13 Essential Wedding Planning Tips
1. Don’t Waste Time.
The earlier you start planning, the better—and the less stressful your planning will be. Developing a clear, focused plan for your wedding before you start the process can help you keep up with the many tasks you’ll have to complete. Additionally, understand there will be competition for all the venues, vendors and dates and the later you wait to plan and hire, the fewer options you will have available to you.
UPDATE: As a result of COVID-19, the amount of postponements has caused a major scarcity on dates and locations as double or triple the amount of couples will be getting married in the same year then usual.
2. Get Your Hands on Wedding Planning Guides and Information
For couples who opt to take on the wedding planning process sans a professional planner or coordinator, a wedding guide or free wedding planning resources (such as our Bridal Guides) can be a wealth of information and expert advice, including tips and tricks and even examples of timelines and checklists.
3. Talk to Other Married Couples
Have you recently attended a wedding that you really enjoyed? By all means, ask that couple for advice and insights. They probably have some expert tips and tricks that they learned along the way that they'd be more than happy to share with you. Sometimes, friends and family are the best resources.
4. Investigate Wedding Blackout Dates
Know ahead of time if your wedding date falls on the same day as a trade conference, charity walk or other local event that could affect traffic and hotel room availability. Here's a handy list of potentially problematic wedding dates coming up in the calendar.
5. Estimate and Understand Budget Fluctuations
You can’t do much planning until you have a firm grasp on how much you can spend. Break down your budget and know how much you can spend in each category before you spend thousands on your dream reception venue. Wedding budgets are all about balance. Start your budget planning by making a checklist of the crucial details, like the music, your wedding gown, the invitations, the flowers and the photographer, and assign a number to each—one being the most important and three being the least. Invest your money in all your number ones and cut corners on your number threes. (But everything can't fall into the number one category!) For example, if a designer gown and fabulous food are what really matter, you may have to choose simple invitations and smaller floral arrangements.
6. Don’t Invite Everyone You Know
Your guest list will help determine your venue and catering costs. Trimming down your guest list will be a hard decision, but it’s yours and your husband’s alone, so don’t let family members guilt-trip you into inviting people you’d rather not. It may help to approximate number of guests you'll invite before settling on a venue. This will ensure there's ample space for your crew. As a rule of thumb, allow for 25 to 30 square feet per guest. That may seem like a lot, but it's really not if you count the space you'll need for the tables, bustling waiters, the band and a dance floor.
7. Keep it Close
When choosing your location, think about the distance from your guests. Keeping your wedding more centrally located will allow more people to attend.
8. Get Organized
Create a three-ring binder to keep track of vendor contracts, budget details, and even inspiration images from magazines and online. Having all of your wedding info in one place will keep you from misplacing important documents.
9. Ask Lots of Questions
The vendors you choose should be experts in their field, so don’t be afraid to ask them questions and tell them exactly what you want for your big day. They’ll help you understand what will work with your budget.
10. Follow the Rules
Ask both your ceremony and reception venues for a list of restrictions. For example, some churches don’t allow flash photography. Know what you can and can’t do before making plans for setup and décor.
11. Keep the Groom Involved
This is his wedding day too, so make sure he has a say in the planning. Go over major decisions together and be willing to compromise.
12. Learn About Marriage Licenses
You can check your state's license requirements online, but confirm with a call to the county clerk's office to see when they're open. Even if it's open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., they may issue marriage licenses only during slower times like, say, Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Give a copy of your marriage license to your mom or your maid of honor (just in case you lose yours during the final days before your wedding).
13. Avoid Overwhelm
Take your wedding tasks one at a time, so you don’t get buried. Focus your time, energy, and most of your budget on your most important priorities. You’ll feel less stressed if you’re not obsessing over every single detail.
Visit the Bridal Guide for tons of useful tips and planning guides for your #BESTDAYEVER