5 Wedding Planning Tips for Newly Engaged Couples

Weddings are an incredible experience, both for yourself as a couple, and for guests! Guests are immersed in your wedding weekend, from the welcome drinks, to the final dance. But, as you start the wedding planning journey, it can be a bit overwhelming to start. 

Today, I brought in my friend and fellow wedding pro, Matt Mitchell. Matt is a wedding planner for his company Mitchell Event Planning, and he’s wonderful at his job. I asked him for his best wedding planning tips for newly engaged couples, and he delivered! He is sharing his tried-and-true advice for kicking off your wedding planning, and creating the celebration you’ve always imagined. Whether you are dreaming up a destination affair, or a wedding close to home, these will help inspire!

Set a Budget

To start off, Mitchell told us, “The first step in wedding planning is to set a budget. This will help you determine what type of wedding you can have and what items are most important to you. It is important to be realistic about how much money you can spend and not go into debt for your big day.” We absolutely agree, and we want to emphasize that your budget should be about YOU and what you want your wedding to be.

Rather than relying on budget guides on wedding websites like The Knot, it’s important to create your own budget based on the items that are most important to you. For example, if your wedding photography is so important to you (and we think it should be!), you might decide to dedicate a bigger budget to your photographer. If the food is really important to you, you might splurge for an extra amazing caterer. It’s up to you! You don’t need every single thing. You just need quality vendors for those must-haves!

Choose a Theme or Color Palette

Step two for newly engaged couples is choosing a theme! Mitchell says, “Choosing a theme for your wedding will help you to focus your planning and make the process more fun… having a theme will give you direction when making decisions about decorations, flowers, food, and more.”

You don’t even need a full theme either. Just picking a great color palette or knowing what kind of style you’re going for works too! The most important thing is that you understand the kind of feeling you want for your wedding. You can go for more of an elegant feel or you can focus on luxury details.

Always follow your heart – and not just the trends. There are so many gorgeous trends and inspiration to pick from! But always remember your own individual style, and pick the things the two of you love the most. Your wedding should reflect you as a couple and as individual! Working with a wedding planner can help you combine your two personalities, and create a cohesive vision!

Create a Guest List

According to Mitchel, “The next step is to create a guest list. This will help you determine the size of your wedding and how much food, drink, and other supplies you will need. It is important to be mindful of who you want to share this special day with and not invite too many people.”

Guest count can also be a factor when determining your budget.  If you want everything you can imagine, then consider having an intimate wedding so your dollar can go further per guest for a more incredible and memorable experience.

Pick Your Wedding Date

“After you have determined your budget, theme, and guest list,” Mitchell says, “it is time to decide on a wedding date. It is important to pick the right date for both of you since this will also determine how much time you need to plan everything out. Scheduling around holidays or major events may make things difficult, and some vendors may not work on holidays, so try not to rush into picking a date.”

Select Your Wedding Planner

It’s so important to bring on a planner in the very early stages of planning. They will know how to choose the best venue for your needs, will give you a list of vendors curated to your style, and help spend your budget in the smartest way. The sooner you hire your wedding planner, the smoother your planning process will be!

Mitchell points out, “Choosing a wedding planner should be an early step in planning your big day. A professional will help you to stay organized, save time and ensure that everything goes according to plan on your special day!” I absolutely love Mitchell’s work, and he and his team can be there every step of the way. A great wedding planner, like Mitchell, can help guide newly engaged couples through all of their decisions. Not to mention, wedding planners can answer any of your questions. Feel free to reach out to him!

Once you’ve got your wedding planning started, one of the next things you’ll do is hire your wedding photographer! I’d love to hear from you and learn how I can best capture your love story! I love to capture stories around Georgia, from Atlanta to Savannah, to the Golden Isles!

 

The Vendors:

Venue: Cator Woolford Gardens
Wedding Planner: Mitchell Event Planning
Hair: Zonolite Hair Studio
Makeup: Elite Beauty Bar
Florist: Susan Keller
Catering: Farm Burger
Cupcakes: Mediterranea Restaurant and Bakery
Ice Cream: Yom Ice Cream
Rings: Worthmore Jewelers
Dress: BHLDN
Alterations: White Orchid Bridal