Wed Day

My baby sister is newly engaged - ack, so exciting! They're high school sweethearts and have been together for nearly nine years, so even though her fiance has felt like a brother for a while now, we're thrilled to make it official.

Our family is acquiring new members left  and right these days.

The engagement is still really new, just about a week in, but as MoH I've already started helping my sister with some of the initial planning. Which got me thinking - where do you even start? Planning a wedding is fun, but serious business, and can be totally over whelming. So, as a wedding planning veteran, here's my advice for getting off to a smooth start.

1. First, get a manicure - everyone and their mom (literally) will be admiring your new ring and getting pretty up close and personal with your digits. 
2. Now, determine your budget, and the decide if you'll be using a wedding planner or not. 
3. If you'll be using a wedding planner, the next step would be to research planners in your area and set up a few interviews. Once you select a planner, they'll guide you though the process from there. 
4. If you're not using a planner, the next step is to get a ballpark on the head count for your guest list. It doesn't have to be exact, but you need to figure out if you're planning a small, medium, or big fat wedding, so you'll have an idea of the kind of venues to look at.
5. Then, start looking for a venue! The venue you lock down (and when) determines your date, the approximate size of your event, and the tone/formality of the occasion. A beach wedding will have a vastly different feel than one held at a country club. You'll also know if the venue handles rentals and catering or if you need to source those vendors yourself. 
6. Now you can start on the fun details. Dress shopping! Color choosing! Cake tasting!  
7. Another optional, but I think worth it, early step is to do an engagement shoot. It's not totally necessary, but if you can it's a great way to get to know your photographer and build up a rapport before the wedding. It also gives you and your partner a chance to "practice" taking posed photos together before the big day. Plus, after the fact, it's really special to have those photos. 

There you have it, my wedding planning starting places - anything I missed?

Image via.
Want more? Never miss a post, follow me on Bloglovin or Feedly.