Planning a wedding is very exciting, but it can be overwhelming, even if you have a whole year and a half to do it. It’s important to pace yourself and stay organized in order to get everything done. That’s where a good wedding planner comes in. When I was helping my daughters plan their weddings, I couldn’t find a wedding planner that took us step-by-step through the process. I ended up making a lot of my own forms and checklists to use. After sending my second daughter off on her honeymoon I felt inspired to use what I had learned to create a wedding planner to help other brides and their mothers have less stress and more peace of mind while preparing for this once-in-a-lifetime event.
This article takes you through the first few steps to get you started on planning a beautiful wedding on a budget.
Disclaimer: The forms referenced in the article are from the 18-month Serenity Wedding Planner, available from my Etsy shop: Abundant Printables.
18 months before the wedding
Certain things need to be done first in order to create the foundation for your wedding. I know it’s tempting to go shopping for the wedding gown right away, but it’s better to get these foundational steps done first. Feel free to arrange these steps into the order that best suits you.
Step 1 – Create a Vision
The first step is for the bride and groom to discuss what their vision is for the wedding.
Questions to ask:
- What time of year/season would you like the wedding?
- What month/weekends do you prefer?
- What city do you want to get married in?
- Do you prefer a casual or formal style of wedding?
- What adjectives describe the style of wedding you would like?
- What type of venue would you like for the wedding?
- What color scheme do you prefer?
- What size wedding would you like?
- How many attendants would you like to have on each side?
- What are your top priorities for your wedding?
- What do you value the most?
- What would make the most difference to you on the wedding day?
Step 2 – Select a Date
It’s a good idea to choose a few tentative dates that will work for you. You will need to check with your key family members and attendants for their availability. Being a little flexible on your date can also help you acquire your venue of choice.
Check out these worksheets for helping you choose a date and create a vision.
Step 3 – Set a Budget
Once you know what your vision is for your wedding, you need to find out how much it will cost to turn that vision into reality. Take some time to research and get some estimates on how much things will cost. You may need to adjust your vision a bit to fit your budget.
How much are you and your fiance willing to pitch in towards the wedding? How much are your parents willing to contribute? It’s a good idea to estimate what expenses will be in advance and figure out who is going to pay for what so there are no big surprises.
One way of budgeting for a wedding is… 50% for Venue and catering, 10% for wedding attire, 10% for music, 10% for flowers & decor, 10% for photo & video, and10% for everything else. This makes things simple and easy to remember.
You can make a wedding budget on a spreadsheet or fill out a printable budget form. Indicate on the form who is going to pay for which expense. This is a good time to start a wedding notebook to keep track of your estimates, quotes, and receipts.
Step 4 – Choose Attendants
It’s time to choose your maid or matron of honor, bridesmaids, best man, and groomsmen. You may also want to have a flower girl and ring bearer. There are no hard and fast rules about how many attendants to have; however, it’s prudent to keep costs in mind. Check the wedding date with them to see if they are available.
Make sure you have all their contact info so you can keep them in the loop easily about the wedding preparations and activities. A form to keep track of all the info in one place can be helpful.
Step 5 – Make the Guest List
One of the first steps is to start making a guest list. This will help you determine the size of your wedding, which is important when you start looking for venues. Many couples elect to have a small wedding, especially these days. I recommend having an “A” list and a “B” list. The “A” list is for people you definitely want to invite. The “B” list is for people you would like to invite if there is room.
It may take a while to gather all their addresses, so starting the list early is a good idea.
Step 6 – Look at Wedding Venues
Once you know your vision, how many guests you would like to invite, and what your budget is, you can start to look at wedding venues. For each of my daughters’ weddings, we had about 100 people and rented a beautiful lodge in one of our county’s parks. We were very lucky to get them on the date we wanted since they get booked out quite early. Looking for a venue should be one of your top priorities in order to get your date reserved.
Here are some questions to consider asking when inquiring about a venue for your wedding. To download a pdf of these questions, along with venue comparison sheets and helpful tips, check out the bundle on my Etsy shop.
- What does this facility accommodate? (Wedding ceremony, reception, or both?)
- What is the seating capacity?
- How many tables and chairs are included?
- What is the fire code limit?
- Does the facility have heating/cooling?
- What decorations are included?
- Are we allowed to bring our own decorations?
- What are the rules about hanging decor?
- What forms of payment do they accept?
- How much deposit is required and when?
- What is the cancellation fee?
- Do they provide in-house catering?
- Do they have a liquor license/bar service included?
- Is there a kitchen area available?
- Is this a public or private location?
- Is a coat check/area provided?
- Is a kids’ area available if needed?
- Is a sound system available? (Speakers, microphone)
- Is it wheel-chair accessible?
- Where are the bathrooms located?
- Are there dressing rooms available?
- Do you have a dance area and room for a DJ or band?
- Is it possible to rehearse at the venue?
- What is the total fee?
You can do much research online and collect information about venues, but I do recommend visiting the location in person if possible. I found it helpful to bring a tape measure and a notepad to make a sketch of the place to help with planning purposes later on. We also took lots of pictures to help us remember the space and where features were located. Having a list of questions to ask so we didn’t forget anything was helpful as well. If you are planning your wedding during Covid, you will also want to ask about what modifications are needed to keep everyone safe.
Step 7 – Compare Caterers
Some venues include catering, in which case you can move on to step 8. For other locations, you will need to decide whether or not to hire a caterer or have a DIY reception. My second daughter wanted a sitdown reception and decided to have it catered. We had almost 2 years to plan that wedding, so we took the time to interview several caterers and were very happy with our final choice.
For a handy checklist of information to gather on each caterer, you can use the forms in this bundle.
Step 8 – Plan Reception Menu
You can do much research online about a caterer’s services and menu offerings. I found it handy to print out their menu plans and put them in my wedding notebook so they were easy to refer to. Remember to take into consideration any food allergies or limitations your guests might have.
For my first daughter’s wedding (the one we planned in 6 weeks), we had a simple finger-food reception and bought all the food (except the desserts) and prepared it ourselves with the help of a few friends. To find out more about how we did it, check out this blog post.
Step 9 – Reserve Rentals
It’s always a good idea to reserve any rentals you will need as soon as possible. Take a look at your venue first and see what is already supplied. See what you have at home or can borrow from others to save on some money before renting. Sometimes it’s worth it, though, to have the convenience of someone else taking care of it all.
Some commonly rented items include:
- ceremony seating
- arch / ceremony decor
- aisle runner
- frame tent & accessories
- tables & chairs for reception
- tablecloths & cloth napkins
- chair covers
- chinaware, flatware, beverageware
- serving dishes & beverage dispensers
- serving table & cake table
- barware & ice chests
- AV equipment
All of these worksheets and many more are included in the 18-month Serenity Wedding Planner, a printable download from Abundant Printables on Etsy.
Do you wish there was a printable planner you could download right now that has all the steps laid out for you, from start to finish, for how to plan your wedding in 18 months?
Your wish has been granted! Check out the 18-month wedding planner from Abundant Printables on Etsy and get started with your wedding planning today!
Greenery Theme 18-month Wedding Planner Now Available
