what do i need to plan first?

Question

my boyfriend has told me that i'm going to be engaged before my birthday (September), and we've decided that we're prob going to plan the wedding around late may or early june
the thing is, i want to show my parents that i'm not as scatterbrained and irrespondsible as they think i am (what can i say, i'm their baby....their 22 year old baby), and when we get engaged and tell them, i want to be able to show my mother and sister that i already have a lot of it planned out so they will see that i'm not going to make them plan it all for me (i mean, i want them to be a part of it, but i don't want to just say "hey mom, i'm engaged! now plan everything for me!") so what do i need to go about doing first?
please no mean answers guys!
thanks!!

also, i plan on paying for a lot of it, so how much am i'm going to need? (prob a fun, casual outdoor wedding w/less than 100 people, and a fun reception with cheap food like BBQ)

Answer 1

Since you know what kind of ceremony you want there are several things you can do now:

-Pick a color theme and style-sounds like your style is done jut need to pick colors

-Set a tentative date-even if only you know it, this helps when you try to get pricing for various things

-Start looking for a wedding dress; they take a while to come back and you would rather have it early.

-Look at bridesmaids dresses, the earlier you can ask them and have it picked the longer they will have to pay and for alterations to be made. try to pick a dress that is flattering to all participants

-Go to tietheknot.com-They have online planners that you can use and later pull info for invites from. They can also help you register. That is something else that you can do now. It's easier to do this now when your plate is not so full. Create a budget and stick to it

-Choose locations for the ceremony and reception. Depending upon the site you may already be too late because your preferred location may already be booked.

-Shop for thank you gifts for your wedding party members

i hope this helps-feel free to email me

Answer 2

The first thing is the location of the wedding because this will decide the type of dress you will need and the max amount of people you can have. I mean you don't want a 7ft train on the beach and you don't want to cram the 100 people you invited into a room that holds 75. As far as cost goes look at how much you can really afford without going into debt. I mean who wants to start their marriage off in debt. It will just lead to more problems later. Think about the things that are going to mean the most later and try to factor the cost of those items first and then you can be a little cheap on other items later in planning if needed. In this I am talking about things like pictures, it can cost a lot to get a pro. But always look for family and friends with those great talents and try to get them to help as their gift to you.

Answer 3

Your best bet is to set your budget - it'll keep you from spending money you don't have.

Once you've established your budget, then you need to prioritize which expenses mean the most to you - the dress, the cake, the flowers, reception food, DJ, photography, videography, favors, etc. There are no right or wrong answers here. It's going to depend on what's most important to the two of you!!

From there - knowing what you're prepared to spend on each of these aspects will allow you to make the decisions quite easily - honest!! For example, maybe you decide NOT to hire a videographer, because you'd rather hire a "better" photographer. Or perhaps serving a lighter meal (i.e., appetizers/desserts only) will mean that you can invite more guests.

Best wishes to you!! Congratulations!

Answer 4

Don't go to your mother with plans for frivolous things like your "colors" or what kind of dress you want. If you want to seem responsible stick to things like your guest list, location and a budget. Your budget is sooo important.

Go to an office supply store and buy a binder, some dividers and a three hole punch. Set it up into categories so when you see something in a magazine or on line you like you can hole punch it and keep it in the notebook. This will help you keep your thoughts organized. Keep all you vendor info in here as well. Bring it to all your appointments and save everything.

Also, don't just talk about the wedding, talk about the marriage! What's your plan for the future? Where are you guys going to live? What is your career plan? Your financial plan? Etc. Having this kind of info at your finger tips will make your mom have more faith in you too.

Good luck and best wishes!

Answer 5

Location, location, location! This is definitely the thing that needs to be booked first...In fact, you may already be running into problems, considering you're looking at getting married within the year.

From there, I would start researching caterers, bakers and florists. If you go to your mom's house with a packet of information from several different vendors, you can start the planning process with her right away, and she should be impressed with the research you have done.

An inexpensive, casual wedding, for less than 100 people can be done for $5,000 - $10,000, depending on the various options you go with.

Answer 6

The very first step you take is securing a location. This is because so much revolves around the location- what type of food can be served, whether it comes with chairs and tables, and a whole list of factors. It seems you have a rough idea in mind of what you want, so now is the perfect time to start looking for locations. Look as much as you have time for! I say this because we ended up choosing our location, the last on the list, and we went on a whim. Then once you find the one that you love, secure it. I cannot stress this enough, because locations of all types do fill quickly. Location, location, location, baby!

Answer 7

1. Set your budget
2. Find your locations.

Your location is going to determine how much money you have left for other things and should heavily influence your colors and decor. For instance if you find a gorgeous garden you don't need as much decor because nature provides it. If you get the VFW you might need a little more. If you hold the wedding in a barn super modern would look out of place. If it's a fancy ballroom you probably don't want to go country.

Answer 8

the two lengthy or jiffy era plan. it rather is a controversy of own determination you're able to settle on. it is going to remember rather on the plan you're able to pick to realize in existence. Plannning is a non-end technique as lengthy as we are dwelling. it rather is a controversy of making plans out what existence you will face. issues in existence could desire to be completed by a quick time era staring on the direction you're into. thank you for asking. Have a great day!

Answer 9

Wait untill you get engaged first and then start planning. But if you really want to have a heads up you can vist these website that will take you step-by-step on how to plan and have the perfect wedding.

www.theknot.com

www.perfectweddingguide.com

Answer 10

Go get one of those wedding planning folder books at the bookstore. They're like big notebooks with pockets for info, lists, time schedules, budget worksheets, etc.