Bride’s Guide to Wedding Planning

Congratulations! You’re engaged and about to start planning your dream wedding. Whether you’ve dreamt of your wedding since you were a child or you’ve never even thought about it until now, there are a lot of questions that come up when you’re planning a wedding. The biggest one being: Where do I start?

I was one of those people who never really thought about my wedding, so when the time came to plan it and everyone was asking me what, where, and when, it was a little overwhelming. I didn’t know where to begin. I enlisted the help of a few family members who have been through the wedding planning drill before, and with their help, we had the wedding of our dreams.

Our wedding story is a little unique in that we were one of the many Covid weddings, and we learned a lot from the whole process. Justin and I use the experience we’ve gotten from our own wedding and the many weddings we’ve done to help all our brides with creating a timeline and thinking through the details to make sure their wedding is exactly what they dreamed of. That’s why we’ve put together this Bride Guide to Wedding Planning to help you prioritize and plan for you future wedding!

1. Budget

The first step in wedding planning is to nail down your budget. This will be the driving factor in a lot of your decisions. Average wedding budgets range state by state, but in the state of Florida, where we are based, the average wedding budget is $27,000 according to a study done by The Knot. That doesn’t mean you need that much for the beautiful wedding of your dreams. There are so many ways to allocate and creatively use your budget to execute your vision. This wedding budget breakdown gives you an idea of generally how to allocate your budget.

2. Priorities

Now that you have a baseline of where you’re allocating your budget, it’s time to write down your priorities. That might be a plated dinner, a killer dance floor, a videographer as well as photographer (we’ve got you covered here), or live music. Talk with your partner, determine what is most important to you, and write them down so you don’t forget or miss anything.

3. Style

Time to login to Pinterest and begin researching! There are so many different wedding styles out there. Some things to consider when planning the style and theme of your wedding are the season, weather, color palette, and vibe you’re going for. If you’re planning on finding a wedding planner (budget permitting), now would be the time to start searching. A wedding planner can help guide you in decisions and handle the logistics of wedding planning.

4. Venue + Date

Choosing a venue is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in wedding planning. Do you want your venue to be indoor or outdoor, casual or formal, all-inclusive or accommodate other vendors? Think through what you want your wedding to look and feel like, and shop around! There are so many wedding venues that all have their unique style, so be sure to check out as many as you need until you fall in love. Once you know the venue, you can talk with them about availability and finalize your wedding date!

5. Vendors

Time to schedule some meetings! When booking your vendors, we highly recommend meeting with them first, either in person or over the phone. Having that initial meeting allows you to get to know them and ask them questions. You want to be sure they match the vision you have and can make the night fun! No one wants to hire a DJ or wedding band that’s going to bring down the mood. Use your intuition, ask questions, and check reviews and references. For your photographer, you can even book them for an engagement session to try them out before booking for your wedding. We offer engagement sessions in several of our packages, but also as an individual session if you are interested in working with us on a smaller scale before booking for your wedding.

6. Dress

You might know exactly what dress you’re looking for, but you might not. Or like me, you might think you know what you want and go with something totally different once you’re there. Wherever you’re at, don’t settle. Find a dress you are obsessed with. If you haven’t found it yet, try somewhere else. There is something out there made for you! Dresses can get pricey, so we suggest calling different boutiques and inquiring about annual sales or special events. That’s how I found mine, and I am obsessed! (side note: anyone else wish it were socially acceptable to wear your wedding dress after your wedding or is that just me?)

7. Guest List + Wedding Party

Asking your close friends and family to stand by your side on your wedding day is such a fun, sweet moment! It’s also something you can get creative with. You can make them a little bundle of goodies, write them a heartfelt letter, or do whatever fits you! Once you have your wedding party set, it’s time to create your guest list. I don’t want to go any further without saying, this is YOUR wedding. Invite or don’t invite whoever you want. You might feel pressures from people to do things a certain way, but remember who this day and celebration is for. I’m stepping off my soapbox now. Creating a guest list can be a lot of fun! Grab your favorite bottle of wine and make it a whole night with your partner.

Pro Tip: Start with those closest to you and work your way out. Make a couple passes at your guest list as well. It can be hard to remember everyone at one time, so revisit it later after going through social media or your contact list to make sure you’ve got everyone.

8. Registry

Creating a registry is so much fun! You can either do it all online, go into the store and live out your shopping dreams with the registry scanner, or do both! Take the time to dream with your partner about what you want life to look like. Another option to substitute a traditional registry is to have a honeymoon fund. Instead of purchasing gifts, guests can contribute towards your honeymoon.

9. Timeline

At this point, you have almost everything nailed down. You have a style in mind, your vendors are set, the guests are invited, so it’s time to create an official day of timeline. The best place to start is the ceremony. Decide what time you want the ceremony (don’t forget to consider sun placement) and work backwards. Budget in time for pictures, getting ready, any reveals or first looks, and most importantly, rest time before the ceremony. This is something we help brides with all the time and would be happy to assist you with as well!

10. Self-Care and Rest

You’ve done it! Your wedding is planned. Give yourself a pat on the back because that is no small feat. It’s time for some self-care. Treat yourself to a massage, a facial, whatever you love and relaxes you. Go on some dates with your partner and get ready for this amazing day that’s coming up.

Your wedding day is so special and a moment you will look back on for years to come. The best advice we can give you is enjoy the planning process, try not to stress about the little things, and on the actual wedding day, enjoy every moment. We love to see the personality of the couple shine through their wedding and are sure to capture all the sweet moments throughout the day. If you’d like to talk more about your wedding vision and how we work, send us a message! We would love to capture all the memories for years to come.