Written by Kelley James, owner of Kelly James Events
Enjoy It
Breathe. Soak it all in. This is a GIFT! This is such a special time in your life – enjoy it! It is likely that you have imagined this day over and over, so don’t let it pass you by. Nothing needs to be done the first 24 hours (except calling all of your besties and letting them know!) Soak in all of the joy and happiness!
Make a Guest List
Sit down with your significant other and map out a rough guest list. It doesn’t have to be exact but close enough to give you an idea of what size venue you will be looking for! Venues are one of the first vendors we recommend booking, and having a guest list nailed down will make finding one so much easier! Also chat about whether you want a bigger wedding or smaller one. Smaller weddings allow you to focus on more details, but obviously a bigger wedding lets you enjoy it with more people!
Pro tip – if they’re not providing any monetary contributions to your wedding, they don’t get to add to the guest list! This can be a tricky subject but set those boundaries early, friends.
Create a Wedding Email
Let’s be honest, your inbox is already full to the max! Having one place to look for all things wedding will seriously simplify your life. Between DJ’s, florists, venues, planners and photographers you’ll send more inquiries to potential vendors than you ever thought possible. After booking your dream vendors, there will be a LOT of communication taking place over the next year or so of planning your wedding, so it would be ideal to have one place. Gmail is quick and easy to set up. Keep it simple, [email protected] will work! Don’t forget to add a cute photo of the two of you!
Think About the Season You Want to Get Married In
Consider the season that you want to be the setting for your big day. Do you want a winter wedding with your bridal party in deep, rich colors? Or is a spring/summer wedding with bright florals more up your alley? Or maybe the fall – there’s a reason October is one of the most popular months to get married!
Quite often, the season is chosen based on graduation or school schedules, as well, which makes May and June weddings very popular, too.
Also, think about the time of day you want your ceremony to be. In the winter, you will have 5pm (or earlier) sunsets and much earlier ceremony times. If you can’t imagine having the wedding over by 9 or 10pm, we’d recommend a late spring/early summer or even early fall wedding since the sun sets much later!
Hire a Coordinator!
If we’re being honest, most couples don’t realize the importance of a good coordinator until after the wedding. They’re either thrilled saying, “Oh thank goodness we had you!” or filled with regret wishing they had because of how many things didn’t go as planned on their wedding day. Truly the best part of what we do as coordinators is serving, taking care of all the little details so you can enjoy this special day. When it rains 30 minutes before your outdoor ceremony? We make plan B happen. When the baker cuts up your toss bouquet for cake flowers? We make a new one. When your bartender calls an hour before and says he can’t make it? We jump in. All of these are true stories and are also all wedding days that turned out perfect!
For more wedding planning help, visit www.kelleyjamesevents.com OL
