To accommodate brides doing it on their own, we've established a series of budget friendly workshops for the DIY Bride. We give all the tools needed so the DIY bride can spearhead planning her own wedding with confidence....an organization binder, checklists, budget worksheets, sample schedules, recommended vendors, tips on DIY projects, and planning tips that will help during the whole process.
Here are a few of the things we discuss with brides, and tips we recommend for any brides planning their own wedding:
1. First and foremost, establish your budget.
Before making any decisions, spending any money, booking any vendors, or getting your hopes set on that huge venue....establish your budget. This is the most important thing because it dictates what you can and should do with every single aspect of your wedding.
2. Take advantage of a long planning time.
Don't rush yourself through the planning process. Create ample time to save for your budget and plenty of time to research options and make decisions. Set a date far enough away that you give yourself plenty of time to slow down, do it right, make educated decisions that are right for you, and enjoy the planning process.
3. Establish your top priorities.
Make a list of the top priorities for your wedding. Maybe the flowers are your #1 love and you have expensive specifics that you want. Maybe food is your passion and you want a top of the line five star served dinner. Maybe you have your heart set on a photographer you've seen but they're way out of your budget. Establish a list of what's most important to you, and then cut back on the other not-so-important aspects in order to bump up the budget for your priorities.
4. Create a preliminary guest list.
Before you look for venues or book vendors, create the first draft of your guest list. Knowing your guest count is imperative when making a lot of your wedding decisions, and that's one of the first questions a lot of your vendors will ask when booking. Create an A list (family, wedding party, must-attend friends), B list (other friends you'd like to attend), C list (co-workers, acquaintances). If you need to cut the guest list due to budget constraints, start with the C list and work your way up.
5. Establish a team.
This isn't a task you'll be able to do on your own, so establish a team of family, friends, and of course your loving fiancé. Delegate tasks that you trust each one of them will be suitable to complete and watch your list get smaller. This will greatly lighten your load!
6. Get organized.
Keep a binder with all of your wedding planning paperwork and details. Contracts, checklists, vendor contact information, photos or magazine pages, décor and design ideas, details you love, payment receipts, and anything else you need to keep track of for easy access. Take it with you for all of your meetings and you'll always have everything you need.
7. Do your research!
Take the time to research each vendor and compare all the facts before interviewing and booking. Read their reviews, ask them questions, know everything included in the packages, ask about any additional charges up front so there are no surprises later. Compare all of these things before making your decision and sending a deposit.
8. Create a user-friendly wedding website for your guests.
Give guests an easy-to-access location to quickly find out all the details about your wedding. Date, time, location, directions, introduce the bridal party, tell the story of how you met, share engagement photos, list your gift registries and link to it for easy access. There are many free online options as well as paid options, so research what's out there and get started!
Happy wedding planning!
