It is peak proposal season, so if you think you may be engaged soon, read through this post. That way you can properly prepare and easily avoid these common mistakes while wedding planning. If you became engaged over this past holiday season, congratulations on your engagement!!!
Planning a wedding is so much fun!!!
Here are some tips and tricks to help you start planning for the big day!!
Once you’re engaged, it’s super exciting to start wedding planning! Some couples make the mistake of trying to plan around a specific date. While this is an alright approach, especially if the date is super important and significant to you both as a couple, it can also make planning more difficult. I recommend thinking about what kind of wedding you both would like to have. Do you envision a big city wedding? A rustic barn wedding in the country? A Chic hotel or classic country club wedding? A fun untraditional wedding at a zoo, museum, or art gallery? Are you planning to have the ceremony at a church or at the venue? There are lots of venue ideas on planning sites such as The Knot or Wedding Wire to help you with some ideas or ask friends and family for recommendations. Read on for more helpful tips and tricks.
Mistake: Not setting a budget
One of the most important things you can do before you start any wedding planning is to sit down with your fiancé and talk about finances. This is definitely not the most exciting part of planning, we know. However, it’s important to discuss how much you and your fiancé can afford to spend and if you will be getting any help from your family or maybe even applying for a wedding loan. During this time it’s extremely important to be realistic about what you want for your wedding day. If you know you may fall in love with the most expensive wedding venue in town, it’s important that it’s factored in! Also, the size of your wedding party and guest list can add a lot of expense to your floral and gifts budget, something to keep in mind when you are starting to plan.
Tip!! Make a plan for what vendors are the most important to both of you, and start booking the most important vendors first!
After setting a budget and finalizing and booking your church and/or venue thus setting the official date. EXCITING!! The next thing that we recommend you do is chat about vendors, what is important to you both as a couple. Is it photos, music, flowers, or food? It is different for every couple and there are so many vendors that you can hire to help make your day perfect. We always recommend hiring professionals for your wedding day and this task can be overwhelming. Professionals know how weddings flow and can take over the stress of things so that you don’t have to worry. If your budget allows and you don’t like the idea of planning and researching vendors, you can hire a full wedding planner who will come to you with a few of the best vendors for you based on your style and budget.
Every couple has the most important vendors that they want for the wedding day. After setting a budget it is important to decide, together as a couple, who is the most important so you can budget from there and book the most important vendors first. For some couples it is the memories. After all, after the wedding is over, the cake is eaten, the flowers are finished, and your dress is put away. What are you left with?? Your love for each other, your wedding rings and your wedding memories. Most couple’s who choose to book Laura Meyer Photography have their wedding memories as THE most important vendor that they hire.
Mistake: Not having an unplugged ceremony…
It’s magical to feel the love and support from your guests during your ceremony. You won’t feel it if they are busy staring through their screen or mindlessly scrolling through social media. They will be happy that they are given the chance to be present and mindful during your ceremony. I know a lot of brides want to be the first to post photos of their dress or other details of their wedding to social media. Not to mention, as a photographer, it can be frustrating to compete with guest’s phones for a photo. After all, photographers are paid by the bride and groom to capture their memories forever. So, the best thing you can do is place a reminder on your invitation, have a cute sign made for the entrance of the ceremony, and have the officiant announce if your ceremony is unplugged!
Mistake: Assuming people will RSVP ‘no’…
We know what they say about assuming! We also know the statistic that 10-20% of guests will RSVP no to a wedding. However, even if that is the most common case, it may not happen to you. When you are creating your guest list never go over the maximum capacity of your venue. It’s even better if you can get below that number to avoid the discomfort of a
cramped dinner and dance floor.
