If you’ve recently become engaged, it probably feels like a strange time to plan your wedding. But if you’re able, we highly recommend getting the basics sorted during this quiet period, as popular 2021 wedding dates are filling up for many venues and vendors.
Before you select a wedding planning package, visit venues, or even choose a wedding date, it’s best to get your wedding budget and your priorities straight.
Here are the four major tasks to plan your wedding once you’re engaged;
Start by sorting out your budget.
The first step for you to plan your wedding is always to budget! This will determine a lot throughout the planning process. Outlining every possible expense in one place helps you to talk through your priorities as a couple and figure out what each of you really wants to include in your wedding day.
When you set your budget, it’s important to research wedding prices to ensure that your budget is realistic for your vision. It’s also important to set a budget that you’re financially comfortable with, and that takes into consideration any contributions you might be receiving from your families to cover the costs.
Select a time of year and day of the week you’d like to host your wedding.
The next step before the venue search begins is to decide on the day of the week, month, and year you would like to get married. It’s very much advisable not to attach to a specific wedding date until you find your venue, but the venue needs to know the basics so they can send you pricing and availability. Many venues are offering backup dates for couples in case the closures and wedding restrictions last beyond their initial wedding date. That might be something to consider with your venue if you’re hoping to get married before the end of this year.
Find your venue and get a date booked.
The biggest impact of COVID-19 on newly engaged couples who want to plan your wedding right now is the restrictions to venue site visits. If you’re unable to lock in a venue and a date, your planning process can be delayed.
If you already have a wedding venue in mind, I recommend reaching out to them to see if they can offer you a Face-time tour, a virtual tour, or an in-depth phone call to talk you through each of their event spaces. Our Planning Team can also talk through the options with you.
If possible, I’d also go ahead and lock in a date for 2021. I personally feel like you’ll have peace of mind having a date locked in, and it’s something that you can tick off your list. A lot of wedding venues are rescheduling their 2020 weddings to later in the year or too early 2021, so it’s a good time to get a date booked before all the best dates are taken at your favorite venue.
Celebrate your engagement when you’re able.
If you recently got engaged and haven’t been able to celebrate with your friends and family yet, I hope you’ve found a creative way to celebrate as a couple. I’ve heard some lovely stories in the midst of all this!
As I’m sure you’ve experienced over the past weeks, our friends and family are all looking forward to any social time they can get, even if it’s only virtual for now. So, I’d suggest sharing the good news over a happy hour Zoom call or Face-Time session one-on-one with your closest friends and family members. What better way to be social than through celebrating love!
The pandemic changed a lot in how you plan your wedding and has made it a bit difficult but weddings are now being planned virtually and in a small gathering, this way you can still go ahead and still make that day of yours very special.
