So, you’ve found the one you want to spend forever with. We love that for you—welcome to your fiancé era, sis! Planning your dream wedding can feel daunting, especially while balancing life + adulting. On top of your relationship, career, social calendar, self care, travel, bills, goals, etc., planning a luxury wedding requires a significant time + financial investment. The good news is it’s all manageable and can be a really fun process journeying from fiancé to bride!
Photographer Mariah Treiber
We always get asked how soon to start planning. On average, we work with brides 9-18 months out. First, have an open conversation about who is paying for what. If you’re into traditions, the bride’s family hosts the wedding, while the groom’s family hosts the rehearsal dinner and/or the reception bar. Every couple/family’s financial situation is different, so just be sure to clarify before you start committing to anything. It's important to discuss + lay out family expectations too; there may be parts of the day that are uniquely significant to each side that you'll want to take into consideration.
Next, set a budget by prioritizing how may guests you want to host and what truly matters to you both! Maybe you're all about amazing food + great entertainment, or perhaps it's the wow factor and statement floral installations you can't live without. Discuss your wedding must-haves as a starting point to create your budget (SHE loves a spreadsheet!)
Securing an A-list wedding team truly makes all the difference in making your dreams come true. If you’ve been scrolling on Instagram or frequent weddings, you may have an idea of which vendors you want to consider.
Here's the shortlist of where you want to start!
Wedding Planner
It's always a good idea to book your wedding planner first to reserve your date on their calendar and have their guidance during the entire planning process. From start to finish, your planner should be your experienced counsel for all the wedding things—including the expenses relative to your vision, venue reccomendations (bonus: the inside scoop on food you may have never tasted before signing a big contract), vendor selections + contract review, logistics + timeline, design concepts, and wedding production + execution.
Venue + Caterer
The style of your wedding venue will influence the overall design + vibe. If you live in a metro area, event venues will likely be booked for weddings up to one, maybe two years, in advance. Get on their calendar sooner than later! Since venue rental fees and food + alcohol will eat up the bulk of your budget, knowing how much you will be spending on the venue will give you the remaining budget to work with.
Photographer + Videographer
Because these are most often a single person or small team of creative professionals that work one wedding per day, you should reach out as soon as you choose your date. Take some time to check out their social media, website, and blog to catch their vibes and most recent work. Their edit style + use of lighting is something you'll want to note. Much of why you’ll hire them is based off of loving their style, so once you find your match, make it official by scheduling a consult and moving to contract!
Live Band + DJ
If you’re not thinking about entertainment, you should be. They are heartbeat of the reception. Another perfect example of a vendor who can only service one wedding per day. If you have your heart set on someone, book them now. This goes for ceremony musicians too.
Glam
Talented hair stylists + makeup artists often have busy schedules, especially during peak wedding season. Nowadays we see these teams booked a year in advance. Avoid disappointment and book your wedding glam team early!
Once you've secured these vendors you can breathe. It truly takes a small army from concept to production. There are 15-25 vendors collaborating for your wedding day and 200+ hours of planning required to make it come to life! Making the best initial decisions will save you money, time and stress. The right team of event pros will ensure they do the heavy lifting and take care of all of the logistics + details for you.
XO,
Q
