How to Envision Your Wedding

• Date: The date you choose can affect many aspects of your wedding, such as costs and seasonal constraints.
  • Indoor or outdoor: In many locations, winter weddings of course can’t be held outdoors.
  • Cost and availability: Being flexible about your date can help ensure that you get the officiant or reception space that you want most. It also may help you get a better price, since some popular dates are more expensive than others.
• Location: Typical wedding locations include your hometown, your fiancé(e)’s hometown, or your current area of residence. Some couples have destination weddings in which both you and your guests travel to a specific location for the wedding. Remember that destination weddings increase expenses for your guests, which may deter them from attending.
• Religion: Whether to include religion in your wedding is a decision with personal and logistical consequences. For example, religion can determine your wedding’s location (church, synagogue, etc.) and officiant (priest, rabbi, etc.).

Make the Guest List

1. Your budget
2. The size of the wedding you and your fiancé(e) envision
3. The size of the wedding your families envision

• Be flexible: You, your fiancé(e), and both sets of parents should have input on the final list.
• Compromise: If inviting a certain guest is very important to someone else, agree to invite the guest.
• Make a singles policy: Make a policy regarding guests who are single. For example, you might set a rule that only live-in partners should be invited and that singles should come solo otherwise.
• Simplify: If your final list is too long for your budget, consider reducing other wedding expenses rather than limiting the guest list.

Consider Using a Wedding Planner

• Overwhelmed by the wedding planning process
• Too busy to plan your wedding
• Not interested in being hands-on about wedding planning details