Planning your wedding can be one of the best and most frustrating times of your life. You are excited at the prospect of getting married and are looking forward to the date, but the amount of perfection you demand can lead to a very stressful experience. If you know what to expect when you start planning your wedding, you can better prepare yourself for the stresses and problems that will occur. Here are several things that you should know before you plan your wedding.

Find a Photographer Early

When it comes time to find a photographer, you don’t want to wait until the last minute. Photographers book up fairly quickly and many are booked several months in advance. How does this affect you? A lot of times, people don’t think about a wedding photographer until a week or two before the wedding. This means that they are either left with no photographer, or they have to settle for someone who is not the best at their job.
How can you go about selecting the best photographer for you? Always take a look at their portfolio and see what kinds of photos that they take. Photographers have their own unique style, therefore you will want to see who you like best for your wedding. This is why you should view website and see all the work that they do online. By doing this, you can be sure that you are getting the best photographer for you. When you find someone you like, make sure you talk to them quickly and book them before they no longer have any space for you.

Determine a Venue

The next thing you are going to want to do with your wedding is to determine the venue for it. Are you looking to get married in one place and have a reception at the other? These are all questions that you are going to have to ask yourself and will play a key role when it comes time to pick a spot. Just like a photographer, your venues should be reserved months in advance if not longer. If you expect to get a venue within three months, you should think again.
As for the venue itself, once again it should be a reflection of you and your partner. Find something that you are both comfortable with and will want to be in. Things like the menu will also play a major role when choosing a venue. After that, take a look at the size of the venue, along with any permits that are in place. You want to ensure that you can fit all of your guests and that the scheduling works out. Find a venue that works for you, your partner, and your guests.

Set a Budget

It is so easy for a wedding to get out of control with tons of spending. When you are beginning to plan your wedding, it is important that you set a budget and stick to it. You don’t want to end up spending all of your money on a celebration. This means you will have to make some sacrifices here and there, but it is better for you and your financial position in the long run.

Create a Guest List

Determining your guest list and how big you want the wedding is another important thing you have to do before getting into major planning. The size of your guest list will determine the venues you can choose, therefore it is information that you are going to need as quickly as possible. Once you have a guest list, send out invites ASAP, as that way you can get a general idea of how many people are going to attend.

Create a Bridal Party

A bridal party is not just a ceremonious group that will sit at your table and party with you all night. These should be a collection of your closest friends and family that will not only celebrate with you but look to help you every step of the way. A good bridal party will work with you to make your dreams a reality, and will also take lead on some of the smaller things within the wedding. They are an invaluable resource and will definitely assist you in any planning.

Read Contracts

Finally, when it comes to purchasing flowers, hiring photographers, and renting a venue, you have to ensure that you are reading all the contracts. You can set yourself up for a complete nightmare if some clauses in the contracts ruin your wedding. You can look to hire a lawyer to read it for you, or you can take the time and sit down with it yourself. No matter what you choose, you have to ensure that you have read all the contracts.
These are all things that you should know about when it comes time to plan your wedding. All of the stress and frustrations leading up to the day will be totally worth it. How do you plan on making your wedding the happiest day of your life?

WRITTEN BY

Daria Brown