10 Steps to Start Planning Your Los Angeles Wedding
Photo: Allison Hopkins
After you come down from the overflowing excitement of your engagement, you are likely thinking about what the heck you need to do to get started planning a wedding. As a Los Angeles wedding planner, I know the idea of planning a wedding can be daunting.
You may not know where to start, what it will cost, or how time consuming it will be. You likely are still basking in the engagement glow and may not even know what you want your wedding day to look and feel like. Figuring all of that out may take some time. Below I’ve rounded up my top 10 steps to help you get started planning your wedding.
1. Set A Budget
This may be the hardest step, but one of the first things I talk about with couples on a consultation call is the budget. Everyone has a budget whether it’s big or small. Determining the budget is so important because it will set the tone for the many decisions to be made ahead. Things to consider are who will be contributing to the wedding and how much. It’s good to clear this up in the beginning so you have an accurate idea of how much the overall spend will be and if there will be additional decision makers beyond you and your partner.
My advice- be flexible where possible. I often see couples with a Pinterest board and vision of a wedding that will cost over $100k when they have a budget of $50k. Wedding planning costs can be a shock at first which is why it’s so beneficial to work with a wedding planner that can guide you through this. If you’ve never planned a wedding before, you don’t know the average cost of things, so don’t let yourself get too down when you start to see prices. It’s very much a learning process at the beginning.
2. Determine the Guest Count
Once you have an idea of the budget, start compiling a list of who you want to invite. As you and your partner go through this process, discuss together if you want a big or a small wedding. There’s no shame in having a B list too for additional guests that can be swapped in closer to the wedding date. The guest count is an important factor that wedding venues and vendors will ask about when you reach out for information. So make sure you have an idea or target guest count before moving on to the next step.
Photo: Jordan Galindo
3. Choose a Month or Season
You might have a particular date in mind, but it’s great to start with a month or season you are interested in for your wedding. Southern California wedding venues are booking over a year out these days. With limited Saturday availability, it’s good to be flexible on the date if you find the perfect venue but they don’t have your date available. Choosing the season will also help get you started for the next step!
Phoots: Alexes Lauren Photography
4. Get Inspired
Here is where the fun starts! Now you might already have a secret Pinterest board or IG folder with wedding inspo you’ve been saving for the past few months. Or you may be starting fresh with your ideas. Now is the time to start gathering images and inspiration that really light you up for your own wedding day. Colors, themes, attire, and the setting are all great details to start looking at and narrowing in on what you like. (PS- your wedding planner will be so excited to see what you’ve gathered!)
5. Start Looking Into Venues
This step alone can be overwhelming. If you’ve gotten this far and are suddenly stressing about looking into venues, I can help! As a Los Angeles wedding planner, I offer a venue search service that can be a stand alone service or packaged together with my full planning service. Reach out if you think this might be what you need and want to learn more!
To start, talk with your partner about what is important to you in a venue. Some things the couples I work with note are: indoor/outdoor options, nature setting, accessibility, allows outside catering, convenient location, view, number of hours included, and of course the overall style and cost. Once you are mostly aligned with these things you can start looking at venues online. The Venue Report is a fantastic resource that will help you search by location, guest count, budget, and style of venue.
6. Talk about priorities
This is a big one I ask a lot about when first talking to couples. Think about what really is most important to you on this day. Is it creating an incredible guest experience? Food that you’ll be talking about for days to come? Statement decor that fulfills all your Pinterest dreams? Or maybe it’s simply making sure time is dedicated to spending with your guests. Knowing your priorities will help with things like where to focus the budget and what to keep at the forefront when making decisions from the vendors you choose to the schedule of the day.
7. Talk about what you DON’T want
As you talk about priorities for your day, think back on weddings or parties that you have attended and take note of what you did NOT like. Maybe it was the length of time you had to wait for your food. Or that there weren’t heaters outside on a cold night. Knowing what you DO and DON’T like from past events you’ve attended will help provide a clearer picture of what you want your wedding day to be.
8. Discuss who’s paying for what
This goes back to step 1 of setting the budget. If parents or family are contributing to the wedding budget, make sure to discuss with them what exactly that looks like. For instance, traditionally, the groom’s family will pay for the rehearsal dinner. But nowadays I mostly see a combination of couples and parents contributing to the overall budget. If anyone is paying for a particular vendor or aspect of the wedding (flowers, dress, cake, etc.), make a point to clear that up with all contributing parties at the start so you can factor that into your budget.
9. Consider traveling guests
If you have any guests traveling that will need accommodations, start by taking note on your guest list. If you have a large number of guests traveling in for the wedding, you’ll likely want to add hotel accommodations or suggestions to your wedding website. Traveling guests will also appreciate any local tips you can provide for their visit. I love creating welcome bags for traveling guests that are filled with local goodies and a list of dining, sightseeing, shopping etc. that is either meaningful to the couple or a favorite local spot.
10. Hire a wedding planner
Let’s face it, planning a wedding can be stressful. I hope this list can help you get a head start on planning your dream day. As you start making your wedding plans you may decide you want an expert to help guide you through everything. As a Los Angeles wedding planner, I am here to help! When I work with couples, my goal is to be their shepherd or guide through each part of the planning process. The time that you are engaged is such a short period of time in the grand scheme of things. I want you to be able to enjoy it. I’ll handle all of the not so fun tasks so you can enjoy the fun parts like menu tastings and shopping for attire. Check out this post explaining more about how a wedding planner can create an enjoyable planning experience for couples.
Now it’s time to get planning! If you are interested in learning more about our planning services, reach out for a chat!