I am a strong believer that your venue sets the tone, design, feel and vibe of your wedding. So what's the vibe of your dream day? Is it a renowned ballroom in the heart of Boston or is it a tented event at a historic estate nestled in the mountains of New Hampshire? Whatever aesthetic and feel that you want for your day, focus on those venues and explore them as options. Be intentional in your choices as much as possible. 

Remember, this day only happens once and is a core memory in your life. You should have the day you want and are going to love.

STEP 3: VENUE AND SETTING

So you had your dream conversation and you decided on a winter wedding in New England that's going to be a PARTY with great music and food....amazing! It's time to build your guest list. Do you want an intimate wedding of 75 or 100 guests? OR do you want 200 guests of your closest friends and family with you on the day to party with you? Do not skip this conversation about who you want to be there on your wedding. I always encourage to focus on the who rather than the number because I think it makes constructing your list easier. Plus your guest count is a HUGE factor for determining your budget. A 25 person wedding is not going to cost (well most of the time) the same as a 200 person wedding. 

STEP 2: GUEST LIST

Sit down with your person and talk about your DREAM day. Where is it? What does it look like? Who is there? So many couples skip this step, potentially start planning a wedding that one person, or both, are not interested in celebrating. So take budget, travel, what your mom wants and what makes sense for schedule with your jobs AND talk about what your day would look like and feel like in an ideal world. I work with a lot of couples that will opt to have a large wedding because of expectations but they both really wanted to have a small, intimate wedding in Europe. I cannot stress enough the importance of this conversation. 

STEP 1: DREAM VISION

the first 3 steps of wedding planning

Congratulations!! You are engaged and basking in the glow of all the excitement. Can't stop staring at your left hand, everyone keeps reaching out and you have this beautiful day to celebrate with your best friend. BUT now you are responsible for planning that day. So where do you begin?

Before you dive into researching venues, photographers, cakes, etc., take a pause and think about these three crucial steps before you even start making an excel spreadsheet.