Congratulations! You are engaged! Your mind is probably racing thinking about the next step: Wedding Planning! Yes, there is a lot to think about but we are here to ensure you don’t get too overwhelmed off the bat. Rather than getting caught up with all the little things and questions you are getting from friends and family, there are 5 things to do BEFORE you even start wedding planning. Take a breath! If you start with these 5 simple steps you will set a good foundation for your planning process:

Before you get too wrapped up in wedding planning CELEBRATE YOUR ENGAGEMENT. Your loved ones are likely over the moon for you and bombarding you with questions about the big day right after the proposal! Have you picked a date? Where will you have the wedding? Do you have a venue picked out? Can I bring my new girlfriend? Pause and TAKE A BREATH! There is no rush to get to all the details. Getting engaged is a huge milestone and you should honor that. Have a party, make a special announcement, take a celebratory trip together, or plan a date night. The point is to find a way to hold some space for the engagement before the wedding and planning process takes over.

Yes, Day Dream! You have probably already discussed your wedding in some form or another. The time is finally here to collect and compile all those daydreams. Create a Pinterest board, screenshot and save Instagram posts, rip out pages of magazines, read blogs, write down things you like about weddings you have attended together, and let your minds run wild with wedding day dreams! We recommend tackling this step both separately and together. Compile your ideas then come and plan a date/meeting to take on step 3…

You have taken the time to compile your own wedding dreams now it is time to mesh them with your partners. Your first task as a betrothed couple: collaborating on your wedding ideas.  Set aside a specific time to sit and talk about what BOTH of you came up with in your daydreams. This is where you will be able to start defining top priorities, wedding goals, and expectations for the big day…step 4!

Once you have had your collaborative wedding day dream, wants, and needs meeting together the next step is to clearly define your priorities. Once you start planning and adding in other people’s opinions this list will be incredibly important for you to come back to. After all, this day is about YOU, set non-negotiable priorities and keep those non-negotiable. Some important areas to touch on in this step would are: guest count (large vs small), wedding location or venue, style, theme, vibe, design, and decor, and vendor priorities (photos, food, music & dancing etc). You don’t have to get too specific but it is important to clearly define with your partner what the MOST important things are for your wedding day. This leads to one of the most important areas…  setting your budget!

Budget is one of the first and toughest areas to tackle before you start wedding planning. It can be a stressful topic. We highly recommend that before you reach out to include others for help with your budget be clear and realistic about your needs in this area with each other. These guidelines will make things so much easier throughout the planning process – it is also great practice for making good financial decisions together in the future. 

To start off do your research on the cost of weddings in your desired area. Look up sample budgets and the average cost of vendors and venues that you can expect to see. This will give you a good starting point. You can head to our what it costs to get married in Hawaii blog for more on Hawaii weddings! 

When landing on the budget you also want to look at your savings and see what you can allocate for the wedding and discuss where can you get contributions from loved ones. Next, consider your wedding priorities and be realistic if they align with what you can afford. And lastly, come up with a game plan of how you can save during the wedding planning process to meet your budget goals. 

Get detailed! Create yourself a spreadsheet to keep track of your budget and expenses (be sure to add at least a 10% buffer for unexpected expenses.)  Hire a Coordinator and ask about budgeting tools and checklists that will help get you started! You will want to look for advice that is specific to the area you are getting married in. Book a consult HERE to learn more about what we offer for budget support in Hawaii!

There you have it! 5 steps we think every couple should take BEFORE you even start wedding planning. These will provide a clear, well-thought-out base that takes both parties’ wishes, thoughts, and ideas into account to start the planning process off on the right foot!

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