If you’ve decided to tie the knot and even gone as far as setting a date, then the countdown clock is officially ticking. During the process of planning a wedding, there’s a lot that can change, no shortage of hiccups that can arise, and plenty of changed minds to deal with along the way. For that reason, it’s important to really nail down the key elements as soon as you can. With that in mind, here are some of the very first things you should get ready for your wedding.
What your budget will be
The very first thing you should think about is creating a budget for your wedding. You may find that a family member (usually the parents of one or both future spouses) is willing to pay some, most, or even all of it. Regardless, you should have a hard figure or at least a very close guesstimate to work with, and then start doing your research on the costs of various elements of the wedding and how they fit into your budget. It’s always a good idea to leave a little wiggle room in that budget, too, in case any unexpected expenses pop up.
Where it’s happening
You want to get the ball rolling on all of the wedding plans. The dress, the catering, all of the decor elements and services you might use, and so on and so on. None of these are quite as vital to the rest of the planning as the venue, however. Wedding venues can play a huge role in how people get to the wedding, what kind of theme the wedding has, which vendors and caterers can work with you, and so on. Think about which kind of venue you want to get married in and start inquiring as soon as you can. After all, venues can be very busy, especially if you’re getting married in a popular season, so the further in advance you can get in touch, the better your chance of getting the venue you really want.
Who will be there
Of course, before you can really work out the finer details, you want to get an idea of who is going to be at the wedding as well. The venue might dictate some aspects of the kinds of numbers you can expect, but deciding who to invite can be a lengthy and complex process so the sooner you start thinking about it, the better. You might want to come up with an exhaustive preliminary list then start whittling it down on who has to be there, who can’t make it, and so on. You might not be able to finalize it until you get all the responses to the RSVP, but you want to be working towards that as soon as you can.
The tips above aren’t going to protect you against unexpected cancellations, the things that you forgot to consider, or the many other aspects that can change your plans. But it can ensure that you have the bones of the wedding in place so that it’s a lot easier to work around and with any changes.
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