Planning a wedding stirs up a wonderful mix of excitement and a touch of overwhelm for nearly every couple. To make the whole journey feel more manageable, we have mapped out the very best approach to wedding planning, complete with suggestions on who to lean on for support.
This wedding planning roadmap will point you in the right direction!
Who Can Help You To Plan Your Wedding Day
Pulling off a wedding entirely solo isn’t realistic for anyone. It’s absolutely essential to gather your support crew to help your vision come alive.
It’s completely fair, and honestly quite expected, for you to reach out and ask for a helping hand.
Your partner
Wedding planning thrives on a balanced partnership, though often one person dives into the tasks with more enthusiasm than the other. Even when one of you takes the lead, asking your partner to step in and contribute is completely reasonable.
Getting your partner’s opinions and thoughts might feel trickier than it sounds; one smart approach is to find out if there are any parts of the wedding they’d be excited to own completely, and then let them take charge. Not every person feels passionate about the seating chart or the party favors, so if a particular planning area doesn’t spark joy for your partner, simply take the reins yourself.
Friends
Friends are truly priceless gems during the intricate journey of wedding planning. They show up well before the big day, ready with support and bursts of creativity.
Whether you’re bouncing around ideas or mapping out how to plan a wedding, having them by your side makes every single step unforgettable.
A Miss To Mrs Subscription Box
Romance is floating all around and it’s officially time to dive into planning your big celebration! The wedding preparation phase can bring a mountain of stress for engaged couples, but the Miss To Mrs® Box transforms this journey into something genuinely enjoyable.
Every product is thoughtfully designed to match any phase, from the initial engagement sparkle right up to the wedding day.
You’ll discover joyful bridal merchandise, plus brilliant advice on weaving all the details together for a celebration that is truly one of a kind. Subscribing is always a great idea!
After all, when else do you get delightful surprises delivered straight to your doorstep each month?
When Is The Best Time To Subscribe?
Right after you take that very first step toward your happily ever after. By subscribing to the Miss To Mrs® Box, your wedding ideas merge together beautifully while you enjoy fun bridal merchandise.
Everything is tailored precisely to your personal wants and needs, no matter which stage of the journey you’re in. The goal is to make sure zero details slip through the cracks!
What Is Included In The Subscription?
A subscription to the Miss To Mrs® Box delivers so much more than just physical merchandise. Inside every box, you’ll find a complimentary Wedding Planning Guide along with additional premium perks.
This means your engagement chapter gets filled with charming apparel and decor, and you’ll also save precious dollars for the big event itself! Miss To Mrs® has earned the title of Voted #1 Bridal Box.
Miss To Mrs® Box is a stand-out subscription service, lovingly crafted by their very own in-house design team. Each themed box features a specialized selection that helps couples celebrate every milestone of the wedding planning adventure, and the results speak for themselves!
Thousands of glowing reviews have gifted them a stellar 4.7 score out of 5 stars, proving that their quality of work is truly a cut above.
Top 3 Reasons To Subscribe Now, Even If The Wedding Date Is Not Set Yet
For weddings taking place, you can choose from monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly plans designed to fit your perfect vision. Beyond receiving products curated for your upcoming celebration, you unlock access to premium resources the moment you subscribe!
It’s the perfect moment to embrace your engagement journey!
Give yourself permission to enjoy a little pampering! Don’t let this extraordinary chance to have it all pass you by!
What brides said:
– Amber A.: “Miss to Mrs is the best bridal subscription! The gifts are very cute and functional!
Customer service is also very helpful and quick to respond. Highly recommend it!”
– Blakslee H.: “Great customer service and great products. My busy schedule makes planning a wedding difficult and the miss to mrs box not only makes planning easier, but helps me enjoy the process and builds my excitement more and more for the big day”
Disclaimer: All opinions expressed in this post are of the Wedding Forward editorial team, and are based on the actual boxes received in mid-2021 from each company reviewed below. Miss To Mrs Box sponsored this post.
Your family
Your family carries just as much emotional investment in your wedding day as you do. Turning to your family to assist in bringing the wedding day to life isn’t just practical; they will genuinely adore being woven into the planning process.
Give your family members specific tasks to tackle so you can trust that everything is handled without having to supervise every single step, including discussions on how to plan a wedding.
