Just engaged! So much to do!

jennwolfe2

Hi all!
I'm newly engaged and so excited! I wanted a small wedding down south but my fiance and I agreed to a bigger one up here since it's where friends and family are. The tough part is we're paying for a lot of it and things are SO EXPENSIVE! It seems almost impossible to find a nice venue and not blow the entire budget before I even start anything else! How do you guys manage? Just one step at a time?

Thanks much

MrsKaitlynW

Don't try to tackle everything at once! I have been engaged since November and I became so consumed and stressed out over finding a venue, catering, color pallets, theme, ect. that I finally changed the date to give myself 6 more months of planning. I completely started from scratch and vowed not to make any decisions without discussing it with my fiance. (I became so stressed that I began to lose sight of what's really important, US)
For now figure out what is most important to you and your fiance when it comes to your wedding day. Gather some pictures for ideas and inspiration and when you are looking for venues ask about weekday pricing as well as seasonal pricing. (Fall and Winter weddings are often less expensive)
I have two hair dressers in the family so I can't really answer your question about paying for hair and makeup vs. the bridal party's dresses. I intend to give my bridal party (somewhat) free reign when it comes to their dresses. They will have certain guidelines (length, color pallet and no ridiculous details like feathers or massive bows). I will pay for a certain amount and anything over they will have to cover as well as alterations.
I would suggest contacting your usual hair salon or hair dresser and asking if they will give you a break in price for bringing them your entire bridal party. Some places may, some may not...

And as everyone else has said...
Enjoy your engagement!!!

librababy

Congrats on your engagement.

Yes, weddings are expensive, I am finding out LOL. But you have time so enjoy your engagement and take the time to research (venues, photographers, caterers,e tc in your price point) to see what you can work with.