If you’ve just gotten engaged, congratulations! There’s nothing more romantic, courageous and honorable than tying your life to the person you love.
Don’t let it stress you out, but you got a lot of decisions to make soon, as essentially the moment you announce you are engaged your friends and family are going to begin asking you about your wedding date and venue.
As a wedding planner in Northwest Indiana, we’ve put together this little primer in hopes that we can help newly engaged couples think over the decisions they will need to make over the upcoming months to plan their wedding:
- Set a timetable first, then work out the exact date later: People are going to begin asking you about your wedding date right away. Even if you don’t know the exact date, being able to say something like, “We were thinking sometime next summer,” can be a big help at keeping people at bay as you do the hard work of planning. This lets your guests start making preliminary plans themselves.
- Pick a location: Your location is going to have a lot to do with who shows up and the overall style of your wedding. Do you want to have a local wedding in your hometown, or do you want a destination wedding? Just keep in mind that the easier it is to get to the location, the more people will feasibly be able to attend your wedding.
- Set your budget: It is traditional for parents to contribute to the cost of a wedding; however, you will need to have a clear and frank conversation with them before you start planning the wedding about what that budget will actually look like. Waiting until after you’ve begun planning to discuss your budget is a great way to unnecessarily hurt people’s feelings.
- Guest list: Your guest list is going to affect your budget, just as your budget is going to affect your potential guest list. Having a guest list is extremely important, as most wedding vendors charge based on headcount. This is also a good time to decide on your wedding party.
- Hire a wedding planner: Most people cannot plan a wedding on their own. If you don’t have family or friends that can help, consider hiring a wedding planner in Northwest Indiana to shoulder some of the responsibility.
- Shop wedding venues: Once you’ve got your guest list, your budget and your date, you have everything you need to begin shopping for and booking your wedding venue. Some wedding venues come with certain services or with discounts for vendors, so make sure you ask about this.
- Vendors: You’ll need to find a band or a DJ, caterers for the food, someone to make the cake, someone to provide the flowers, a bartender, a photographer and more.
- Shop for the dress: This should be done with your family and your wedding party, and it should be fun! Take a limo and drink champagne.
- Keep your eyes on the prize: Planning a wedding can be a long and sometimes stressful process. Focus on your love for your partner. If you can remember to do that, everything else will work out.
Signature Banquets is the premier wedding planner in Northwest Indiana. Our beautiful wedding venue is located here in town, and is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful wedding venues in the state. If you’re looking for a wedding venue, or could use a little help planning your wedding, please give us a call today!