Essential Steps On Planning A Wedding
Certain essential steps must be taken to ensure the entire day is a glowing success. While there are countless smaller tasks involved in wedding planning, we have spotlighted the 21 MOST important actions to take when crafting the day of your dreams!
- Join Wedding Forward mailing list to get wedding help and inspiration
- Decide on a location and date
- Select your wedding party
- Decide on a wedding coordinator or planner
- Choose the best bridal subscription box
- Host an engagement party
- Make a guest list
- Decide on a theme for your wedding
- Start gathering information and inspiration
- Connect with vendors
- Create a budget
- Create your wedding website
- Put together your registry
- Order save the dates & invitations
- Plan the honeymoon, rehearsal dinner
- Plan all pre-wedding events (bridal shower, bachelorette party, bridesmaid brunch)
- Send out invitations
- Collect RSVP’s
- Buy wedding bands
- Obtain your marriage license
- Get married
Wedding Planning Guide
Regardless of the wedding style you are dreaming up, creating a solid plan and a checklist is key to making the wedding planning process flow smoothly. From mapping out a beachside destination wedding to arranging a cozy courthouse ceremony, here’s a breakdown of all the steps you’ll need to take.
How to plan a small wedding
Small weddings, often called micro weddings, are incredibly popular right now, partly due to factors like a global pandemic. If a small gathering is in your plans, you need a clear structure for where and when the event takes place, who makes the guest list, and what kind of menu and entertainment you want to feature.
Plenty of couples planning a small wedding choose to host it at their own home or a loved one’s property to bypass venue expenses. If that path appeals to you, you’ll still need to map out designated spaces for food, dancing, restrooms, and parking.
Every wedding, no matter the size, deserves a thoroughly considered plan for its style and theme. Plus, it’s wise to sort out the logistics ahead of time so the day unfolds with no unexpected surprises.
How to plan a beach wedding
Beach weddings have remained a beloved classic in the wedding universe for ages, and with the shoreline’s natural beauty serving as your backdrop, the reason is crystal clear.
“If you are orchestrating a beach wedding that doubles as a destination event, think about mailing your save the date cards with travel information earlier than you normally would. Guests may require extra time to lock in their flights, travel plans, and hotel stays.”
Location. Choosing your beach wedding spot is absolutely crucial!
If you are holding your beach ceremony at a resort, they often provide a dedicated stretch of sand specifically for events; on the other hand, a public beach might mean sharing the space with casual beachgoers near your ceremony spot.
Time of day. The location isn’t the only thing demanding your attention when planning a beach wedding; you also need to zero in on the timing.
An afternoon ceremony right on the sand can deliver punishing heat, so you might want to push your ceremony to later in the afternoon. The ideal window is typically after 5:00 pm, once the sun begins its gentle descent.
How to plan a courthouse wedding
Extravagant weddings aren’t everyone’s dream, and many couples choose to go with a streamlined courthouse ceremony instead. Here are a few pointers if you’re moving in that direction.
Make an appointment. Most courthouses require couples to book an appointment for their wedding ceremony, so be sure to phone ahead.
You’ll also need to secure a marriage license. So, gather all the necessary paperwork before you can officially say “I do.”
Hire a photographer. Naturally, you’ll want to capture this monumental day, so hire a wedding photographer to document it with you.
Snap your portraits before the ceremony, during it (if the rules permit), and afterward as well.
Celebrate post ceremony. Skipping a large wedding doesn’t mean skipping the celebration entirely. Host a lovely brunch, lunch, or dinner to toast your courthouse union with all your friends and family.
How to plan a destination wedding
Destination weddings offer a delightfully fun way to mark your wedding day and can happen in an endless variety of locations. At one point, “destination wedding” was synonymous with a tropical beach somewhere, but these days couples are planning getaways around the globe in every setting imaginable.
So, soak in a few tips for planning your destination wedding:
Send out information early. When air travel is part of the equation, giving your guests extra time to plan and book their stays is a kindness.
Mail your save the date cards ahead of the usual schedule. Also, tuck all the travel details your guests need to start booking flights, hotel rooms, and rental cars right into that mailing.
Consider working with a local wedding planner. Coordinating a destination wedding from miles away is no simple feat.
You should think seriously about partnering with a local wedding planner who can expertly navigate and orchestrate the details at your chosen spot.
