In this new series, “Letters from your Planner”, I hope to dive deeper into the nitty gritty of planning a wedding and to help you every step of the way. I want this series to be a tool for the bride-to-be so that on your wedding day you can relax and enjoy making memories without worrying about whether or not you remembered to arrange for someone to take your wedding gifts to your house. I plan for this series to consist of 12 monthly letters, one a month, for a year, filled with helpful tips and tricks to help you plan your dream wedding.

Before we get too far into this post I want to take a moment to introduce myself and let you get to know me a bit more. My name is Madison Smith. I am a Northwest Arkansas native; Fayetteville born and raised. I went to the University of Arkansas where I studied Hospitality and minored in events, and I am a freak when it comes to organizing and planning things. My friends have always joked that I’m their personal assistants because I keep up with everything going on in all of their lives. I love spending time outside, and you’ll often find me taking a jog or leisurely walk around my neighborhood admiring houses. I’m a dog mom to a sweet pup named Sandy, and the oldest of three siblings. But most importantly, I’m a wedding planner here to make planning your wedding easier. So let’s get into it!

Dear Bride-to-be,

Congratulations on your engagement! This is a very exciting and emotional time of your life. I can only imagine what you’re going through right now. I’m sure you're ecstatic and feel like you’re going to wake up tomorrow and it will all have been a dream. This is really happening! You’re getting married! Once it settles in that you’re engaged, and it sets in that you have a whole wedding to plan it can get overwhelming really fast. If this is your first time getting married, as it is for most brides, there is so much to do that it can be hard to figure out where to start.  Announcing your engagement to your friends and family is the best place to start, and hearing all of their reactions keeps the excitement going. The first thing your friends and family are going to want to know is when the big day will be. 

Pick a Date… or Three

I highly recommend that you and your now fiancé (That’s right you have a fiancé now!) sit down with a calendar in front of you and pick three possible wedding dates. This will allow you to check with family, friends, vendors, and venues. Having one or two options will allow you to have your wedding at the venue you want, with the vendors you want, and surrounded by all the people you want without any complications. It is also a very good idea to keep weather and seasonality in mind when you are picking your date, especially if you want a fall wedding with the leaves turning, or a spring wedding with the cherry blossom blooms. Don’t stress too much over picking the perfect date. After this year’s challenges, cancellations, and postponements, vendors have learned to be a lot more flexible.

Celebrate your Engagement

This first month of your engagement should be all about enjoying the excitement and spending time with your family and friends. I am a huge fan of celebrating your engagement with an engagement party. Make a reservation at your favorite restaurant and enjoy this time to celebrate. This is the perfect time for you and your fiancé’s families to spend some quality time together and to gather your candidates for your wedding party. 

Pick your People

Picking your bridesmaids and groomsmen to stand by your side at your wedding and be in all of your photos is a big deal. There is no perfect number of bridesmaids and groomsmen that you have to have, and you don’t have to have any if you don’t want to. When you are making your decision, keep in mind that your wedding is about you and your fiancé and no one else. Surround yourselves with people who support the both of you and your decision to get married. The last thing you need to be dealing with during this time of celebration is bridesmaids or groomsmen who can’t be there for you when you need them. Once you have picked your I Do Crew, go ahead and get a start on that guest list! Open a new document or get out a piece of paper and start writing down names and addresses. Having this list now is going to save you a lot of time later when you are purchasing invitations and trying to budget your wedding.

Start Researching & Create a Budget

It's no secret that weddings cost money. Even if you just have a courthouse wedding you’re still going to have to open your wallet. Doing some research about costs of weddings in your area and the length of your guest list, you’ll be about to get an estimate of what your wedding budget is going to cost. This is a good time to sit down with your families and see if any of them are planning to pitch in to cover the costs. You’ll want to have your budget ready and know where the money is coming from before you continue with any planning.

This is where things can start to pile up. There are so many decisions to be made when it  comes to planning your wedding. The easiest way to avoid stress is to do your research early. Get on Pinterest and Instagram. Look up local vendors and venues, pick up a bridal magazine and start a vision board. Once you and your fiancé have a clear vision of what you want on your wedding day, all of the other decisions will come easy. Some couple’s visions come easier than others. If you find that you are still struggling with deciding what you want, or are overwhelmed after some research about all the decisions you will have to make in the upcoming months, the best thing you can do for yourself is to hire a wedding planner. 

Hire a Planner

If you find yourself overwhelmed, and needing help, you are not alone. So many brides have found themselves in the same boat you are in, that is the whole reason that wedding planners exist. There is a common misconception when it comes to wedding planners that they are expensive and only people with $30,000 wedding budgets can afford them. Today there are so many planners out there with varying packages and price ranges that almost anyone can afford to hire some help. Take your time and set up a consultation with a few planners and find the right person who will be able to provide you with the level of service you need that doesn’t eat up your budget. 

Don’t let all of the tedious decisions of planning your wedding take away from the fact that you and your fiancé love each other and that’s what you are celebrating by getting married. This is your day, and the only thing that matters is what the two of you want and that you are together and making happy memories. Take some time to let it sit in that you are engaged and enjoy this short phase of life before you walk down that aisle. Feel free to leave a comment below asking any wedding planning questions that you have. Subscribe below so you don’t miss any wedding planning tips and tricks.

Cheers,