things on your list.
Step #2 – Decide On Your Budget
One of the biggest mistakes that newly engaged couples make is starting to put money down for vendors, venues and décor items without having a clear idea in their mind on how much they have to spend on their wedding.
Take the time to develop a budget. How much are the two of you able to realistically spend on your wedding? Will parents or other family members be contributing to the wedding budget? This is not a time to assume. Make plans to sit down with your families (one at a time) and ask if they are going to be able to help? If they are, find out exactly how much they are willing to spend and is the money earmarked in a particular way? For example, many times the bride’s parents really want to pay for her dress so part of the money they contribute will go specifically to that expense. It may also put a “cap” on the spending, giving the bride-to-be a dollar figure she can use when she begins to shop for her dress.
Once you know how much money you have to spend, you can put together a basic budget for your wedding. If you don’t have a wedding planner to look after this for you, look for your own wedding budget guidelines in wedding planning organizers or on a wedding website, like www.TheKnot.com or www.brides.com.
The reason this is so important to do now is that it will give you an accurate idea of how much you have to spend on your venue, your photographer, and all of the other elements of your wedding. There is no point in choosing a venue that will eat up your entire wedding budget, leaving you nothing to spend on any of the other aspects. Be sure to include GST and gratuity on most items, and remember that something as simple as postage stamps can add up quickly.
Step #3 – Decide On Your Guest List
Your guest list is often tied in with creating your budget. Basic wedding fact: the more people you invite to your wedding, the more expensive your wedding is likely to be. Don’t make the assumption that the only cost of each guest will be the cost of the meal. So many other budget factors are directly influenced by the number of guests you have at your wedding. Your guest count affects the size of the venue space you need, and the amount of linens and centerpieces that are required. Larger weddings may also require additional equipment for DJs. The huge costs associated with weddings is one of the main reasons we’ve been seeing a trend towards smaller and more intimate weddings of 100 guests or less. A smaller wedding allows the couple to have the spectacular celebration that they want with those that are nearest and dearest, but at a price that they can afford.
Your guest list is also critical in the early planning stages as it will determine the size of the venue space that you need. You don’t want to choose a space that is too big or too small. There is nothing worse than having to uninvite people because your venue cannot accommodate everyone. Knowing your numbers, even if they are approximate, will guarantee that you find a space that is the right size (and the right price) for you!
Photo courtesy of Bliss Photographic
There you go! That’s the first few critical steps to get you started in planning your wedding, but in the spirit of the holidays, I’m throwing in one more BONUS strategy…
My final suggestion to you is to seriously look at hiring a wedding planner. With something as important as you wedding, you don’t want to make costly mistakes. For many of you, this is your first time planning a wedding. Having someone there to guide you through the process, and share their expertise, not only saving you time, but money as well. Doesn’t it make sense to have someone that knows the ins and outs of the wedding industry and with the ability to interpret contracts and banquet event orders acting as an advocate for you. More importantly, by having a wedding planning working with you, you will have the peace of mind that your wedding will be everything you imagined and more. Every last detail will be looked after, ensuring you have the one of a kind wedding celebration you deserve!
If you need help to get started planning your own wedding, or need someone to help get you back on track, contact us at info@creativeweddingsandoccasions.com or call us at 1-888-790-6986.
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Edward Ross PhotographyCathy MacRae is a Calgary Wedding Planner in the business of making dreams come true! In addition to being CEO of Creative Weddings and Occasions, she is also their lead wedding choreographer and design coordinator. Operating out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, she plans weddings for couples in and around the Calgary, Banff, and Lake Louise area. Her clients want a wedding that is all about romance, elegance, and personalized style! Her experience in the wedding industry allows her clients to have that unique wedding celebration that tells a story and sets the stage for their own "happily ever after." As a destination wedding specialist, she also works with couples who desire to wed in various picturesque dream locations throughout the world, including such exotic locations as Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific. Cathy is a member of the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada, the Association of Bridal Consultants, the International Special Events Society, and the Community of Wedding Innovators.
For more information about planning your own wedding or for advice from Cathy, please contact her at info@creativeweddingsandoccasions.com or call 1-888-790-6986.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 5:39PM | 
