How do I start planning for a wedding?

Question

I am 23 years old and just got engaged except there is one problem I don't know where to start and I can't afford to hire someone to do it. My mom isn't here to help me and I don't know what to do....please help.

Answer 1

discuss with you finacee and decide the following,
when you wish to marry, the date
where you wish to get married at (what city, in a church or hotel etc) after that you can look for a location to reserve for your wedding,,is the reception going to be at the same location as the wedding?
how many attendants you wish(maid of honor, bridesmaids etc, )
how many people you wish to invite

once you have that settled, you can make up or order invitations,,,,
are you going to have it catered, partly catered, or do it yourself,,,, as to the reception (your reception can be anything from a sit-down served meal to a buffet, to only appetizers and the cake
then you yourself can decide and pick out your dress,,what you want the attendants to wear, flowers etc,,

some locations, such as renting a banquet room in a hotel, will give you a package discount, the room, flowers, food all for one price,,,,,,

there are many options, and combinations of options, you can consider,,,

i was married at a hotel,,,,,the drinks, flowers, and part of the food was catered, we had a nice buffet with a fountain ,,,,we made our own wedding cake,,,, some relatives took food,, we made up our invitations and had them copied at a copy place (this was before computers when you could print them out yourself, plus we had them caligrafied (sp)

Answer 2

CONGRATS!!!! How exciting! The first thing you want to do (and is the most important) is to sit down with your fiance and both sets of parents and figure out a budget and who is paying for what...if it is just you and your finace, then you both have to make some serious decisions as to how much money you are willing to spend on everything. AND, no matter what, stick to the budget!!!!! As a wedding planner, I can't tell you how many couples I have come across who haven't stuck to their budget and big problems came up.

After the budget is done, then you can get to the fun stuff!! The ceremony and reception locations should be next, though, as they fill rather quickly sometimes (depending on where you're looking at). Then interview and select your caterer, baker, florist, entertainment and photographer. Make sure you are up front with them about your budget...if they hesitate and pressure you into paying more than you are comfortable with...don't use them!!

If you are unsure about anything or are hesitating about details and/or larger issues...hire a wedding planner!!! Most of the time brides think they don't need a planner and before they know it the details aren't done and it is too late to hire someone. If you hire ahead of time, then there will be no question of who will be doing what.

Answer 3

Set the date. Once you set the date everything else should fall into place.

Go to JCPenney's and sign up for their gift registry. If you add 15 items, go to the service desk and get your binder. It is a HUGE book complete with a calculator, helpful guides, pockets, sections. It is INVALUABLE and best of all it is free!. If you dont have a penney's by you- got to the store and get yourself a cute binder. Make sections. My first binder was set up to have the following sections:

Reception, Menu Ideas/Food, Clothing, Photography, DJ s.

Go to Bridal shows in your area and get all of the information the stores lay out. They most always have great discounts. Make sure to go to another bridal show shortly before your wedding and jump on those savings too.

Head on over to www.theknot.com. They have great stories and advice.

So here it is-
1- Set date
2- Set guest list (dont invite anyone yet though- just get a general idea how many you want)
3. look around for reception/wedding location (depending on when you are due to be married- some places fill up extremely fast)
4. Decide what type of wedding you want (big, small, informal, formal) once you do that it will also help you with deciding where to have the whole thing.

Gosh so much advice... I can go on for days- email me for more!!

Lori

Answer 4

Congratulations. Start by setting a date. Saying that, start looking around for places which you would like to get married at. Alot of places can be booked out so book early. The place will also allow you to plan how many people will be going to your wedding. I found with my wedding the place helped me greatly with what to do and organise for free. Good luck. There are some great website too - start searching on line.

Answer 5

I was in the same boat. I went to the library and checked out books and bought wedding magazines. The best book was
The Very Best Wedding Planning Guide
by Elizabeth Lluch
it really helped me out.
the 3 most urgent things are: date, dress, and location.
get those in place and everything else is easier. Those also have to be done the soonest.
Good luck

Answer 6

Check out the Knot.com. They have lots of helpful sites to plan your wedding. If you don't have the money for a big bash, keep it simple and small. There are a lot of ways to cut budget when planning. Invest in a few books with ideas to cut cost.

Congrats on the big day!

Answer 7

Start with a list. What happens at a wedding? Will it be traditional? Will you have bridesmaids, etc? Will it be an evening or a daytime wedding? Will you marry in a church? Start with an outline, then fill in the blanks. Buy wedding magazines or, even better, search online for ideas. Congrats! Your mom will be with you in spirit!

Answer 8

1. Decide what's important to the both of you.
2. Set a budget for the whole wedding.
3. Decide on a date.

http://www.theknot.com

Answer 9

you can buy a wedding planner book. but you can also just write down thoughts that you have. maybe ask your fiance about what he really wants. talk to some of your friends about your ideas maybe they can help you come up with unique ideas. you can decide on a theme for your wedding. (im getting married in june we are doing a butterfly theme) pick your colors. pick maybe 2 colors and then a accent color(silver,gold,black etc.) girl its so much fun email me if you wanna talk. I'll help you!

Answer 10

Make a list of everything to do. (Probably already one on the internet that could be used).

Then start attackig it. Inch by inch is a cinch, mile by mile is a trial.