Just got engaged! Don't know where to start!

Congratulations!!

Budget!! You can't really do anything until you know how much you have to spend on a wedding. Once you figure out how much you want to/can spend, then you should look for venues first, since they book up way in advance (a year or more), and it's hard to book any other vendors until you have that one locked down.

Wedding Wire has a really good checklist, where you can see the suggested timeline for planning. It tells you what to do and when you should do it. There are lots of categories, and you most likely won't need them all (some just won't apply to the kind of wedding you are having). So, I just ignore those, and work with the ones that do apply.

Major vendors first. Once you have a venue, make your guest list, look into photographers, DJ, catering/beverage and anything else that isn't offered by your venue. There are lots of venues that have all that stuff included, but there are just as many that don't include anything but the space.

Good luck and happy planning!!

The big three - budget, guest list, venue

Congratulations Blair!

I completely agree with the first 2 ladies - budget budget and budget again! The most important thing, besides the actual ceremony is crunching those numbers because they add up fast. And beware of hidden expenses - those things that you didn't think about needing or that you just didn't consider at all.

But try to have fun with the whole process and don't lose yourself (or each other) along the way.

On this app lol congratulations on your engagement I’ve been engaged two weeks and have already started planning. But I recommend setting a budget and booking your venue first. But this app gives you a realistic time line to get things done. For example when you should be doing engagement photos or when to send out your save the dates, which for me has been really helpful.

I would start with budget, even if it's just a rough estimate, then guest list and finally venue.
First, knowing where you and your FH stand on budget is key. My FH and I never set an exact price but we were pretty much in agreement when something was too much or a good price. Second, is guest list in my opinion. By knowning how many people we had on our list we were able to weed out the venues that wouldn't work for us before we even asked for information from them. And finally, the venue! While venue searching I started brainstorming little detail ideas but everything was pretty much in limbo until a venue was picked.

After that you can start gathering your other vendors and decor and all the other fun stuff.

Happy planning!

I always recommend researching all your vendors in the area you're getting married so you can put together a more realistic budget! Weddings tend to give couples sticker shock once they realize how much things actually cost!

Congratulations on your engagement and welcome to WW! We're date twins.

Agree with everyone else!

The budget is tricky. You absolutely need to have one, but it's hard when you don't know how much things cost.

I'd recommend having a conversation with your FH and come up with a rough budget estimate that you'd feel comfortable spending. It'll change as you go along, but it'll help you know right away what sorts of things are not feasible.

A rough guest list is also important, because most things that you'll be booking revolve around the guest count -- venue, food, alcohol, etc. Most venues have guest minimums & maximums, so you'll want to know what kind of numbers you're working with before you start those conversations.

The venue is the first big thing you should book -- if you don't have a ceremony/reception venue (assuming that's the route you're going), you don't have a date locked in.

After that, any single-person vendors, or vendors that can only accommodate one wedding per day/weekend should be a priority. Officiant, photographer, DJ, etc.

Since we have the same date, I can tell you that it is an extremely popular one. I got engaged last August and started planning right away, and even 2 years out, some venues were already booked. You have time, but you'll want to get a jump on things soon.

Good luck!

Congratulations! Map out your budget first. Make a rough draft of your guest list and lock down a venue! I was SO stressed in the beginning. Finding the perfect venue can be stressful and time consuming. After I locked my venue down I could finally relax and enjoy the smaller details. Also, don’t be afraid to negotiate with vendors, respectfully. My dream venue was out of my budget at first. I saved 15,000 dollars on my food and beverage simply by picking a Friday night instead of Saturday. Have fun!

Congratulations.

Okay, breathe!

1. It’s only ONE day. Do not go broke or into debt for a one day event. Bills will still need to be paid the day, week, and month after the Wedding is over.

2. Figure out what you want re: decorations, gifts, etc...

3. After that, determine what projects you can REALISTICALLY complete via diy.

4. See who can help you.

5. Create a schedule, with the hardest projects first.

6. Delegate, you can NOT do it all yourself.

7. We’re here for you. Please reach out to us and ask for help and ideas. This community is very supportive.

8. You can do it!

Oh, I made my seating chart and used it for my Invistion list. Once I received a no, I removed the name.

Congrats Budget but look for a location 1st & think of what kind of set up you want as your looking for one.. thats how I started and Im so happy I did

Research venues, start a spreadsheet, and book a venue early lol. I just started and already so many venues are booked up on Saturdays 12-13 months out!!

I started with the checklist on here and then went from there. Congrats on your recent engagement!