Having a local expert also helps you track down the vendors and services you might need. If you’re booking your celebration at a hotel or resort, they often have an onsite wedding coordinator ready to assist.
If that’s not the case, don’t hesitate to ask them for a trusted recommendation.
Reserve a large group hotel block. Since all your guests will be journeying to your wedding locale, you should reserve a generous hotel block as soon as possible to guarantee rooms for everyone.
Tropical and other hot spot destination resorts book up in a flash, so the faster you can secure those rooms, the better.
How to plan a backyard wedding
Backyard weddings carry an extra layer of sentimentality, as couples often exchange their vows right at their own home. Hosting a backyard affair gives you complete command over your decor, look and overall vibe, but it also arrives with a few unique puzzles to solve.
When planning a backyard wedding, you absolutely need to think through a handful of key logistical items, including discussions on how to plan a wedding.
Parking. You’ll need a practical spot for your guests to leave their cars during the wedding, and the odds are slim that your personal driveway can handle it all.
You might need to lock down a separate parking area and arrange a shuttle to bring guests right to your backyard.
Space for vendors. Your catering crew needs a functional area for setup, food preparation, and cleaning up afterward.
Your home kitchen might not be the most suitable spot, so coordinate with your catering team to confirm they can handle prep work at another location, transport the food to your reception, and whisk away all the cleanup mess too.
Bathrooms. Yes, you’ll likely need to bring in portable restroom facilities, but thanks to the fantastic new options available in this industry, you can actually rent quite elegant ones for your guests.
Planning a wedding during Covid
How to plan a wedding during Covid-19. There are no current foolproof methods to guarantee perfection, but a few helpful guidelines can assist you in making things flow as smoothly as humanly possible.
You should know about social distancing and government rules
Every pocket of the country will handle COVID-19 in its own unique way. Make it a priority to consistently stay updated with your State and County guidelines and be fully prepared to pivot your plans as needed.
Meet with your wedding suppliers virtually
The simplest path to reducing the spread to your more vulnerable guests is to handle all your arrangements through virtual means. Applications like Zoom let you interview and connect with every single vendor from the cozy safety of your own living room.
Trim down the guest list
The vast majority of your friends and family will acknowledge that these are exceptionally challenging times. Kick any feelings of guilt to the curb and feel free to trim that guest list down to the absolute essentials.
Look into wedding insurance
While your plans might seem rock solid today, the possibility of new restrictions popping up is always lurking. Before you ink any contract, ensure there is a clear exit strategy to recover your funds if circumstances take a turn for the worse.
Contact your church or registrar
The registrar holds huge significance for many couples. Before you dive too deep into other arrangements, reach out to your registrar to confirm their current policies regarding both in-person and virtual ceremonies.
Book a suitable wedding venue
Double check that your event space can comfortably accommodate social distancing protocols. A room that seems spacious can quickly feel cramped once you factor in six feet of separation between guests and the service team.
Seeing a real-world photo is your best bet to gauge what you can realistically expect.
Wedding Planning Mistakes To Avoid
Tons of information and guidance exists on how to map out your perfect wedding day. But some truly valuable advice centers on what not to do when you’re in the planning trenches.
By understanding the major missteps to sidestep during the planning phase, you can feel relaxed and fully confident that your wedding day will be absolutely flawless!
10 Don’ts When Planning Your Wedding:
- Don’t forget to pay all invoices before the wedding date
- Don’t overspend in one area of the budget and majorly skimp in another
- Don’t stress over the little things
- Don’t invite someone to the bridal shower or bachelorette party that is not invited to the wedding
- Don’t plan a ceremony location that is far away from your reception location
- Don’t add your registry information on your invitations, you can provide this information on a separate enclosure card
- Don’t make your guests wait too long before the ceremony starts
- Don’t make guests pay for drinks – if your budget is tight limit the drinks to 2 or 3 options.
- Don’t forget to feed your vendors – work with your catering team so there is a meal for vendors
- Don’t forget to offer a vegetarian option for guests
So as you figure out how to start mapping out a wedding, keep a few things in mind. Tackle the process one single task at a time, and dodge unnecessary pressure whenever you can.
Don’t let the tiny hiccups steal your focus, and become a master at delegating.
Make space to rest and treat yourself by subscribing to a bridal box. Stick closely to our guide on how to plan a wedding step by step as well.