When I started planning out this blog series, I came up with several ideas of what I wanted to cover, but I also wanted your opinions on what you would like covered. To be honest, I never thought of this post that I’m about to write, so I’m super glad one of my friends said she didn’t know where to begin. I’m not sure why I didn’t think of dedicating a whole post (or two) to how to start wedding planning, but here’s a post on where to begin! (Keep in mind I do NOT claim to be an expert in this! If you have gone through this before and find that something you did works better, please let me know! I’m just going off of what worked for me!)

First of all, if you’re newly engaged, or even if you’ve been engaged for a while, congratulations! Planning your wedding is huge! It involves hours of research, comparison, and organizing! So now that you have that shiny new rock on your left hand… where do you begin!?

First things first, choose a date!

There are several factors that you can take in to consideration when choosing a date. Are there any symbolic dates? We thought about getting married on the same day that we started dating, but we wanted to have a summer wedding. This brings me to my next point; think of what season you want your wedding to take place in. Another thing to think about is whether or not there’s a specific venue you want your wedding to take place in. Many venues start booking a year or more in advance, so make sure the venue you want is available for your day! (We will talk more about venues in a later post!) Another thing to think about is if there are flowers you just HAVE to have in your wedding. For example, if you’re like me and absolutely LOVE peonies, you shouldn’t choose a date in September. There are many wedding planning guides that tell you what flowers are in season according to the month that you are looking at.

This article is a great resource: http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/226401/seasonal-wedding-flowers.

After choosing our date, the first thing that I found super helpful in getting the planning ball rolling was starting a wedding folder/binder. I had amazingly helpful maids of honor who created one for me using parts of a Real Simple Weddings Magazine.

The binder also included templates that are free from Russell + Hazel. You can print off as many, or as little, pages of this PDF as you’d like! http://www.russellandhazel.com/PDF/WeddingTemplate.pdf. Seriously future brides, invest in the Real Simple magazine! It’s kind of pricey for a magazine, but it gets you a year’s subscription to the regular Real Simple magazine—totally worth it!

The next thing to do is figure out your budget based on what your families are contributing as well as what you and your fiance would like to contribute. We found that using Martha Stewart’s Wedding Budget Tool saved a lot of headaches. We originally tried using The Knot’s but I found Martha Stewart’s more user friendly. (http://tools.marthastewartweddings.com/wedding/UserMyBudget)

Once you have your budget figured out, try working out a rough guest list with your parents. This will help with determining how your funds will be distributed. A lot of aspects of your wedding are dependent on the number of guests at your wedding. It’s helpful to keep this list in writing so you can add/subtract people as you get further into the planning process. The Knot has a great guest list tool that came in handy when keeping everyone organized. (http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning-tools/tools-wedding-guest-list.aspx) If you’re anything like me, typing is easier than pen and paper. However, if you’re not like me then take advantage of the Guest List Tracker in Russell + Hazel’s wedding planning template.

At some point during the beginning phase of planning you and your fiancé should decide on who you would like in your wedding party. Whether you choose siblings, cousins, friends, or all of the above, this group of people will be with you every step of the way from planning, to your big day! Real Simple has a great guide on how to pick the perfect wedding party! http://www.realsimple.com/weddings/planning/choosing-wedding-party-10000001705943/index.html

Also, start thinking of what you want the overall feel of your wedding to be. Do you want vintage, rustic, elegant, etc. You want your wedding to reflect who you are as a couple. For example if both of you hate vintage, then you don’t want a vintage styled wedding. The Knot has a fun quiz you can take if you’re not sure how to pin-point your style. (http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/wedding-quiz/quizzes/whats-your-bridal-style.aspx) This is also the perfect time to begin thinking about DIY projects! (This can be a great way to save money; however, you have to be willing to spend time to make sure the projects are exactly how you want them to be. Also, DIY projects can actually end up costing more if you’re not careful, so do your research!)

The last point for today that I want to talk about is researching, and hiring, vendors. A great place to start is by asking friends. It’s always nice to know that someone you know has had a good experience with a vendor. This is a good time to hire a wedding coordinator if you’re planning on one. If you haven’t already, find a venue. (As I said before this process will be blogged about at a later date, so keep your eyes peeled) Next research photographers, florists, caterers, and musicians/DJ. Speaking of photography… I could go on and on about how important a good photographer is on your wedding day. You might think I’m biased because I am a wedding photographer, but from a bride’s perspective—our photos are what helps me remember our wedding day. Our day flew by! I mean FLEW! There would be so many things I wouldn’t have even remembered happening if I didn’t have those photos to reminisce with. Which is why choosing a photographer is SO important. When choosing a wedding photographer, find someone whose images you love. Once you have found them, and pay attention this is really important, set up a meeting with them to ensure you love their personality just as much as their images. Your photographer is with you ALL day. Probably more than your wedding party or family! This is why it’s so important to make sure your personalities mesh!

Whew! That was LONG! Thank you for sticking with me if you’ve made it this far! I will continue (and hopefully finish) this post on Monday! I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Resources:
When are the flowers you love in season? 
Planning templates
Online budgeter
Guest list tracker
Choosing your wedding party
A fun quiz to help pick your wedding style