Wow can you believe it??!?! You are now ENGAGED!!! Congratulations!! The excitement has started to calm down and the realization of planning a wedding is now settling in. Are friends and family already asking you when is the wedding? Do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and thinking now what? You don't have a clue where to start? Well you've come to the right place. I can guide you in the right direction by giving you 4 easy steps to get started in your event planning process.
1. You MUST Set A Budget
We all have ideas in our heads of these beautiful lavish weddings until you start learning what these weddings actually cost. I guarantee that will quickly bring you back down to reality!!! Food for thought; The average costs of weddings in NYC is about $80,000.00. Therefore you need to know from the beginning what your bottom line is. How much do you actually have to spend on this one day??
Also this budget needs to be realistic. meaning based on an actual dollar amount that you already have saved or are planning to save. It shouldn't be based on money that your parents or family members have said they would give you until the money is in your bank account. Let's face it most of us will have to save money. Again be realistic!! Figure out your total monthly net income (take home pay), deduct your expenses to live and what is left over should be your discretionary income (money you get to do whatever you want with aka save). There are also creative ways to find extra cash within your budget which I will elaborate on in separate post. Stay Tuned!
2. Research Costs Of Vendors
Now that you have your budget you can start doing research on what the vendors will cost, i.e. florist, venue, dj, invitations, etc. Do you have a favorite venue that you've been dreaming about getting married at your whole life. Make an appointment for a site visit and then discuss costs. FYI Venue is about 50 -60% of your expense therefore it is a good starting point. Hire an event planner to help with the research. Based on your budget and style we can make suggestions on vendors that we have worked with. We can help with negotiating costs and we know what questions to ask to determine if they are a good fit for you and your fiance.
3. What Are Your Must Haves??
Are you now in SHOCK about how much this wedding is actually going to cost?? Sit down with your fiance and discuss what are your must haves and what are some things you can do without. What are your top three priorities? Is it important to have an abundance of floral's? Do you want an awesome photographer/videographer to capture the entire wedding? Do you want an intimate venue or beach setting? This will definitely help you focus your finances and create the wedding of your dreams without going into debt.
4. Set Up A Timeline
Once the venue is booked and the wedding date is set you can put together a timeline. This is also a task that a wedding planner can take off of your to do list. A timeline is essential to determine what key things need to take place and by when. For example you usually want to secure your wedding dress 7-9 months (at least a year for a custom dress) prior to the wedding date to allow for enough time for production, shipping and alterations.
Remember to have fun while planning your wedding, have some down time to connect with your fiance and keep in mind why you are getting married in the first place.
1. You MUST Set A Budget
We all have ideas in our heads of these beautiful lavish weddings until you start learning what these weddings actually cost. I guarantee that will quickly bring you back down to reality!!! Food for thought; The average costs of weddings in NYC is about $80,000.00. Therefore you need to know from the beginning what your bottom line is. How much do you actually have to spend on this one day??
Also this budget needs to be realistic. meaning based on an actual dollar amount that you already have saved or are planning to save. It shouldn't be based on money that your parents or family members have said they would give you until the money is in your bank account. Let's face it most of us will have to save money. Again be realistic!! Figure out your total monthly net income (take home pay), deduct your expenses to live and what is left over should be your discretionary income (money you get to do whatever you want with aka save). There are also creative ways to find extra cash within your budget which I will elaborate on in separate post. Stay Tuned!
2. Research Costs Of Vendors
Now that you have your budget you can start doing research on what the vendors will cost, i.e. florist, venue, dj, invitations, etc. Do you have a favorite venue that you've been dreaming about getting married at your whole life. Make an appointment for a site visit and then discuss costs. FYI Venue is about 50 -60% of your expense therefore it is a good starting point. Hire an event planner to help with the research. Based on your budget and style we can make suggestions on vendors that we have worked with. We can help with negotiating costs and we know what questions to ask to determine if they are a good fit for you and your fiance.
3. What Are Your Must Haves??
Are you now in SHOCK about how much this wedding is actually going to cost?? Sit down with your fiance and discuss what are your must haves and what are some things you can do without. What are your top three priorities? Is it important to have an abundance of floral's? Do you want an awesome photographer/videographer to capture the entire wedding? Do you want an intimate venue or beach setting? This will definitely help you focus your finances and create the wedding of your dreams without going into debt.
4. Set Up A Timeline
Once the venue is booked and the wedding date is set you can put together a timeline. This is also a task that a wedding planner can take off of your to do list. A timeline is essential to determine what key things need to take place and by when. For example you usually want to secure your wedding dress 7-9 months (at least a year for a custom dress) prior to the wedding date to allow for enough time for production, shipping and alterations.
Remember to have fun while planning your wedding, have some down time to connect with your fiance and keep in mind why you are getting married in the first place.
Email me for a FREE wedding planning timeline!!
Happy Planning!!
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