Georgia-Atlanta

New to the knot

We just got engaged last month and I am starting the planning process. I have no clue where to even begin and figured this might be a good place to start. Cause i'm gonna need a lot of help with this one, lol. We figured out a budget but I havnt a clue what to look at next. Any suggestions?

I look forward to "meeting" a lot of you ladies!
-Emily

Re: New to the knot

  • edited December 2011
    I'm new here too! I'm in the middle of wedding planning and I often don't feel like I know what i'm doing!!!!  I started with my dress and thing just went forward from there.  Start thinking about what kind of wedding you want: religious, elegant, outdoors, etc... and then start looking for a venue for the ceremony and reception! Congrats on your journey!
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  • edited December 2011
    Good to know im not the only newbie :)
    We are thinking of a doing a vintage style wedding. All we have so far is our budget and colors.... I have no clue about venues. I should just skip ahead to the dress, lol.
  • ritakellyritakelly member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I would say start to look at places online and get quotes; but don't be afraid to go look at them. I found after I looked at the first couple places I had a MUCH better idea of what questions to ask before making an appointment and what I wanted overall. So get out there and start looking! :)

    Also, remember that you need to plan for unexpected costs in your budget. I set a budget; then I set another one (based on my fiance and I deciding to go with an all inclusive venue for less stress) and I now realize we will probably still be over the higher budget (mostly because more people plan to come than I originally thought). Its not as big a deal for me since my fiance and I are paying for the whole thing; but just remember that little things add up quickly!! :)
  • edited December 2011
    If you are planning on getting married this year make sure to go ahead & get with places that book up fast. Also, if you aren't set on a Saturday wedding a lot of places over discounts if you are married on Friday or Sunday. One places I looked at was booked every Saturday from April-December & the other every Saturday in August & September was already booked, and this was when I started looking around in January. Good luck!!
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  • kimberlykhkimberlykh member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    We just got engaged a few weeks ago, and I'm still a bit confused too!  With my limited knowledge, the one thing I would suggest doing first is figuring out your guest list.  I was disappointed that two of the venues I was looking at on-line would not hold the number of people we plan to invite (which is only about 180).  Having a tenative guest list also helps figure out how much we can afford per person.  Hope this helps and congrats on your engagement!
  • chrissyinatlchrissyinatl member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Yes, figure out your guest list first.  We were able to rule out a lot of places immediately because they couldn't hold our guest count.
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  • edited December 2011
    Hey! The first thing I did was make a budget on Excel and I have been buying little stuff since. Like you I was so confused and overwhelmed, what all needed to be done and purchased. Also keep in mine about your guest list, how big you want it or how small? That really helps when looking at venues.
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  • edited December 2011
    I second mari0225's post.  We started creating an excel spreadsheet with our entire wedding on it so we could keep track of expenses (plus, it's fun to mark off items as "PAID IN FULL.")  Create an impromptu guest list so you know an estimate of how many people you will have.  Some venues require a minimum, some have a maximum. 

    Tip: We told our caterer and venue a LOWER number than what we invited as the contract was based on X number of people with the ability to add more but never add less.  You certainly don't want to base a contract on 100 people and only have 80 send back an RSVP that they're coming!
  • edited December 2011
    Make sure you know your date (or at least time of the year/what year) and then I'd start looking at venues. When I first started the process, venues are what book up the quickest. Have a rough draft of your guest list so you'll know how big or how small of a venue to look at.
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  • My_MattMy_Matt member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I just wanted to say WELCOME!!! to the new knotties! Happy planning :)
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    I wonder if Prince William and Kate are registered at Target?
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