Congratulations on this exciting chapter in your life—you’re engaged! I’m so excited for you and can’t wait to shotgun a beer and celebrate this new journey. As a Reno wedding photographer, I understand the excitement ahead of you! While the post-engagement season can be one of the most exciting, it can also be filled with stress and uncertainty. I will share the first wedding planning decisions you should make after saying yes to your lover and choosing to be together forever.
Choose a General Date or Two
Before anything else, think about when you want to get married. I always suggest a general date, as a specific date is likely already booked for wedding venues. Also, consider how long you want to save for and plan your wedding. If it is a smaller, more intimate wedding, 6-9 months is possible. However, if you are planning a more significant celebration, you will want more time to prepare. The more time you have to plan, the better your chances of getting your dream venue and vendors! Reno wedding vendors tend to book quickly, so give yourself enough time to get your dream team together.
Let’s Talk Numbers – First Wedding Planning Decisions
Once you know when your wedding will be, start talking about your budget. How much do you already have saved? How much can you contribute each month? Are you and your partner paying for it? Or are your parents pitching in? Find out all the available details, then start planning how you want to spend that money. Make a list of your priorities, and prepare to pay more for those vendors that matter most to you.
Choose three things. Focus on those three things and let the rest fall away. You’ll be stoked to have three perfect stuff on your wedding day and be much less stressed trying to work within your budget! The world is expensive, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a beautiful wedding day.
Where Are You Saying I Do? – First Wedding Planning Decisions
Wedding venues book up quickly! Many Lake Tahoe and Reno venues book up to 12 months in advance. As a result, you will want to book your wedding venue as soon as possible. Visit venues that are within your budget and see their availability for your general dates. Once you book your wedding venue, your wedding date will be official. And then, you can move on to booking other vendors. If you’re looking for a good starting point for finding your dream venue, head to my Instagram page, where I share my favorites!
Similar to venues, wedding photographers’ schedules fill up about a year in advance. This is one of the first wedding planning decisions that we will research and discuss as a couple. Find a few photographers you love for their style, and then schedule a call to get to know them and their pricing. Then, decide how you connect with them and the quality of their packages.
Ready to book your Reno wedding photographer? Shoot me a message!
