Wedding Essentials: How to Plan the Perfect Wedding in 5 Easy Steps

January 11, 2020

Planning a wedding is a huge commitment.

In fact, the average couple spends 200 to 300 hours planning their wedding.

However, when you experience the best day of your life, you’ll realize that all of that planning was worth it.

But how do you make sure you plan the perfect wedding?

Check out this wedding essentials guide to learn how to plan the perfect wedding in 5 easy steps.

1. Set a Budget

Before you book your Toledo wedding venue, hire caterers, or start dress shopping, you need to set a wedding budget.

Knowing how much you can and are willing to spend will help eliminate caterers and vendors that you can’t afford to hire.

Although money conversations are always hard, you should have a frank conversation with your partner about how much you can afford. This way, you’ll both be on the same page about what’s realistic for your big day.

2. Set the Date Early

When planning your wedding, it’s important to set the date as early as possible.

The longer you wait to set the date, the fewer people will be able to come. By setting the date early, you give time for people to clear their schedules and ask for time off.

Of course, setting the perfect date is always tricky, as you don’t want your wedding conflicting with a bunch of other ones.

So here are the most popular wedding dates of 2019:

October 12
October 5
September 7
October 19
September 21
September 28
September 14
June 1
June 22
October 26

As you can see, a lot of these weddings were in the fall, which also happens to be the busiest wedding season overall.

3. Get a Guest Count

Sure, you’d love to invite every friend and cousin to your wedding, but when you factor in your budget, you’ll quickly realize that a huge guest list may not be feasible.

Talk to your partner and put together a preliminary list of who you’d like to invite.

And remember, about 25% of people won’t be able to come, so it’s okay to overestimate the amount you can accommodate by a little bit.

4. Book a Venue Early

When it comes to wedding planning, one of the most important things you can do is book your venue early.

When booking your venue, there’s a lot you need to consider, including the size of your guest list, the type of venue you want to celebrate in, and any special accommodations you may need (such as a walk-up loft for elderly guests).

When choosing a venue, you should also factor in any issues that may come up. For example, while an outdoor venue may sound dreamy, will you be able to deal with any potential weather hazards?