You’ve been excited about getting engaged for days. But now, it’s time to dive into the nitty gritty of how to start to plan a wedding by yourself!
Finding the ideal venue, selecting the perfect wedding theme and decor, and contracting a talented wedding cake master are all tasks that demand a considerable investment of both time and money. If you’re planning a fall wedding and want to make the most of your budget, check out this resource for valuable tips and insights on planning a fall wedding on a budget. Additionally, for guidance on choosing the perfect fall wedding cake flavor and exploring filling combinations, visit this resource on how to choose a fall wedding cake flavor.
You’ve been excited about getting engaged for days. But now, it’s time to dive into the nitty-gritty of how to start planning a wedding by yourself in just six months! If you’re looking for guidance and tips on the wedding planning process, check out this comprehensive guide on how to plan a wedding in six months. It provides essential insights to help you navigate the journey with confidence.
Still, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t plan it by yourself. Your wedding is one of the most special days for you and your partner. If you want to have complete control over the planning process and make all the decisions, ditching the planner is a great idea. Besides, you’ll likely save some money in the process. To help you get started with wedding invitations, websites, and more, consider exploring resources like Minted for a range of wedding-related services.
This post includes 10 tips to help you plan a wedding by yourself. You’ll also find answers to questions, such as:
- Can you plan a wedding by yourself?
- How long should you give yourself to plan a wedding?
- What to skip wedding planning?
Can You Plan a Wedding by Yourself?
Sure, you can plan your wedding by yourself, and it can be a great way to save money. However, it’s important to start planning early to ensure everything goes smoothly. This gives you ample time to handle every aspect of the wedding, from booking a venue to sending out invitations and finalizing your wedding menu. To add a personal touch to your wedding, consider resources like For Your Party for customizable wedding items and catering your own wedding for tips on handling the catering aspect.
How Long Should You Give Yourself to Plan a Wedding?
If planning the wedding on your own, give yourself anywhere between 1 and 1 ½ years. This gives you a great deal of time to think through and execute everything to perfection.
Planning in a shorter time can cause you to make unnecessary compromises and trade-offs, and this only adds to the overall stress. To ensure this process goes smoothly, check out this printable wedding planner. It serves as a great guide so you don’t miss anything in your wedding planning.
What to Skip Wedding Planning?
In addition to ditching a wedding planner, there are other things you can omit from your wedding planning. These include:
- Party favors
- Welcome parties
- Pricey wedding cakes
- A live band or DJ
- Dance lessons
- Bridal party
How To Plan A Wedding Without a Wedding Planner
1. Come up with a budget
One of the most important things to figure out from the get-go is budget. Have a sit-down with your potential life partner and decide what budget to work with. Setting a budget determines pretty much everything else related to your wedding.
Based on a recent survey, couples spent an average of $30,000 on their weddings in 2022. However, this is not a fixed number and you’re free to spend as little or as much as you want. What matters is that both you and your partner feel comfortable with the figure you come up with.
Once you find that magic number, consider adding 10% for ‘splurge items’ to account for any unexpected costs. I highly recommend this budget wedding tracker to avoid under- or over-spending on certain areas.
2. Start with the fundamentals
Besides the budget, there are a couple of other priorities you’ll want to focus on when planning your wedding. Have a discussion with your partner and identify the three most crucial aspects of your wedding. This might include setting a date, selecting a caterer, or determining the number of guests you want to invite. Make sure to consider what’s most important to both of you as a couple. Get legally married online.
Narrowing down this selection ensures that you’re investing your time and money in the aspects that matter the most.
3. Organization is key
When you’re planning a wedding by yourself, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and lose track of things. Whether it’s forgetting to book the venue, an appointment with the florist or hair stylist, missing such details can be catastrophic.
Consider using a wedding website to help you stay organized and keep track of all the important aspects of your wedding.
Whether it’s forgetting to book the venue, an appointment with the florist or hair stylist, missing such details can be catastrophic. To ensure you’re staying on top of things, consider this wedding planner book. It highlights everything you need to do to plan a wedding successfully.
4. Choose your wedding venue wisely
One area where you’ll want to do intensive research is the wedding venue. In fact, finding a suitable venue helps you solve half of the equation. And, it gets your wedding planning process off to a great start.
A good venue should be well-established and have highly-skilled staff who can perform their duties well. This way, you won’t have to worry about hiring additional staff to handle simple tasks; be it setting up the tent, arranging chairs, or serving meals.
Consider exploring options like Little Chapel for your wedding venue.
5. Pick a wedding theme
Once you find a good venue, the next thing is to pick a theme. This will set the tone for the majority of things, such as decor, the wedding cake, entertainers, dressing style for your bridal party and more.
6. Work with experienced wedding vendors
If you’re working with a reputable venue, they may have a list of reliable vendors that they work with. This saves you a considerable amount of time as you won’t have to do a ton of research.
But just in case the venue can’t help, you’ll have to do your own research. Scour top-rated wedding websites and narrow down your selection of local vendors. You can then schedule appointments with each one of them.
Consider checking out Amazon Wedding Registry for your wedding registry needs.
I’d recommend looking for vendors early on or as soon as you have a date for your big day. That’s because most top-ranking vendors get booked pretty fast.
7. Involve family and friends
Some brides are hesitant to engage their friends and family in the planning, and I totally get it. You want to be in control of every aspect, especially major decisions.
But when you’re planning the entire wedding by yourself, you’ll need help at some point. You just have to be creative about how you delegate tasks.
For instance, instead of having them decide the wedding venue, request them to visit the potential locations and give you feedback. Based on the feedback, you can make a decision on which venue to go with.
8. Attend a bridal or wedding fair
Is there a local bridal affair that’s been scheduled months before your wedding? If there is, ensure that you attend.
Most bridal fairs invite an array of wedding vendors. So you’ll have the perfect opportunity to meet all the vendors in one place; from photographers to caterers, florists and more.
9. Plan your honeymoon
Planning an entire wedding is hard enough without factoring another trip to the equation. However, finding the ideal location for your honeymoon is equally important. Think of it as a reward for all the laborious wedding planning you’re doing.
Have a sit-down with your partner and discuss potential honeymoon destinations. Next, buy tickets in advance and lock down the resort or hotel.
10. Have fun
It can be difficult to have fun when you’re juggling between wedding planning and working. However, you should schedule time to relax and enjoy the entire process.
Are you going for a wedding cake tasting? Set aside enough time so that you can enjoy every moment of it rather than rush it through. Are you planning a wedding dress shopping? Spare at least a day or afternoon where you can shop with your friends and family.
Conclusion
It’s possible to plan a wedding without the help of a professional wedding planner. That said, there are a few things you should do to avoid getting overwhelmed.
Look for a venue early on, decide on the budget (and stick to it) and get organized. Above all, don’t be afraid to delegate and don’t set unreasonable expectations. Try to enjoy every stage of the planning. After all, you will only get to do this once.
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