Wedding Planning Guide

You've enjoyed the blissful moments and excitement after an engagement — congratulations! — and now it's time to plan your wedding. From the venue to the dress to the guest list, food, decorations, appointments, invitations and so much more, a lot goes into planning a wedding.

We understand it can feel overwhelming, but with the guide to planning a wedding below, you may be able to view it as an adventure. With a wedding checklist, you'll break down planning into simpler tasks and have a better idea of how to become steps closer to your wedding day.

Create a Plan and Get Organized

Staying organized will go a long way through the wedding planning process. Make lists, spreadsheets or whatever works best for you. Keep a running document of your vendors and important dates, like when you made a deposit or payment. For your guest list, keep track of RSVPs in another spreadsheet and update it as the responses come in.

Along with those considerations, a wedding checklist helps you create a plan and stay organized, which you can do with a timeline for wedding planning:

• A year before: Decide on your budget and wedding party. Start thinking about your guest list and theme, and pick a date and venue. Once you have a date and venue, hire must-have wedding vendors, like a band or DJ, caterer, florist, photographer and videographer.
• Nine months before: Plan your menu and buy your wedding outfits. Reserve hotel rooms if you or guests have to travel for your wedding, and book any extra entertainment or vendors. Create your wedding website if you'll use one, and register for gifts.
• Six months before: Buy invitations and send save the dates. Get outfits for your wedding party, meet your officiant and arrange transportation for you and guests. Plan your honeymoon if you'll be taking one, and create a timeline for the day of your wedding.
• Four months before: Order your wedding cake after a tasting and create your wedding playlist. Start outfit fittings for you, your partner and your wedding party, and schedule any hair or makeup appointments.
• Three months before: Purchase your wedding rings, which allows time if you're going for a custom option. Finalize the menu, flowers and the order of events for your ceremony and reception. Print menus and programs and order favors for your guests.
• Two months before: Contact and check in with your vendors, then send out your invitations to your guests.
• One month before: Get your marriage license, have your last outfit fitting and confirm your hair and makeup appointments and your vendors. Gather your RSVPs and send out additional invitations if necessary. Create your seating chart, and write your vows if you and your partner are doing personalized vows.
• The week of your wedding: Confirm everything one last time with your vendors and wedding party. Pick up your wedding outfits, pack for your honeymoon and get ready to enjoy your big day!

Break down your wedding checklist into a timeline to stay on track month-to-month. Make adjustments as necessary based on your wedding timeline and needs. Get some more specific tips from the rest of this wedding planning guide to learn all you need to know about planning a wedding.

Decide on a Budget and Stick to It

Your timeline for wedding planning should begin with a budget. Thinking about how much you can spend on your reception and ceremony will guide all your other decisions. Ask yourself these questions as you decide on a budget:

• Do I already have money saved to put towards my wedding?
• How much can I add to the budget as the wedding approaches?
• Will family members help contribute?

With a rough number in mind, some couples create spreadsheets to break down what they have to spend on certain aspects of their wedding. That'll help you stick to your budget and adjust it if you go over or under on certain items. You may sort your budget into categories like:

• Venues
• Rings
• You and your partner's outfits
• The wedding party's outfits
• Flowers
• Decorations
• Food
• Drinks
• Seating and other rentals

There is no set number for a wedding budget because it depends on the size of your wedding, where you have it and plenty of other personal factors. According to The Knot, the national average price for a wedding in 2019 was around $34,000, but every state has their own average. Pennsylvania, for instance, has an average wedding price of $35,900. 

If those numbers seem overwhelming, remember they're averages. You can easily plan a wedding on a budget or put more money into your priorities for the wedding.

Decide Your Priorities

No matter your budget, you can prioritize certain aspects of your wedding. Whether your priorities influence your budget or the compromises you make, they're useful to consider. Couples prioritize one or a few factors for their wedding, including:

• The guest list: For many couples, the most important part of their wedding day is sharing it with friends and family. If you and your partner have large families or plenty of friends, you'll put more focus into your guest list and having a budget that allows you to invite everyone.
• The wedding date: You may have always dreamed of having a wedding during a certain season, or you may want to choose an off-season wedding date. Some couples have a day that's special to them that they prioritize getting married on, even if it means compromising on venues or vendors.
• The venue: The right venue makes your wedding ceremony and reception perfect. Some couples compromise on their wedding date to get the venue of their dreams. You may prioritize your venue based on the location, size or appearance.
• The outfits: For brides, a stunning wedding dress makes a wedding day feel special. Many brides allocate a significant part of their budget to their dress to get their dream gown.
• The rings: Your ceremony and reception are special moments, but the wedding bands will be with you every day after your wedding. Couples may prioritize getting the perfect rings because they'll be a lasting testament to their love.
   

Choose Your Wedding Theme and Style

Planning your wedding budget and priorities may get a bit overwhelming, but it's all worth it once you get to have fun and plan your wedding theme. You may already have some ideas, but if you don't, start brainstorming early in the planning process. Need some inspiration? For your wedding theme and style, consider:

• Color scheme: You may not have a clear theme for your wedding and want to focus on colors, or you may base your theme on the color scheme you choose. If you and your partner have a few favorite colors or a particular wedding color scheme you like, base your other theme decisions around that.
• Personal interests: You and your partner built a life and love together, and you probably have plenty of unique or shared interests. Tie them into your wedding day for a personalized celebration.
• Current trends: If you and your partner don't have your hearts set on a particular theme, choose a trend. Vintage and rustic themes with warm tones are popular, or you can go for something different, like a vibrant, tropical feel.

Decide on a wedding theme to help guide the decorations, flowers, invitations, outfits and other details of your wedding.

Involve Your Family and Friends

 Planning a wedding is a whirlwind of excitement, but it's also filled with plenty of to-do lists. Recruiting your family and friends will take some of the pressure off you and your partner to plan everything yourselves. Just make sure whoever you ask for help is invited to your wedding! With people in mind, you can:

• Ask married friends and family members for wedding planning advice.
• Seek help from friends or family members if you're going the DIY route for decorations and more.
• Have friends or family members make calls to venues or vendors.
• Wear or borrow wedding outfits from parents or grandparents.

Create a Guest List

Remember your budget as you create your guest list. How you create your wedding guest list will also depend on your venue. Do you have a must-have venue for your reception and ceremony, or can you be flexible with where you host your wedding? If you have a venue in mind already, you'll limit your guest list by the location's capacity. Without a venue in mind, your budget will help you decide on a max number of guests so you'll know where to cap your list.

When you create a wedding guest list, a few considerations can help it go smoothly and make sure everyone is happy. Plan with your significant other and:

• Start with close friends and family: You want to celebrate your big day with your close loved ones around you. Your wedding party will obviously receive invites, as well as parents, grandparents and other close family members and best friends.
• Be fair: If you, your partner or both of you have large families or friend groups, navigating your guest list can be a bit tricky. One essential consideration is to be fair where you can. If you invite one of your aunts or uncles, you should invite others. If you invite one coworker, you may have to invite other coworkers that you're close with. Invite all members of the same social circles to avoid leaving someone out.

Choose a Jeweler You Trust and Buy Your Wedding Bands

Checking wedding bands off your planning checklist is essential, and at Koser Jewelers, we'd be happy to help. Our friendly and caring staff will go out of their way to make sure you find the perfect wedding band set. Your wedding rings will be with you for the rest of your lives, so mark your special day with beautiful wedding bands from us at Koser Jewelers.

Contact us today to learn more about how Koser Jewelers helps you speak without words on your wedding day. Schedule a virtual consultation or browse our women's and men's wedding bands to find the future symbols of your everlasting love.