How to Start Wedding Planning

A wedding is the most exciting and memorable day of your life. It symbolizes entering a lifelong partnership and a special bond that is beautiful. While the day itself is great, the process of planning can be frustrating and at times overwhelming. It is always best to have a plan to start from so you won't become swamped by the details and want to pull your hair out.

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft Excel
• Wedding planning book
• Save-the-date announcements

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Suggestions

1. Create a guest list. Turn on your computer and open Microsoft Excel. Enter all the names of your guests. Microsoft Excel makes things easy because you can arrange names alphabetically and later, when you assign them table numbers, by table numbers for printing out later. Make sure you list everyone you will invite so you can have a number or at least close estimate of the number of people you will be inviting. Subtract 15 percent from the total number of people. This is what you should use as your estimate, as typically about 10 percent 20 percent of people invited do not attend.
2. Put together a budget. Create a spreadsheet listing your total budget to spend on the wedding. List all the categories of items you will be spending money on for the wedding; attire, food, location, flowers, photos and so on. Figure out how much you expect to spend (of your total budget) on each section.
3. Purchase a wedding planning notebook. This will help you keep track of all your wedding items, business cards, and lists of vendors and numbers, as well as provide handy checklists, to-do lists and time lines.
4. Search for and choose a venue. Based on your desires, number of guests and budget, start looking for venues. You may have some places in mind. You can also search online, in bridal magazines and by asking around. Once you've found the location you love that fits your budget and can hold the number of guests you will require, book it.
5. Set a date. Book your location so you can secure a date. This will allow you to move on and work on the rest of the wedding planning process, because you can't do much until you have a confirmed date.
6. Select your wedding party. Think hard about the people you want to stand beside you as you say your vows. The bridesmaids will help with lots of the wedding planning, so it's important you choose people you love and will be willing to assist you. Ask everyone and let them know the wedding date so they can mark it on their calendar.
7. Interview and hire your caterer, musical selection, cake bakery, photographer/videographer and florist. You may choose to go to a bridal show to meet some of these people, look online, in bridal magazines or just around the location of your wedding or your home.
8. Shop for and make your wardrobe selections. Start looking for your wedding dresses, tuxedo and the attire for your wedding party.
9. Order your save-the-date invitations and send them out so your guests can put the date on their calendar. There are lots of other things to do, but this is the best way to start your wedding planning process because you will get the major items out of the way first and only have all the details to attend to.

Tips & Warnings

• Start early.
• Don't go over your budget; it isn't worth going into debt. Be careful to not let others push you around; do what you want for your day.

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