With the start of February, comes Wedding Season – yep, that’s right, already! Even though most couples get married between April & September, the PLANNING side of things is already under way.

At The Betty Brigade, we come across so many different types of clients and we really work to make each wedding we plan extra special for them. As event planners, we often have to help couples work through the frustrations of planning a wedding and offer advice on how to best get things accomplished. After all, there are more than just 2 people involved in the process. You have to consider both families, the bridal party, and your personal preferences as well. We’ve come up with some tips to help you keep your cool when you start planning your big day so that you can focus on what’s important – you and your new fiancé!

Start With The Budget. This should ALWAYS be your first conversation. Sure, you can talk with your fiancé about it first, but remember; traditionally it’s the families that pay for a wedding, not the couple. So sit down with both sets of parents and set up a budget. Discuss who will be contributing, how much will be contributed, and/or what specific items will be covered by whom. From a traditional standpoint, some brides families still cover the majority, however, it’s more common these days to share the financial burden equally among the two families and the couple themselves.

• Ask them to commit to a specific dollar amount and then add up all the contributions along with your own to create your budget.

• Sometimes it’s easier to ask each set of parents to finance a portion of the wedding (such as the ceremony, honeymoon, or catering) instead of just committing to a dollar amount. Be clear about your expectations and set guidelines so that each party is held accountable.

• Decide how much you both can contribute between now and the wedding. According to The Knot, 37 % of the couples say they're planning to contribute financially to their wedding. If you’re on a tight budget and are looking for ways to save money, take a look at our other wedding blogs: How to Plan a Wedding Reception That Wont’ Bust Your Budget and DIY Money-Saving Tips for the Budget-Conscious Bride Once you have a general number in mind, you can start looking into other important aspects of the wedding that may involve more people. There are a lot of parts to putting together a wedding and its best of everyone involved understands what your goals and expectations are.

Discuss Wedding Setting, Guest List Size, and Style. While these things may seem like it’s up to just you and your fiancé, if there are other financial contributors, they may have something to say about it as well. Discuss these details with your families AND your bridal party. By doing so, everyone will have an idea of what to expect. Do you want a formal red carpet type of wedding or would you prefer something more laid back and country? By discussing these things with all parties involved, they may be able to offer helpful tips and advice, but more importantly, they will have the ability to weigh in on your ideas; by doing so NOW, you can save yourself a headache later. Does your mother want to invite all of her distant relatives to your wedding? By discussing the guest list now, you will have prevented a lot of headaches later when it’s time to send them and you’ve already finalized your venue.

Create a Timeline AND Set Deadlines. We often hear complaints from our brides about how things didn’t get done in time for the wedding. By creating a timeline and setting deadlines for things, you will not only give yourself a schedule to stick to, but it will also keep everyone else from falling off the wagon. Remember to check in regularly and be firm, but not harsh with the deadlines. For example, if your bridal party need to order or rent their attire by a certain date and you know you have a few stragglers, check in with them to see why they are waiting and if there is a way you can help. It might be because they have to wait until payday, but it may just be because they are forgetful. By holding them accountable, you will save yourself a LOT of last-minute stress.The timeline also helps you plan out when to get things done for your wedding and can be a helpful budget tool as well – by telling you when you’ll need to purchase items or pay deposits, etc. As event planners, this is our LIFELINE. It keeps us on task and really helps us focus on our brides and provide great service. Check your timeline at least weekly, if not daily, to see what tasks you can check off your list. Already purchased both set of rings? Add a check mark and move on to the next task. This is incredibly helpful if you plan on doing a lot of DIY for your wedding – you’ll be able to see exactly what you have completed and what you still need to do so you aren’t scrambling the week before your wedding to make sure you have centerpieces, flowers, or shoes. These days there are tons of digital options out there for checklists, budget tools, and other wedding planning gadgets, but whatever you decide to use, make sure it’s something you will check regularly. Whether you have a 4 month engagement or 2 years, waiting until the last minute only adds unnecessary stress and can darken the mood of your big day.For a sample timeline and some great budget-friendly tips on wedding planning, be sure to download our eGuide, Betty’s Gettin’ Hitched! As always, we hope this has been helpful for you.

Until next time – keep it simple.