My Big Day - How to Start?

by Ashley
(Garland,TX)

Hi there,

My name is Ashley and my wedding is going to be in September of 2012.

I'm trying to start early so I don't get too stressed out and have to do it all at one time.

I know I have time but with other things going on I need to get started.

I'm on a very small budget and I don't even know where to begin.

I know who's doing my cake and food, but other than that, I'm stuck. I don't know where to go from there.

If you have any advice that will help me, that would be great. Please help!!!

Answer by Diane:

Hi Ashley,

Thanks for your question and welcome to our community!

There truly are some great benefits for starting to plan your wedding early.

You get the best choice of dates and of venues when you book early.

And by planning your wedding for September, you will enjoy good weather paired with great off-season pricing.

So, you are one smart cookie!

It's great that you have your cake and food all set. A couple of the other things to focus on is to book your ceremony location and reception location.

These are really the two biggies. Once you have these two in place, everything else will fall into place.

Definitely, sit down and focus some time on your budget and what you will be able to afford.

Like I said, you have already made a great decision as to the time of year you have chosen for your wedding, so you should have a somewhat easier time finding things cheaper.

Start with a Wedding Planning Checklist that can help you stay focussed and on track...just skip the parts that don't apply to you or your wedding and you'll do just fine.

I hope that helps you out, but certainly if you have any other questions, I really hope that you write back here.

Take care and best wishes to you always,

Diane