How to Start Planning a Wedding | 10 things you should do first!
Tips from a East Tennessee Wedding Photographer
Wedding Venue: The Trillium Venue
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS!
Congratulations on finding the love of your life and entering into this exciting chapter in your love story. Starting is the most fun yet stressful time in the wedding planning process. It can be pretty overwhelming at times because there is so much the goes in to creating the most perfect day ever, it’s hard to figure out what you should do first. That’s where I come in to help make it a little easier.
I’m Amanda, it’s so nice to meet you!
I am a full time wedding photographer based in Knoxville, Tennessee but I travel all over to document love stories. After 6 years and countless weddings that I have had the honor to photograph, I have learned a thing or two about all things wedding related and I LOVE to share tons of tips and tricks. So make sure you give me a on my social media platforms to stay connected!
Stay Connected:
Wedding Venue: Maple Grove Estate
Let’s get into it!
10 Tips on How to Start Planning Your Wedding.
01. Figure out your Dream Wedding Aesthetic.
Some have spent years on dreaming and creating Pinterest boards full of wedding inspiration that more than likely is all over the place in design styles. I don’t think you need to run to Pinterest and delete your “Dream Wedding” board, but you should start narrowing it down to what you truly envision for your big day. Do you want to stick with the trend of the year or keep things timeless? Do you want a “lost in nature” type feel or is your vision closer to an urban style wedding? These are some of the questions you need to be asking yourself and your partner to make this process a lot more organized and make sure you book the right vendors to make your dream wedding come to life!
02. Determine what is MOST important to you.
Now that you narrowed down what you want your day to look and feel like, the next step is figuring out what is MOST important to you two. This is important when setting a budget, which is the next step! This day is all about what YOU want, the one and only day where it’s all about you two and your love! So ask yourselves, what’s somethings that are most important to you. Is it the having the most epic reception? Tons of floral arrangements all over the venue? Incredible food? All inclusive wedding venue? Maybe, it’s booking your dream wedding photographer. Whatever is important to you, wright it down in order from most to least important. This will help when sticking to your budget.
03. Set a Wedding Budget.
Now that you have figured out your aesthetic and what is most important to you, it’s time to move on to step 3. Setting a budget will so important when planning a wedding because it will help you keep track of all your expense and the big picture over all. Setting a budget and staying organized with your spending will help you decide on what is worth splurging on and where you want to hold back a little. This is where your “most important list” comes in handy. The items on this list will be receiving a greater portion of your budget so you can bring your dream wedding to reality!!
Now the fun part!
Wedding Venue: Howe Farms
Wedding Venue: Howe Farms
04. Form your Bridal Party!
Now for the fun part, asking your closest people to stand by your side on your wedding day! This can also be quite difficult to decide on a number because let’s face it, you just love all your people! The bridal party is all about choosing who your biggest supporters and hype people are. This group will be there to support, help, hype you up and love on you throughout the whole day. So, make sure you are choosing the right people for the job! Once you make your list, IT’S TIME TO ASK!
05. Creating your Guest List
The guest list is important to have before continuing further with the wedding planning process because by having this list already complete you will be able to eliminate and choose your favorite venues based on your guest count. Some venues offer different ceremony or reception sites based on guest count as well. Some vendors will ask about your guest count in the initial booking form or during your consultation with them. Also, it gives you a major head start on sending out invitations that will help get your rsvp’s back sooner which will also help with locking in other vendors like a caterer, bartenders, and dessert.
Pro tip: Make it fun! Grab some wine (or drink of choice), get comfy, and share stories/memories about certain guest with your partner. This could double as a super fun date night!
06. Pick your Wedding Date!
When picking a date, you must consider a few things first like season, time changes, location, indoors or outdoors ceremony and/or reception, or any dates that are special to you two. You might be wondering why does any of that matter when choosing a date—It matters and it’s SO important to keep these things in mind. First, you need to determine what season you are envisioning for your day. Is it fall or spring? Will a certain season not be the best for the all outdoor wedding you are dreaming of? Maybe the time change will not work out for the timeline you are envisioning. Take some time to think about a date that works best for all aspects of your wedding day.
Now it’s time to find the perfect vendors!
Wedding Venue: The Trillium Venue
07. Start looking for your DREAM venue.
Now refer back to your “most important” list and your budget, it will help to narrow down your search, eliminate, and choose the venues you should reach out to. Make a list of your favorites and tour them all until your fine you dream venue! Before you make a final decision consider a few things first because there are a lot of options out there and you want to make sure you find the best venue for your vision and needs.
Things to consider before you book your venue:
Do you like what they have to offer in the different packages? Do they have add-on options to help save time searching for certain things like liens, tables, chairs, and decor?
Do they offer an all-inclusive package?
Do they have any restrictions for guest or other vendors?
Location of the venue for your guest.
Alcohol policy
Pet policy (if you plan on bringing your fur baby)
NATURAL LIGHT (makes a huge difference in your photos)
The list can go on and on but just make sure to ask all the questions you need until you feel confident your found your DREAM venue!
08. Begin to book your other key vendors.
After you have a date and venue booked, it’s time to book your key vendors and by key vendors, I mean the ones most important to your vision or needs. Wedding vendors tend to book a year to two years in advance so you want to make sure you are able to book with the vendors that you want to have there on your wedding day. As a wedding photographer, I can say that normally we are the next vendor on the list to book sometimes we are even the first vendor the couple books. It just all depends on what vendor you want to make sure is there for your big day!
09. Time to say “yes” to the dress!
The bridal gown is more than likely the most amazing, detailed, and stunning dress you will ever wear in your life. Some brides dream and know exactly what they are looking for while other do not or even change their minds. So make sure you give yourself enough time to find the perfect dress and also to make sure to have plenty of time to order it and have alterations finished. You will want to order your wedding dress about 7-10 months out from your wedding date.
Pro-tip: Make a fun day out of it. Grab your girls, go to a few shops, and go out to eat after!
10. Start planning your honeymoon!
Take your time exploring options, dates, location etc with your partner. You get to plan the best day ever and a vacation with the love of your life! ENJOY IT!
A small bit of advice: Don’t forget about your going to do the night of wedding your wedding! Make it special! Try not to stress too much during the wedding planning process. Create opportunities to have fun through date nights, deep conversations, and just enjoy the process. You only do this once make the most out of it!
Wedding Venue: The Standard Knoxville