Wedding Planning Tips From an Engaged Bridal Stylist
Where To Start
Working in the bridal industry has given me a leg up on where to start planning when I got engaged in October. For me, getting my date and venue checked off ASAP was priority. Everything you do for your wedding revolves around that date. You’re unable to book other vendors for your wedding if you don’t have a wedding date! The vibe and place of my wedding is something I had a very specific vision for and didn’t want to compromise. Before I got engaged, I basically had my mind made up- even though I have never been to a wedding there. That was the first venue we toured and I fell in love with the space! We looked at a few more, but the next week we put our deposit down for the space I knew I wanted. That finalized my first choice for my date and venue (I did have a back-up date as well in case my first choice was already gone). I also had a rough guest count in mind when we were searching- I was the bride mocking up her guest list before I got engaged- I had an inkling it was coming before the end of the year and wanted to be prepared to snag my top picks!
The next priority I wanted to get checked off was my photographer. I have a precise look I want to be captured for our wedding photos. Once we had our date- I reached out to my top two choices. Going in, I knew my photos and the location were 2 things I did not want to compromise on. So that’s where the majority of our budget went to. I’m okay with compromising elsewhere if I need to for my top choice in venue & photographer. I also reached out to a couple local DJs and florists to get an idea of what they charge so I can figure out what to budget for. My fiancé and I had talked about having a longer engagement before he proposed to give us time to pay for what we want, and get our top picks!
One of my best friends who helped my fiancé plan my proposal was awesome enough to surprise me with a little gift that night. One thing she gave me was a wedding planner and let me tell you- that thing is my holy grail! Every time I have an idea- I jot it down in the notes section in the back. Things I want to order, things I want to do on our wedding day so I don’t forget a thing by September 2023. It’s also a great way to keep track of vendors you’ve talked to, pricing, their contact information, contracts, etc. Definitely recommend getting yourself a planner ASAP!
Moral of the blog- finalize your date! You literally cannot do anything without it. Get a wedding binder or planner! Think about the vision for your day- what two to three things are most important to achieve your vision?
– xo, Molly, Charlotte’s Bridal
https://www.charlottesbridal.net/2022/01/11/planningtips/
