For all of you newly engaged lovely ladies, Congratulations!! ‘Tis the season for engagements. Now that you’ve said “yes”, where do you begin?! How do you start building that dream day? Here are the first three items I discuss with my brides that should be reviewed before anything else…

1. Envision your day. What does your perfect day looks like? Is it set in the city, destination, family home, barn, near the water? Is there a venue you already have your heart set on? Are you drawn to classic & romantic styles or laid-back & casual? How many people do you imagine there – immediate family and close friends or a larger celebration? Do you want to dance all night to a band or DJ? Describe your dream day in as much detail as possible.
2. Determine your budget. Speak to everyone that might play a financial role in your wedding – parents, spouse-to-be, etc. to determine exactly what everyone’s expectations are. I know this is not the first thing you want to do when you get engaged. It can be a difficult and uncomfortable conversation but it is incredibly important to determine right away. You do not want to start working on your wedding without knowing what is within your budget.
3. Numbers. In step one, you and your spouse-to-be discussed your ideal number of guests. You talked about whether you would like to host a small or large wedding. When you’re discussing budget with family, describe the ideal scenario to your parents. For example, let your family know that you would like immediate & extended family and only close friends to attend – which excludes work friends and those not-so-close friends. Or, you’ve decided that your dream is to have only immediate family and close friends attend. Discuss your ideal scenario with them and ask them to provide you with a first-draft list of guests. Pull all of the lists together, and you’ve got an idea of where you stand. You will need an estimated number of guests before you start looking at potential venues. If a venue has a maximum capacity of 150 and you have 250 on your first-draft guest list – that venue is either off the table or you would have to reconsider your list. In addition to venue constraints, numbers are going to have the biggest impact on your budget. If you want an over-the-top glamorous day, you might have to bring your guest list down to 100 guests to meet your budget.

This process is the same for any event you’re hosting – envision your event, determine your budget, compile your ideal guest list. Once again, numbers will have the greatest impact on your event as it will have the most immediate impact on cost. The more people, the more of everything you need!

It’s hard not to jump ahead to the fun, design aspects when you get engaged. Pause long enough to consider these three items before you begin to ensure a smooth and successful planning process. When you proceed in the correct order it allows you to create a cohesive, thoughtful design instead of various styles that might get pulled together if you jump around.

If you have an event you would like to speak about, pop over and give me a few details. I would love to chat with you!