Some call it risky, we call it smart! Don’t sit around waiting for a groom, when you can already be a blushing bride! Build it, and he will come!
More pre-engagement planning on your part means shorter engagements and less stress for both of you in the long run. From engagement to wedding day, the planning process can take months, and even years! That much decision-making can be overwhelming and overall unenjoyable. So for those girls that like to think ahead, we’ve got all the tips and tricks to save the date before you go on one!
Budget
Our first piece of advice is perfect for even the most single of ladies. Dating or not, it’s never a bad idea to save for future expenses. No matter your relationship status or your style, save up! One plan we found is to save every five dollar bill you encounter. Eventually those fivers will end up being the seed money to the wedding of your dreams! Whether it’s an old pickle jar, a piggy bank, or a budgeting app (we recommend WeddingWire), those quarters can add up. The sooner you start saving, the better! From lavish and extravagant to minimalist and simple, money can’t by happiness, but it can make you smile when you pay the caterer!
Color Scheme
Choosing a color scheme or a wedding theme is one of the first decisions every bride should make (well after she says “yes!” to the man, of course!). The color scheme can be the prerequisite for many other decisions to come. In this way, there is no right or wrong way to start the planning process, but one decision does effect another, having the power to alter the entire day’s design.
Once you decide on blush pink with gold accents, you’ve got a basis for your invites, flowers, decor, venue, and more! Start by going to Home Depot and check out paint samples or browse Pinterest for wedding examples. Anything is inspiration!
Dress
If your fiancé doesn’t go shoe shopping with you to the mall, he probably won’t go wedding dress shopping with you either. The love of your life will absolutely love anything you wear on your wedding day, so your dress is up to you! With so many designs, materials, necklines, and silhouettes, it’s better to at least have an idea of what you prefer.
There’s no harm in casually perusing a bridal boutique, shopping online, or watching a couple episodes of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress. Your gown can be the first of many wardrobe decisions that determine your hair, makeup, and even venue! Once you say yes to that dress, you’ll be saying yes to shoes, veils, and jewelry. All this bling without the wedding ring?
Flowers
Florals and frillies might not be what your groom is into. Maybe you have a favorite flower, or are inspired by the bouquet your mother held on her wedding day. Bouquets and centerpieces can seem like small details that you can wait to make, but after years of wedding experience, we can safely say that no detail is too small, and no plan is too early.
Wedding florals can tie the bow on the entire day. Maybe they accessorize your Christmastime ceremony, or maybe they’re the focal point of a summertime romance. Whatever your style, season, or color scheme, planning your florals can be one long bouquet toss-up!
The Wedding Binder
Every prepared bride has a binder, or some sort of organizational system to house all their ideas. Whether this is a Pinterest board, an inspiration wall with cutouts from magazines, a thick binder, a shoebox tucked away in a closet, or a color-coded and cross-referenced filing system, the collection of wedding ideas can help you figure out your overall taste and style of the wedding.
Pinterest and other wedding blogs have plenty of free printable materials to start cataloging your for recipe for the perfect wedding. Our advice is to collect as much as you can and narrow down your ideas as the wedding approaches. Keep in mind that not every idea can be put into action. So the more the merrier, but the choosier the better!
Your Half of the Bridal Party
We all know we secretly wonder who of our gal pals will be standing at our side on the big day. Narrowing down your best friends to a few bridesmaids can be difficult, especially when choosing a Maid of Honor. It will take time to decide, so why not start now?
Of course you love all your best friends equally, and we don’t recommend choosing a favorite. Try thinking of who is best at what kind of advice. The Maid of Honor needs to be organized and reliable, but the rest of your entourage can be great tie-breakers for vetoing a wedding cake flavor or an invitation font.
Timeline
The timeline can be the most complicated and stressful part of planning an entire wedding day from sunrise makeup in the morning to the midnight honeymoon suite. But believe us when we say a sloppy timeline can wreck even the most well-planned wedding. It’s the cheat sheet to the behind-the-scenes action of a perfectly staged wedding day.
Don’t know where to begin? Never fear, the professionals are here!
The wedding planner is the fairy godmother that can make your dream wedding finally come true. (Remember she’s only human, but she sure is the expert!) Hiring a wedding planner is a MUST for the working girl, the mother, or just the indecisive bride.
Our wedding planners at Vision in White Events guarantee a foolproof wedding timeline that’s been tried and true through years of wedding experience. A professional planner not only creates a seamless timeline, but executes the day to be right on cue. The planner is crucial for making sure everything gets checked off the list throughout the day, so all you have to think about is your happily ever after!
Dream Wedding
The dream wedding day starts with a dream, a plan, and most important of all, a man! We realize a bride is only a girl dressed in white without her groom, so we wish you all the best in finding your other half. Yet as a single woman, don’t let those wedding dreams be crushed if you don’t have a crush! It may seem like happily never after now, but when some say never, we say now!
