How did you start?

[Amzizzle]

Hi I just got engaged literally yesterday.As me and my Fiance made the calls,everyone already wanted to know what the plan was!

So my questions is where did everyone start? How did you figure out where the funds were coming from? The date?invites? and etc.....

I just feel slightly overwhelmed I guess.I would appreciate feedback from you wonderful ladies.

 

[MagsyMay]

Congratulations on your engagement!! I can''t believe people are already asking what the plan is! Sheesh, let you enjoy your excitement for a minute first! My planning was a bit strange, because right after we got engaged, we moved out of state and then I had to study for and take another state''s bar exam at the end of July. So we didn''t actually get around to picking a date/venue until about 4 months after we got engaged.

We just started by talking about what type of wedding we wanted (which we had already discussed at length anyways). We knew we wanted a fall wedding and not a huge guest list (approx. 120) and then just started looking at places in the area. We then got tentative lists from our parents and his mom about who they would want to invite and made our own so we could be realistic about the costs and whether the venues would be appropriate. My parents are mostly paying for the wedding, so I did have to have the "budget" conversation with them about how much they were willing to contribute. We ultimately decided on a place that will probably take us about 10K more than my parents will pay, so we talked through that as well and decided it was worth it to us to have the wedding where we wanted it.

I think the biggest thing to start on is looking for a venue. I mostly googled "Chicago wedding reception sites" or things along that line and then just started looking at pictures. Once we picked a few, we made appointments and went and saw them and found out what their availability was. Most places in our area were booked out almost a full year in advance, so that might help you pick a date if you find a place you love.

Invites, flowers, favors, etc. can wait a bit so I haven''t started on those yet. Good luck with your planning!

 

[ts44]

Hi and congratulations!

First, you''re going to want to decide on a rough head count, a date, and a budget. Certain dates are less expensive than others (winter, early spring) in certain areas, so your date may have a direct effect on your budget.

What I did first was write down all the people I wanted to invite, have my fiance write down all the people he wanted to invite, have my parents/grandparents and his parents/grandparents do the same thing, then we compared lists. Even with no trimming, we were at 250ish, which makes a rough headcount of 200 after regrets.

Then, you reconcile the head count with your desires. Do you want a giant lollapalooza 400+ person wedding? Or an intimate 20-person gathering of immediate family and close friends? Somewhere in-between? Do you want an outdoors wedding? Indoors? Cathedral and country club or backyard? It''s the rare woman who hasn''t give it some thought before.

Then, you reconcile your head count and your desires with a realistic budget. Are you footing the bill? Are yours or his parents chipping in? Have a family meeting to discuss it if you have to, on each side.

Everything else falls in around your head count, budget, and date. There are free wedding planning checklists online like http://www.frugalbride.com/weddingplanningchecklist.html that are very useful. If a real wedding planner is something you want/can afford, meet with one now to discuss pricing and services just to get a rough idea of what you need to do and how much it will cost. Any friends or family that have been married are great resources, ask them for referrals to vendors.

And of course, your fellow Pricescope brides are a great resource too!

 

[Amzizzle]

Well were looking for something small like 20 people, and I just wasn''t sure how much money we should even have saved up before we start really putting down payments and stuff.The ideas we have now will cost us roughly $6000 (since it''s so small).

 

[MagsyMay]

Well 20 or so people makes things slightly easier! Again, I think you still need to find where you want it because each venue may have slightly different policies on how much they require down upon signing. That will let you know how much you need now and how long you will have to save the rest! Some places may only require a flat fee to book or up to 50% or more.

My venue required 25% of the venue rental fee upon signing and then catering will also require 25% down once we finalize the menu which they don''t require until about 5-6 months before the wedding. So theoretically I have plenty of time to save

 

[sillyberry]

Date: 11/2/2009 1:44:59 PM
Author: Amzizzle
Well were looking for something small like 20 people, and I just wasn''t sure how much money we should even have saved up before we start really putting down payments and stuff.The ideas we have now will cost us roughly $6000 (since it''s so small).

This doesn''t address your initial question, but with a small group, I would consider looking at attractive restaurants that could accommodate your group. You could do a fantastic meal without having to pay for all that much in decorations/rentals.

 

[redfaerythinker]

FIrst off, congrats on your engagement!

What I did first was hire a wedding planner. I''m not sure if you would want to go at it that way but you asked.

After that we went, budget, guest list, venue. Without a budget and a guest list you can''t really do anything so it''s a great place to start.

Good luck and happy planning!

 

[Clairitek]

Date: 11/2/2009 3:56:15 PM
Author: sillyberry

Date: 11/2/2009 1:44:59 PM

Author: Amzizzle

Well were looking for something small like 20 people, and I just wasn''t sure how much money we should even have saved up before we start really putting down payments and stuff.The ideas we have now will cost us roughly $6000 (since it''s so small).

This doesn''t address your initial question, but with a small group, I would consider looking at attractive restaurants that could accommodate your group. You could do a fantastic meal without having to pay for all that much in decorations/rentals.

Ditto to finding a restaurant. We did our 35 person reception in a large dining room at an awesome restaurant. The food and wine list were really important to us which helped eliminate a lot of possibilities. We hardly spent anything on decor. Our cute little cake, BM bouquets on the cake table, and some very simple centerpieces were enough to dress up our room.

What area are you considering for your wedding?

Also, how far up the list is photography in level of importance. For us it was really important to get a great photographer so as soon as we knew a date we started looking (given it was only 3 months between setting a date and getting married so the options were more limited) and I''m so glad we put a lot of time and effort into that aspect of our day.

 

[Amzizzle]

Claritek- were actually looking around amelia island,fl possibly st.augustine though.Photography is very important to us, I actually got an idea for one from someone on PS,he has very reasonable rates to.I was actually lucky to just hear my Fiances parents are going to chip in a bit which takes a big strain off us.So if anyone knows of any great places in those areas let me know.I also do really like the restaurant idea.Where did you have the ceremony?

 

[sillyberry]

Date: 11/2/2009 6:40:25 PM
Author: Amzizzle
Claritek- were actually looking around amelia island,fl possibly st.augustine though.Photography is very important to us, I actually got an idea for one from someone on PS,he has very reasonable rates to.I was actually lucky to just hear my Fiances parents are going to chip in a bit which takes a big strain off us.So if anyone knows of any great places in those areas let me know.I also do really like the restaurant idea.Where did you have the ceremony?

This was a while ago, but my sister had the ceremony in the restaurant. Which sounds weird, in retrospect, but it really wasn''t.

I don''t know what your style is, but if you''re getting married in a beachy town, you could do a beach ceremony and the reception at a restaurant on/near the water.