A Guide to Get You Started
1) Decide What Your Priorities Are
Sit down with your partner and imagine what your day will look and feel like. What do you want to create? How do you want to remember your wedding day, how do you want others to remember it? Decide the vibe you want for your wedding. This sets the tone for everything that follows. Budget, venue, creative ideas, entertainment, etc.
2) Search For What Couples Regret About Their Day
This is probably the opposite of what you might think to do first and why it’s in my top tips for Couples. It is so important to hear and read about what others have missed out on to truly create what you want for your day and to make sure you have no ”I wish” moments. Establishing what you don’t want is just as important as establishing what you do want. Refer to #1 to establish your priorities
3) Book Your Venue, Photographer, And Videographer
This is how you tell your story, this is what you show and share with new friends, and this is what you show your kids and the following generations. These tend to get booked first for obvious reasons of capturing the magic of your day. Especially now, book ahead as some dates have been pushed back and filled up faster than usual.
4) Stay On Budget
Now that you’ve decided what’s important to you. Stick with it. Allocate to what is important to you and don’t cheap out on those things that are, and find alternatives or creative solutions to things you may want to add but didn’t budget for. Remember that this is only one day of your marriage and that finances are important through all of this too.
5) Include Friends And Family In Your Planning
This is such a special time in your life and your loved ones want to be close to you and want to be a part of your celebration. They will be happy to help and you will love the time you spend creating together. Whether it’s asking someone to make sure to bring something for you or play an instrument during the ceremony, any role they play will be helpful and worth remembering.
6) Have A Go-To Person
If you have a wedding planner, it will likely be this person. If you don’t, assign someone you trust to take care of anything that comes up. Fill this person in on your plans and what you are creating for the day and make it known to your vendors (and guests) that this is the person they should go to for anything that may come up.
I know for some of you this might sound a little scary to not be informed of things that come up but know that 99% of these things aren’t true emergencies and your attention is much better spent enjoying the day and being with your guests.
7) Help Your Vendors By Giving Them A Copy Of Your Schedule!
Even your last-minute changes! Give your final copy to your vendors with all contact information, including your go-to person, venue location, and other vendor information.
8) Communicate Your Must-Haves
Let your vendors know what your priorities are. For example, give your photographer a list of must-have photos and shots that you really want to have. Their job is to capture all your candid moments and portraits but if you have a list of must-haves, it will clarify what’s important to you. You are in control of your day and expressing what you want leaves space for magical moments to happen within your vision. What you want can’t happen if you don’t properly express and communicate it.
9) Have Fun!
Of course, you’ve seen this tip before but really being present during your wedding is something to remember as you’ve taken months/years to plan this day, it really does happen so fast. You’ve planned everything down to the second, now let it play out and live it! Trust the people you put in place to do their thing because you communicated to them your vision and must-haves. Take a step back for a moment during your day to embrace the love all around you.
10) Bonus Tip
Book me as your photographer for a smooth day that captures what and who is important to you! 🙂
