You’re getting married, start here!
You are tasked with planning the party of your life!
Like most couples, you have probably never planned a wedding before. You want this one day to be the most special ever, and you probably have been dreaming of your wedding day for what seems like your WHOLE life. Now, with little or no experience in planning monumental events, you have to bring your wedding vision to life.
This simple guide will assist you in getting started on the wedding planning process. You can do this! More importantly, we can do this together.
Step 1.
Create your guest list. This will be the backbone for your entire wedding planning process. You can’t create your budget and you can’t consider venues until you know how many people you will have attending (give or take a few plus ones, and miscellaneous cousins that your mother insists you invite). This impacts your venue and catering decisions which then drives everything else.
Step 2.
Put together a basic budget for your wedding. This budget should cover the venue, catering, ceremony officiant, DJ, florals, attire, rings, photography, videography, hair and makeup. Remember, you don’t have to use every vendor your friend used, you only need to consider what will be right for you.
Step 3.
Begin your venue search. Remember, if don’t have a venue, you don’t have a wedding. Find a venue that you love. One that can accommodate your guests and that fits within your budget. The venue is going to be the backdrop to all your entire wedding vision. Your wedding venue will also be a featured part of your wedding photos, and you will have these photos for the rest of your lives. You have to love them. This is an important decision that is part of your life journey. Think about the style of wedding that you want — Beach, Farm, Chapel, Modern, Rustic, Beautiful, DIY, Full Service, Simple Ornate, indoor, outdoor… there are so many options.
Step 4.
Book your venue, lock in your date. Once your date is confirmed you can move forward with your planning. Once you have chosen your venue, the rest of your wedding vision will begin to fall into place. You can visualize yourself saying “I do” on your wedding day, and thus also fall in love with your wedding venue.
Send out ‘Save the Date’ cards to your guests
Research vendors and their availability (or ask your venue to help you with this if they work with preferred vendors)
Book your tastings - food and cake
Step 5.
Book your wedding vendors. Most weddings include some or all of the following:
Wedding Venue (ceremony and reception, or all-inclusive), catering, bar, bartending service, DJ, photographer, videographer, floral designer, musicians, photo booth, serving staffing, coordinator /event planner, wedding cake bakery, hair and/or makeup artist
When researching venues…
Before you start in-person tours, visit different venue websites and look for the following:
Galleries - Get a feel for the venue. Can you picture yourself at that location? Can you imagine your first look? Can you picture yourself walking down the aisle to your future spouse, and saying “I do”? Can you imagine dancing the night away with your loved ones? Does the venue fit with the vision you have for your wedding?
You can see our galleries here.
Investment - The venue needs to align with your budget. If the venue doesn’t share their pricing, what else are they hiding? Ask about hidden fees or charges.
You can see what investment you will need to book Milton Ridge here.
Catering - Does the venue have in-house catering? Do you need to find and bring your own? Do you need to rent and provide tables and chairs, linens, china, and glassware? Do you need to consider where you will get tons of ice and beverages, or are these items already provided for you? Does the catering fit with your budget? Can you bring your own cake?
You can see details of our in-house catering here.
FAQs - Have you read the FAQs? Most of your initial questions should be covered there. If not, ask the venues you are considering the missing questions., as most venues will be happy to answer questions ahead of your visit. If you want to bring your own cake, DJ, or photographer and the venue doesn’t allow it, there is no point wasting your time visiting them.
You can see our FAQs here.
Book a tour - Assuming that everything is looking good, book your venue tour. If your date is fixed, make sure that the venue is available for your date before you visit. Take notes, ask questions, relax and enjoy the experience. This is YOUR day. When you are ready, book your venue and move forward with your planning.
Would you like to visit Milton Ridge? Book Your Tour