The idea that planning a wedding is stressful has almost become a cliché. Not only are you trying to coordinate a classy and memorable event, but you are attempting to do so in a way that appeals to a large number of guests and relatives. Doing so will require you and your fiancé to organize (and somehow pay for) everything from the food to the flowers.
If the thought of planning your wedding is already making your head spin, it is good to keep in mind that you are not alone. You and your fiancé are in this together, and together you can create an event that is all about the two of you. You just need to figure out where to being.
Here are a few tips that will help you get starting planning your special day.
Always Start With the Money
The aspect of your wedding planning that is easily the most stressful one is that of your budget. You might have grand images of elegant ballrooms and ornate flower arrangements placed on every table, but the reality is that all of those things cost a pretty penny. Weddings aren’t exactly known for their affordability, and if you aren’t careful, you might find yourself in way over your head when it comes to the final tally.
The best way to avoid such an occurrence is to start your wedding planning with your budget. Draw up a list of all the things that you know you want out of your special day, such as the type of venue or the variety of alcoholic beverages that you serve, and set a budget for each of those things.
After you get your wish-list and rough numbers written out, then you can start researching specifics, like bar packages at eventbartenders.com, to see if your wish-list can be fulfilled within your budget. You will then be able to compare your list with the estimates provided by specific vendors. It is best to organize your wish-list by priority and to be prepared for any necessary cuts to the bottom portion of that list.
Read Reviews
The step that will closely follow the ever-so-fun budgeting portion of your wedding planning process will be that of reading and re-reading as many reviews as possible for potential vendors. Because wedding planning is typically an expensive process, former brides and grooms are generally very good about writing honest reviews about their experiences with wedding vendors.
The wedding industry itself is partially driven by such reviews. Fortunately, there are plenty of websites that make it incredibly easy for someone to review a vendor, and such sites will become your best friends in the months to come.
While you can stand to learn a lot about a company from their own website, bear in mind that such sites are designed to attract clients. If you like the look of a particular caterer’s website, for instance, crosscheck the information you see there with reviews left on a third party wedding review sites in order to verify any claims made by the company.
