Develop a Plan Before the Planning

0
1046

Tips to be successful in planning your Rochester, MN wedding.

By Thelma Grimes

While you might be excited to start talking to florists, go to dress fittings and select a venue as quickly as you can after officially getting engaged, creating a plan before doing any wedding planning might save you a lot of stress, time and money.

A plan before the planning means you and your fiancé can get on the same page before ever making any decisions about the big day. Here are 5 things to do before planning your wedding day:

  1. Set your budget: You are planning to spend your life together. Make this your first conversation about money. What can you afford? How much can you spend on your entire wedding? Where will all the money come from? Setting a dollar amount will help you in staying on the same page, knowing your limits and helping to avoid unexpected costs.
  2. List your priorities: Do you want to spend more on the dress and less on the caterers? What aspects of your wedding are important to both you and your fiancé? Knowing what the priorities are can help in dividing up the entire budget, and in designating a percentage to all categories. For instance, the venue and location might be the to priority, meaning 30 percent or more of the entire budget will be spent to reserve the best place.
  3. Create shared documents: At one time, it was about creating the wedding binder. However, in the digital age, it’s important to create and update spreadsheets that can track every aspect of the wedding. Before ever signing a contract, or contacting a vendor – create spreadsheets. The spreadsheet should break down the budget, and priorities. There should also be a spreadsheet where proposals and estimates can be entered to track best prices and vendors. Serving as a working document, post the spreadsheets online in something like Google Docs where you and your fiancé can access it and make changes anytime.
  4. Establish the wedding party – This is another important area to be on the same page. How many bridesmaids are there? Does that number match the number of groomsmen available? Will it be your niece or his niece who serves as the flower girl? Will it be both?
  5. Begin the guest list – It’s important to get at least an estimated head count early. How many people from both sides will be invited? What will that mean in terms of choosing a venue?

Now that you both are on the same page, it’s time to start having fun and planning a wedding.