The First Five Things You Should Have On Your Wedding Planning Checklist

You’re engaged. You’ve celebrated. You’ve probably stared at your ring more times than you’d like to admit.

Now comes the question almost every newly engaged couple eventually asks:

Where do we actually start?

Search for a wedding planning checklist online and you’ll find lists with 50, 100, sometimes 200 things you supposedly need to do.

Book a florist. Order invitations. Choose bridesmaid dresses. Build a registry. Schedule engagement photos. Pick your first dance song.

Not yet.

Before you start thinking about napkin colors and signature cocktails, there are a few bigger decisions that need to happen first.

These decisions create the foundation for your entire wedding. Get them figured out early and everything else becomes a whole lot easier.

Here are the first five things that should be on your wedding planning checklist.

1. Map Out Your Wedding Budget

Before you book anything, figure out how much you actually want to spend.

We know. Budgeting is probably not the part of wedding planning you’ve been dreaming about.

But your budget affects nearly every decision that comes after it, from your venue and guest count to your photographer, flowers, catering, attire, and entertainment.

Start with the big number.

How much are you comfortable spending on the wedding as a whole?

If anyone else is contributing financially, now is the time to have those conversations too.

Once you have an overall number, start thinking about how you might divide it between the major categories.

You don't need to know exactly what you'll spend on every vendor yet. In fact, those numbers will probably change as you start getting actual quotes.

The goal right now is simply to create boundaries.

A $30,000 wedding and an $80,000 wedding require very different planning decisions. Knowing your number early prevents you from falling in love with venues and vendors that don't make sense for your budget.

It also helps answer a much more important question:

Where do we actually want our money to go?

We'll get to that in number four.

2. Create a Loose Guest List

Notice we said loose guest list.

You do not need to decide whether your mom's coworker from 2007 is getting an invitation yet.

You just need a realistic estimate.

Start by writing down everyone you would potentially want at the wedding. Then have your partner do the same.

Include immediate family, extended family, friends, coworkers, family friends, plus ones, and anyone your families may want to invite.

You might end up with 80 people.

You might end up with 280.

Either answer is fine.

What matters is knowing approximately where you stand because your guest count is one of the biggest factors affecting your wedding.

A venue that comfortably holds 100 guests isn't going to work if your list is sitting at 175.

Your catering costs will change.

Your bar costs will change.

Your rental needs will change.

Even things like flowers, stationery, transportation, and the number of tables you need can change.

This is also where your budget and guest list start talking to each other.

If the wedding you want and the guest list you created don't fit comfortably within your budget, that's something you want to discover now, not six months into planning.

Your guest list doesn't have to be final.

It just needs to be honest.

3. Decide on a Location and Start Venue Shopping

Now we're getting to the fun part.

Once you have a budget and a rough guest count, you can start figuring out where this wedding is actually going to happen.

First, decide on the general location.

Are you getting married where you live?

In your hometown?

Near family?

Somewhere that means something to both of you?

Are you thinking about a destination wedding?

Once you've narrowed down the area, start looking at venues.

Your venue is one of the most important decisions you'll make because it can determine your wedding date, capacity, overall aesthetic, vendor requirements, rental needs, and sometimes even your catering and bar options.

Don't choose a venue based on photos alone.

When comparing venues, look at what's actually included.

Does the venue provide tables and chairs?

Is catering included or do you bring in your own?

Is there an exclusive vendor list?

What does parking look like?

How many hours are included?

Is there space for both the ceremony and reception?

What's the backup plan for bad weather?

Are there additional fees you need to know about?

A venue that looks more expensive at first glance can sometimes end up being more affordable once you factor in everything that's included.

The opposite can also be true.

Visit a few options, ask questions, take notes, and compare the full picture before making your decision.

And yes, you're allowed to be excited when you finally walk into one and think, this is it.

4. Set Your Priorities and Decide Where You Want to Splurge

This step gets skipped way too often.

Before you start booking vendors, sit down with your partner and answer one question:

What matters most to us?

Not what Instagram says should matter.

Not what your best friend did at her wedding.

Not what your parents think people will notice.

What matters to the two of you?

Maybe you want incredible photos because they're the one thing you'll keep forever.

Maybe you're food people and want your guests talking about dinner for years.

Maybe your priority is an absolutely packed dance floor.

Maybe you've always dreamed about elaborate florals.

Maybe the venue itself is the splurge and you're happy keeping everything else simple.

Choose your top priorities, then identify the vendors or categories where you're willing to spend more.

These are your splurge vendors.

For one couple, that might be photography and videography.

For another, it might be catering and entertainment.

For someone else, it could be florals and design.

There is no correct answer.

The important thing is deciding before you start booking.

Because without priorities, it's incredibly easy to overspend a little bit everywhere.

You upgrade the chairs.

Then the linens.

Then the flowers.

Then the bar package.

Then the invitations.

Suddenly you've spent thousands more without actually putting that money toward the things you cared about most.

Your budget tells you how much you can spend.

Your priorities tell you where you should spend it.

5. Join Plannerd and Keep Everything in One Place

At this point, things start moving quickly.

You have a budget.

You have a rough guest list.

You're touring venues.

You're researching photographers, planners, caterers, florists, DJs, bands, videographers, hair and makeup artists, and all the other people who will eventually bring your wedding together.

And suddenly, information is everywhere.

There's a spreadsheet for your budget.

A Notes app list of venues.

Vendor quotes in your email.

Guest information in another spreadsheet.

Screenshots in your camera roll.

A Pinterest board.

Texts from your mom.

Texts from your partner.

Texts from vendors.

And one extremely important piece of information that you definitely remember seeing somewhere, but have absolutely no idea where it went.

This is exactly why Plannerd exists.

Instead of building your own complicated wedding planning system across five different apps, keep everything together from the beginning.

Use Plannerd to organize your planning, track what needs to happen next, manage your budget, keep up with vendors, organize guest information, and eventually build out your wedding day timeline.

The earlier you create one central place for your wedding, the easier it is to stay organized as planning gets more complicated.

Because wedding planning doesn't usually become overwhelming from one huge decision.

It becomes overwhelming when 100 small decisions are happening at the same time.

You don't need another spreadsheet.

You need a system.

Start With These Five, Then Worry About Everything Else

There will be plenty of time to choose flowers.

And invitations.

And dresses.

And suits.

And cake flavors.

And ceremony music.

And whether you really need custom cocktail napkins with your dog's face on them.

Right now, keep it simple.

Start with these five things:

1. Map out your budget.

Know how much you're comfortable spending before you start booking.

2. Create a loose guest list.

Get a realistic idea of how many people you might invite.

3. Decide on a location and start venue shopping.

Find a place that works with your budget, guest count, and vision.

4. Set your priorities and identify your splurge vendors.

Decide what matters most to you before your budget starts disappearing into things that don't.

5. Join Plannerd and keep everything organized.

Give your wedding one home instead of spreading the details across spreadsheets, inboxes, apps, and group chats.

Once you've done these five things, you've created the foundation for everything that comes next.

And suddenly that massive wedding planning checklist?

It starts feeling a whole lot more manageable.

Ready to start planning? Join Plannerd.com and keep your budget, guests, vendors, tasks, and wedding details organized from day one.

Photography by @SarahPetersonPhoto