With this being one of the most exciting times of your life comes with some stress. Eileen Smith Events is here to give you the top 5 things you should do during this next “phase” of your engagement journey.
Creating your guest list.
Your guest list believe it or not is the heart of your wedding. You will need to make a list of all the loved ones you and your fiance want there with you. This number is what your bas
ing everything off of. Your venue tent or not will need to know how many people they are accommodating as most have limits. Or you are renting chairs for ceremony/ reception. If you don't have a base number it will be very hard to plan anything.
Once you have this master list you then must create a List A & List B from that master list. This list should be able to fit into your budget and venue decision. If people cant come from List A, this gives you an opportunity to invite people from your List B. This stage of the game is very stressful as you will be getting a lot of names on this master list. Make sure you breathe and think about how you and your fiance will feel on your wedding day with or without someone. Remember this day is about celebrating 2 souls becoming one!
Pick your Venue.
You as a couple need to decide what type of wedding atmosphere you’re looking for. Did you want the ceremony and reception in the same location, or rather marry in a church and head to the reception after?
What we see as a 2023 trend is that everyone wants to get married in the same location as its hassle free for the guests and shuttle companies. Once that has been decided you than need to ask yourself where, as the sky is the limit (literally). With there being so many options to choose from is usually where the stress begins. Think about if you want to find an “all inclusive” venue site with ballroom type of atmosphere, to a rustic barn vibe that has preferred vendors they like to work with. If indoors isn’t what you’re looking for than pick a location outside and piece together your master piece of a day. Once these chore decisions are made its time to pick a date to celebrate. If you want to hear more about picking a date contact us for more detail.
Book your Caterer.
Some couples forget how important a caterer is for your wedding, even if it’s a “pot luck” vibe. If people are hungry the night will most likely end early with not a lot of interaction on your special day. Most venue sites have an in house caterer that you pick a menu that best suites you. If not, a lot of venues will have what is called a “preferred vendor list” which gives you names of caterers they have worked well together in the past. Once you get this list check them out on social media, this gives you an idea on what the food options are and how they are displayed. Look at their location and if you have a budget make sure you reach out to them early with an inquiry.
Create your Budget.
As some couples already have a budget set in stone, we also like to suggest to set your budget after your venue and caterer is booked. Your venue cost could include tent and other party rentals to make your location a reception site. So keep that in mind when you are creating your budget. As event planners we find a lot of couples don’t think about some of the vendors they need for their page, this is why we suggest to set your budget on the high side incase these come up.
Hire a wedding or event planner.
This is where Eileen Smith Events come in to make your stress disappear and decision making much easier. We are here to help you with everything and anything you need for the wedding. If that means you need us from the moment you get engaged or just the month of your wedding, we are here to help and guide you through your day. We become your voice so you don’t need to speak to all your vendors and can enjoy and live in this moment! Please email us today and tell us how we can help you with your day.