6 Things to Put at the Top of Your Wedding Planning Checklist

Once you've celebrated your engagement, it’s time to soak in the reality of planning a New England wedding. How hard could it be, you think? Then suddenly, your wedding planning checklist looks longer than the phonebook. Avoid becoming overwhelmed by focusing on a few crucial decisions before tackling your whole wedding planning checklist. Making these six decisions first will help you develop a clear vision of your special day and keep the rest of the planning flowing smoothly.

1. Set A Timetable For Your Wedding Planning Checklist

As soon as you get engaged, friends and family will be clamoring to know your wedding date. However, you won’t be able to choose the date until many other decisions are made. Start your planning off easy, and set a loose timetable for your wedding. Consider how long you think the wedding will take to plan, what time of year you’d like to get married, and potential major conflicts.

2. Decide On A Budget

It may not be the most fun aspect of your wedding planning checklist, but setting your budget will influence every aspect of your special day. Sit down with your fiancé and your families to establish how much everyone is contributing. Once the total budget has been decided, you can use an online wedding budget worksheet to determine how to best spend your money.

3. Choose the Style of Your Wedding

Your wedding planning checklist will include many moving parts, but there’s one thing you should never lose sight of: the style of your wedding. When you close your eyes and picture your wedding, what do you see? Whether you want your wedding to be rustic and simple or modern and lavish, the style of your wedding should tie the whole event together. If you don’t have a clear vision for your wedding day, look through magazines, websites, or possible New England venues to help you get an idea of what you want (and what you definitely do not).

4. Draft a Guest List

Once you’ve decided on your budget and your style, it’s time to determine who you want at the wedding. Unfortunately, this is not always as simple as inviting your close family and friends. The list of people that you could invite can get huge if not kept in check. When deciding on the guest list, keep the style of your wedding at the forefront of your mind. A casual, beach wedding might mean a smaller guest list. Don’t be afraid to prioritize the people who mean the most to you and exclude your mother’s best friend’s boss, if that’s what you want.

5. Choose Two or Three Possible Dates

At this point in your wedding planning checklist, it’s time to get specific about the 'when' of your wedding. Within your scheduled time frame, pick two or three dates that would work for your wedding. Look at your calendar, your fiancé’s calendar, and your families' calendars to help you narrow down your wedding date options. Just make sure you don’t get your heart set on one date—having some flexibility on the date will make it easier for you to book the New England wedding venue of your dreams.

6. Dream Up the Perfect Venue

Picking the wedding venue is at once an exciting prospect and an exhausting task. With so many beautiful locations in New England to get married, it can feel impossible to choose just one. However, with these other tips in mind, you can start to imagine what your dream wedding venue will look like and where it might be. Start your search with our New England wedding planner. This easy tool will help you find a venue that fits your style, dates and budget.

Happy planning!

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