How To Start Planning Your Wedding

Wedding planning is a task that involves a lot of decision making and organizational skills. Your wedding is probably one of the big projects you and your spouse-to-be will be working on together as you begin your journey together. It can be overwhelming - but it’s doable, and it’s good to have a plan. We understand weddings and have a few tips to help make the process of planning your Oahu wedding as hassle-free as possible.

Talk about wedding expenses

Before anything else, it’s important for you and your partner to sit down and determine an estimated budget together. Find out how much either of you are able to spend and factor in any contributions your respective families have made. Having a budget helps you determine how much you can spend and having this ballpark figure will definitely help set the direction for your wedding. This can be a bit of an awkward conversation to have so it’s important to get this out of the way as early as possible.

Set a date and work on a wedding planning timetable

One of the most important things - and one of the first things people will ask for - is your wedding date. You can’t finalize a wedding venue booking on Oahu without a wedding date, and wedding vendors need a wedding date to be able to see if they are available for you. Having a wedding date will also help you set deadlines for each milestone, whether it be booking vendors, buying a dress, scheduling your engagement photography session.

Pick a wedding venue!

This is one of the most exciting parts of planning your wedding, because this part gets the ball rolling and shows you and everyone else that yes, you have a wedding to plan. Once you have your date chosen, you can begin to visit wedding venues on Oahu to find out if they are available on your date and put down a deposit to lock it down. Visiting venues and finally deciding on one is also a way to be able to visualize your big day and nail down a vision for your big day. Hawaii has many beautiful locations to choose from, such as beaches, gardens, and resorts. Keep in mind that certain venues may have restrictions, such as noise ordinances, guest capacity, or curfews.

Plan your guest list

This part is one of the trickier parts of planning the wedding, and you have to do it carefully. Chances are, your families (especially parents) are excited for your wedding as well and will want to bring some of their own guests. It’s important to set limits and consider your venue capacity while planning your guest list. If you parents are footing a portion of the bill, it’s also important to hear them out and consider who they want to invite, and be tactful with how you respond to their requests. Your budget is very instrumental in this phase as a high guest count can influence a lot of factors and bring the costs up, as it can influence items such as catering costs, favors, invitations, and rentals for tables and chairs.

Consider a wedding planner or an on-the-day coordinator

If you’re a very busy person, hiring a wedding planner can help ease some of the pressure as you plan your wedding. However, if you want to be completely hands-on, you can consider hiring an on-the-day coordinator, so you can plan everything leading up to the day and have someone on-hand to make sure things go smoothly on your wedding day. There’s value in having a planner or coordinator as you will definitely be too busy on the day of your wedding to worry about the details. Your planner/coordinator can do that for you. Here’s where you can find out the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator.

Narrow down your wedding party

You’ve been proposed to, now it’s time for you to propose to your bridesmaids and groomsmen. It’s important to ask as soon as you can, and with enough time for them to be able to plan and work on their own budgets for your wedding. Be transparent about your plans and keep them in the loop when it comes to costs for attire, accommodations, parties, and other wedding party expenses. Remember that your friends love you and would definitely love to donate their time and resources to such an important day, but it’s also important to be understanding and considerate if some are unable to be part of the wedding party.

Screen and hire your vendors

If you have a dream vendor, such as a favorite photographer, DJ, designer, wedding videographer, or photobooth company, it’s important to book them as soon as possible. Work with your wedding planner to hire any high-priority vendors as soon as you lock down your budget and venue so no one else beats you to the date. You and your partner can figure out who your favorite vendors are and inquire with them as soon as possible, because once they’re booked, they’re gone.

Send out your Save the Dates

This is a very important step, especially for destination weddings, which are common in Hawaii, and require a bit of preparation and planning even for guests. Try to send your save the dates as early as you can, so your family and friends can mark their calendars, budget for flights and hotels, and get time off work as early as possible.

Plan the rehearsal dinner

The rehearsal dinner usually happens the night before the wedding, and needs some planning as well. You can ask your planner for recommendations on how to go about planning your rehearsal dinner. As a rule of thumb, it would be great to have the venue for the rehearsal dinner booked, and the details and program planned out 5 months before it is set to happen.

Plan your honeymoon!

With so many details involved in wedding planning, this might be one of the things that take the backseat. However, it’s good to iron the details out for the honeymoon as early as possible, and not leave it to the last minute. Booking flights, hotels, and laying out an itinerary is something you would benefit from, and a honeymoon is a great opportunity for you to take a breather from wedding planning.

Purchase your wedding attire and wedding rings

This doesn’t have to be accomplished immediately. However, it would be great to start browsing wedding dresses, tuxedos, and wedding bands early on so you and your partner can begin to form an idea of what styles you prefer and find comfortable. Give yourself time, however, you will need months or weeks to make sure your attire is properly tailored and fits properly on your wedding day.

Make time for pre-wedding festivities

Aside from engagement parties, your wedding party will most definitely spend time planning showers, and bachelor/bachelorette parties. While you have no responsibility to get involved in planning these functions, you will need to clear your respective calendars to be able to attend these. You can communicate your availability to your maid of honor and best man so they can plan the dates according to your schedule.

Send out your invitations

You can begin to distribute and mail your invitations to you guests at least 6 weeks before the wedding. As for RSVP, you can set the deadline to three weeks before the big day. Sending out your invitations on time is crucial, especially since you are setting an RSVP deadline for them.

Secure your marriage license

Definitely one of the most important steps! This is essential for you to get legally married. Be sure to read up on your state’s wedding laws, to know what you need to do so obtain your marriage license. Read up on waiting periods, expiration dates and requirements, so you know when exactly you should apply for a marriage license. Don’t put this off, make sure you research and set a deadline for this, so it’s not overlooked.

Touch-base with your vendors

As the big day draws closer, make sure all details with your wedding vendors have been smoothed out, and your vendors have everything they need, and all balances have been paid. This is where your wedding planner can be super helpful, as they can help you keep track of all the details and coordinate with vendors prior to and on the big day.

Get Married!

Your hard work as paid off! Sit back, relax, smile, and enjoy the festivities, and the start of a beautiful new chapter in your life. :)