Things Every Couple NEEDS to Discuss Before Planning Their Wedding
Photo by Gemini Photography
YAY! You're engaged and are overwhelmed with emotions, excitement and are ready to start planning. Everyone is asking when the big day will be, who is in the wedding party, what your colours are, where you are having it, so on and so forth. But before you start diving into wedding planning, you and your fiancé need to sit down and have a real talk to make sure you are both on the same page.
Budget: I know, I know I say this all the time. If you don't know how much you want to spend, things will get out of hand pretty quickly. Plus, your budget dictates how many guests, what type of venue, and your vendors. So basically everything. It's a hard talk, especially when you have to talk with your parents about how much they may be able to contribute, but it has to be done before you do ANYTHING else.
Guest List: Do a rough draft of guest list to get an idea of how many people you are thinking. Times that number by $150 (this is a rough cost per head) and does that match or fall within your budget? If not, time to take a harder look at who you plan on inviting. If it does fit within your budget, leave it, pat yourself on the back and move on to the next thing.
Theme/Vision: Talk colours. Look at magazines and Pinterest for styles you are drawn to. How personal do you want to get? Are you going to go all out on a theme (Say you're favourite book, Disney, etc)? Or are you into rustic, vintage or romantic designs? Start your Pinterest Board and build your vision.
Important Elements: List the most important thing for each of you. Make sure you allocate your budget for those two things (if you both say the same thing- Well holy moly you are off to the races). This might be photos and DJ. Or food and video. Whatever it is, make sure you plan for it and spend the extra you need to get it right.
Traditions: Finally, you need to discuss how traditional are you going for your big day? Are you married in a church? Are you having a first look? Are you getting ready together? Do you want a bouquet toss/garter toss? These are all things that need to be included in your day of timeline and areas where you need to agree with each other.
I hope these points help you start the conversation and make sure your planning is off to the right start.