1. Create a new Pinterest board for your wedding ideas.

When you start planning your wedding, create a new Pinterest board where you can save your ideas and inspiration. Remember that you can save pins from any website (it’s super easy to do with the Pinterest extension). Start organizing your ideas in sections of your board for things like color palette, florals, photography style, venue inspiration, decorations, dresses, and bridal party attire. This will help as you start talking with vendors and looking at options because you can compare your options with the ideas you have saved!

2. Hire a wedding planner.

Hiring a wedding planner is one of the best tips for making wedding planning stress-free because they are pros at what they do! Wedding planners help you from point A to Z. They ensure no detail is overlooked and you have time to focus on the fun part—being engaged! Wedding planners assist with bringing your vision to life, so you will provide ideas and inspiration and connect you with the right people to make your wedding day beautiful. Some tasks a wedding planner might care for include managing your budget, setting up appointments with vendors, being involved with the design process, setting up a wedding website, and keeping track of RSVPs.

3. Decide early on what is important to you.

You’ve likely never planned a wedding before, so it can be overwhelming to know where even to start. Another way to ease the stress of planning is to decide what is truly important to you when it comes to your wedding day. Are there certain traditions or vendors that you want to prioritize? Maybe wedding photography or videography is important to you, or it might be getting married at a particular wedding venue. Whatever you and your fiance decide is most important can be prioritized in your budget. 

4. Delegate tasks to people you can trust.

You don’t have to plan your wedding alone! Family members, members of your bridal party, and other close friends would be happy to help with wedding planning tasks. However, it’s best to delegate the things that are less important to you and won’t involve making too many decisions. For example, there might be decor items that you have a specific vision for, like your napkins or florals, but you might not have a preference for things like candles. It would be best to handle the tasks you are pickier about and delegate the rest to trusted people. 

6. Book your vendors as far in advance as possible.

The best vendors book out further than you think. Book your vendors as early as possible to ensure you get to work with your favorites. Some venues and photographers can book out over a year in advance, so it’s never too early to inquire!

7. Don’t have a set budget for your venue.

This might seem counterintuitive, but setting a budget for your venue can be very limiting. Some venues offer services like decorating, day-of coordination, bar services, and set up/tear down. While you might pay a little more for venues that offer these services, you won’t have to find additional vendors to provide these services. It is good to have an idea of how much you can spend on your venue, but don’t limit yourself until you hear everything a venue can offer. 

8. Choose the venue you fall in love with.

Your venue truly sets the tone for your wedding day. It will be in every photo and video of your wedding, so make sure you choose the venue you fall in love with. Which venue appeals to you the most? Which is the most beautiful and matches your vision for your wedding day? Sometimes choosing a more naturally beautiful venue can save you money in the decor department! So don’t settle when it comes to your wedding venue.

9. Ask for vendor recommendations.

When you start booking your first vendors, like your venue and photographer, you can also ask them for recommendations. They’ve likely worked with many of the local vendors and will recommend people you can trust! This will cut down on the research you have to do and help you find a team of vendors that works well together!