This is the moment you have been waiting for! You are getting married! You have a ring and everything! As much as we understand you wanting to jump into wedding planning (if you haven't already 😅) we highly recommend taking a few days to just enjoy being engaged before the wedding planning starts. Take time to call your besties, show off your ring, and dream about what you'd like your wedding day to look like. 

After you have spent time soaking in the exciting fact that you are engaged,  you've called your family and friends, the planning should start. We highly recommend you and your partner think through a few things before you start calling vendors. You need to have an idea of your budget, guest count, and style you would like. If you can afford it, I highly suggest a wedding planner. A wedding planner will be able to hear what you really want, work your budget, and find exactly what will make your vision come to life. Often times wedding planners get discounts with other vendors and we pass the discount on to you. If you can afford it, I would say this should be the first person you secure. 

However we understand that not all couples will be able to afford a planner or want one. For those of yall who would like to just use a coordinator I would suggest discussing with your partner what is most important to you. Is a certain photographer non negotiable for you? Make sure you book a date with them and then work to find a venue with that date. Is a venue style the most important to you? Then start with the venue, secure your date, then find the rest of your venues.  Most of my couples start with the venue, book a date with them, find a photographer/videographer, book a coordinator, then DJ, catering company, florist, and finally any specialized vendor (coffee, beer burros, photo booth, live painter, entertainment, etc).