Congratulations! You’re engaged! You’ve found the love of your life, and now it’s time to plan the wedding of your dreams. But where do you start? Wedding planning can be a daunting task, I know. That’s why today I wanted to break down the first 5 decisions to tackle to kick off your Dallas wedding planning journey!

Set Your Budget

Money, money, money. It might not be the most romantic aspect of wedding planning, but it’s definitely one of the most important. Before you start making any plans, sit down with your partner (and any other decision-makers) and determine how much you want to spend on your wedding. You don’t want to start planning a luxurious affair only to realize halfway through that you can’t afford it. Set your budget before you start making any big decisions to save yourself unnecessary future stress and disappointment. This will also help you to get clear on and prioritize your vendors based on your budget.

Hire a Wedding Planner

(And/or find your Wedding Planning Tool)

If you’re looking for assistance with your Dallas wedding planning, then a wedding planner will be one of the first vendors you’ll want to officially book. A wedding planner can help you with everything from finding the perfect venue to vendor referrals. They’ll also help ensure you’re staying on track with your planning to-do’s and take care of all the little details on the day itself so you can focus on being present and enjoying your big day to its fullest!

(Not sure if a wedding planner is right for you? That’s okay! Feel free to check out my full blog on Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner for more insight!)

Regardless of whether you’re working with a planner or doing it all yourselves, you’ll want to find a great wedding planning tool. A tool that can help keep you organized and track your thoughts, to-do’s, research, etc. There are many physical wedding planning binders and notebooks out there. But, if you’re looking for a free, comprehensive and versatile digital tool to have at your fingertips, I invite you to check out my free wedding planning tool here!

I originally created it for myself as I was going through my own wedding planning journey. I wanted something that could be completely customizable and was easily accessible from anywhere, by anyone I wanted, at any time. And since I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for, I created it! My free wedding planning tool is available to download right now (and even includes a full instructional video walking you through how to best use it step-by-step!)

Choose a Venue and a Date

Now that you’re feeling organized and have your budget sorted out, it’s time to choose a venue and date! The venue you choose will be one of the biggest factors in setting the tone for your wedding – and play a big role in the date you end up choosing. Do you want an outdoor wedding, an indoor wedding, or a mix of the two? The possibilities are endless. (If you’re currently searching for the best wedding venues in North Texas, check out my guide!) Keep in mind that popular venues book up quickly, so be sure to reserve your date as soon as possible.

Create Your Guest List

Now that you have your venue booked, consider your guest list. My advice is always to organize your family and friends in tiers. Who is the top tier? Your parents, siblings, wedding party. After that who is most important to you? Your mutual friends, co-workers, extended family, etc. This helps you to narrow down who to invite a bit more easily. Also, consider if you will allow your guests a plus one, as each guest will typically add to the cost of your wedding. If you’re having a small, intimate wedding, you may have to make some tough decisions about who to invite and who to leave off the list. Just remember, this is YOUR wedding day. I encourage you to give yourself permission to not allow too much guilt to enter into your decision-making process.

Book Your Priority Vendors

Your vendors will play a big role in how your wedding day plays out! So, start going down your list of priority vendors and reserving their services one by one as far in advance as possible. Speaking as a Dallas wedding photographer, I can be booked out anywhere from 12-24 months in advance at any given time. So, the sooner you can reserve the vendors who are most important to you, the better! Especially if you have any specific ones in mind.

Planning a wedding can be stressful, but it can also be a ton of fun! Remember to enjoy the process and don’t get too caught up in the little details. At the end of the day, what matters most is that you’re marrying the love of your life, and that’s certainly something worth celebrating!

Have any other questions about your Dallas wedding planning? Reach out with your questions HERE, I’d love to connect! Until then, happy wedding planning!!