Starting wedding planning

First thing I did was start looking for a venue. Then deciding what season we wanted for our wedding. When do u plan on having it?

1. Budget

2. Guest List

3. Venue

Start with your budget, how many people you plan on attending and then look for a venue. Everything else can come after

Hi Tyler! We've got you covered!!

There's a Checklist in your WeddingWire Planning Tools that walks you through wedding planning from start to finish. The first things you should talk about are a potential timeline, location, and guest list size! Here are a few helpful guides to get you started:

Just Got Engaged? The 8 Things You Need to Do First

How to Plan a Wedding Step by Step

7 Things Couples Should Agree on Before Wedding Planning

We started with a date. We discussed where, guest list & then budget. I made appointments with 5 different venues & we looked within 2 months of being engaged. I was feeling so stressed because I knew our date was popular (4/3/21) & knew if we didn’t lock down a venue soon it would’ve been slim pickings. All the venues had to be all inclusive since we live 2.5 hours away.

Wedding wire has tons of articles and even a YouTube channel for wedding planning tips!

Set a budget first, then pick the date so you know how much to save over time! That'll also help determine how many guests to invite, where to have it, decor, everything.

1) guest list - so you have a head count (don’t forget plus ones)

2) pick your season, location and wedding theme

3) research venues that can accommodate your #of guests and the overall theme of the wedding
4) make a list of vendors/amenities you absolutely NEED to have (ie. Hair and makeup, uplighting, Dj, photography, videography, pipe and drape)
5) create a budget - your venue, food and alcohol eat up most of that budget
6) make a second list of vendors/amenities you WANT to have (ie. day of coordinator, photo booth, late night snacks, flowers, etc)

First decide how much you're willing and able to spend and how long it will take to save it. Get a ballpark guestlist. Doesn't hsve to be exact. You need to have that number in mind to pick out a venue as some only accommodate small groups while others can hold larger groups. Pick out your venue first. Photographer and caterer are the next big ones to reserve asap.


Find 3-5 important areas to focus on (food, entertainment, pictures, etc) and skip what isn't important to you.

Same! Lol! I got engaged almost exactly 1 month ago and wanted to at least secure a venue for next year, since 2020 brides have pushed things into next year and desired dates were getting filled up. I've been told that I'm rushing and should slow down, so now I feel guilty for wanting to plan our wedding... :-(