Did you recently get engaged?

CONGRADULATIONS, let me tell you how excited I am for you ( Happy Dancing).

Now all of the fun starts. Planning your dream wedding can be overwhelming. I’m here to help, with a few simple steps to make the process smoother. I’m a photographer from Ohio, and have learned a few tricks over the years of capturing couples dream weddings and elopements and I’m going to share them with you.

 

Bellow are 7 steps to help stay organized and get you closer to that wedding you have always dreamed of….

1.) Enjoy the moment and Celebrate with family and friends.

Trust me the process goes fast. Enjoy the moment you have been waiting your entire life for! Have a party, go out to dinner. No matter how big or small of a celebration, just do something together and celebrate.

2.) Get realistic. Set a budget. Talk about what your dream wedding truly is.

Pinterest is a wonderful tool for wedding planning and inspiration BUT, its not always realistic. Yes we all want food trucks and a tricked out photo booth at our wedding, but is it in your budget?? Set one and try to stick to it. You have the rest of your life ahead of you to have upscale party’s. No budget, then go all in, find that dream wedding and make it happen.

3.) Choose your venue, photographer and videographer. Confirm with all of them before setting the date (This is very significant so you can get your dream team all on the same date).

This is very IMPORTANT, let me say it again. Details and small touches make the day, BUT the photos and videos will help you relive the day forever. This is not a big deal to everyone but, if it is to YOU, please before you set a date get your three main vendors (Venue, Photographer, and Videographer) booked. Due to Covid most vendors will be booked for 2021 and 2022 prime dates (When couples postponed or moved their dates it took future dates away for those getting engaged now). Therefore if you have your heart set on a certain location, It may already be booked out for the immediate future. So get your main vendors booked and go from there.

4.) Once your date is set book your florist, dj, caterer, and wedding planner. Everything else will fall into place.

Now that you officially have a date set (And your main vendors secured), its time to finish that dream team. If you feel overwhelmed (Don’t worry we all do) Hire a wedding planner or day of coordinator. Looking back this is one thing I defiantly should have done myself.

5.) Find your inspiration and pick a theme.

Again Pinterest is amazing for this. There are also a lot of useful blogs and magazines to get inspiration from as well ( Just start googling). My biggest piece of advice, is to make it personal to you and your fiancé. Find a common theme and build off that. Lets say you love the outdoors and spend most of your free time hiking and traveling. Then make it adventure themed, add in your favorite colors and you have a theme to build off.

6.) Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Believe it or not your friends and family want to help you (in most cases). Delegate your task and make it fun, involving family and friends only create memories and add to the experience. Moms and Dads have dreamed of this day for along time as well, include them!!

If you have an involved family, most likely they want to help. Parents also want to be included. Don’t forget to invite them to go dress shopping.  Call your friends, have wedding planning days. If nothing else its a great excuse to get together and drink wine.

7.)Enjoy the process. There will be days that are overwhelming but I promise you the good planning days outweigh the bad!!

The process is half of the fun. It builds the excitement for the big day. Not everyone feels this way and that’s ok, if wedding planning is not for you, you are not alone!!! Just find a good team that can make all of your dreams come true.

 

Not sure if a big wedding is for you?? Are the mountains calling??

Next Read about: 10 Signs you may want to elope.