I am so overwhelmed right now. We literally just got engaged and are thinking Fall 2012.
We live on Staten Island and due to the fact that we will have a decent amount of out of towners we will need to have our reception here on SI or in NJ. I am a terrible negotiator. And everytime I think of finances I just want to
So with that said what were the first few things that everyone went out and did?
bride2be2012
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Re: I have no idea where to begin
We first enjoyed being engaged for a while...after that we looked at a lot of places to see where we wanted to have our reception. You can bring your parents with you too if neither you or FH are good negotiators. Make a list of what's important to you in your place. For me, I only wanted to look at places that did one wedding at a time - this will help you narrow down your options. Look, talk and then decide - it's definitely not an impulse decision!
KrisBren2011
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Re: I have no idea where to begin
Also....if you are getting married in the church, I would call and make an appointment to meet with the priest.
good luck!
halfbaked
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Re: I have no idea where to begin
Don't worry! You have plenty of time. Don't ever let this site make you feel rushed- some girls plan their weddings 2 years in advance, some 2 months and they always come together just fine.
First, sit down and talk about your guest list and budget. Once you've done that, think about where you want to start looking, area wise and start visiting RHs. You don't have to be a good negotiator- we hardly negotiated at all, but we went with vendors we loved and trusted whose prices were right for us. The first vendors we booked were the church, RH, and photographer as those were the 3 most important to us. Good luck and take it one step at a time!
lindseynaggle
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Re: I have no idea where to begin
The first thing we did once we seriously started to plan was work out a budget, which we have since blown. However, I still think that's a good idea, even if you blow the budget, you have an idea what you want to spend so things don't get out of control. Then we started looking for RHs. Remember to factor in minimums, tax and gratuities (they can add up really fast!)
I know its intimidating, but you definitely need to negotiate, so I like what the previous poster said about your parents (or FH's). The price they give is a starting off point, like buying a car. I wasn't really good at negotiating before I started planning, but so far I have paid less than what I was quoted for every vendor. Practice makes perfect! Good luck and congrats!
PaddysGirl
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Re: I have no idea where to begin
Thank you everyone. You are right it is intimidating. I just need to breathe. jilliibabii - church, rh, and photo/video are the most important. I am 99% sure that I will use the photographer that my brother used. We LOVED him and the price was right, and I have seen the final product. Now if I can get FH to agree to be open about a Friday night or Sunday evening.
I appreciate everyones advice. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions sooner than later I look forward to planning with all you ladies
Maria512
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Re: I have no idea where to begin
Congratulations on being engaged! Enjoy it for a little bit before beginning planning, because it can get hectic real fast. Once you begin planning: 1) Make a guestlist, because every venue needs you to guarantee a minimum amount of people, and also has a maximum number you can have. So depending on the size of your guestlist, you can right away eliminate some venues. 2) Set a budget (to have an idea of what you can spend) and figure out who will be paying (you/FH/parents etc). Every vendor will want deposits, so you need to have $ on hand once you start booking.
After you book a venue, I think the most important vendors to book are photo/video, band/DJ, florist. There are a handful of good ones and they get booked up fast.
Good luck!
cleokizzy
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Re: I have no idea where to begin
very first thing to answer:
what's your budget?
it doesn't have to be set in stone, but at least you have to have a realistic number to start working with. you could then add/subtract once you get quotes.
barbeik005
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Re: I have no idea where to begin
I know exactly how you feel. I got engaged about 2 months ago, and began researching different vendors and started freaking out that I was over my head, esp since I was planning from out of town!
First off-just breathe. There is plenty of time to plan still!! Sit down and work on a rough guest list and a budget. This will help when meeting with the different RHs. If you're getting married in a church, you should probably meet with the priest. Otherwise just begin researching reception halls and set up some appointments!
Irishbride16
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Re: I have no idea where to begin
Well I book the RH first ...that took a couple of weeks b/c we looked at different ones to see what we liked and didnt like...thats the first thing we did then the church ( but didnt tell them about about the RH b/c they get mad ) dont worry just do one thing at a time ...and enjoy your engagement!@
bebita0830
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Re: I have no idea where to begin
u def have enough time, but don't wait too long either, start now but don't rush anything. We had 1 1/2 yrs to plan our wedding and we started by looking at venues 'cause that's where the majority of money is gonna go to, we saw 8 venues - 2 venues per week so it wouldn't get overwhelmend for me or FH,
enjoy and congratulations!
Bride in 2012
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Re: I have no idea where to begin
First, congratulations and welcome. Second, take a deep breath and relax... I know how overwhelming everything is but trust me, it'll get done. You have plenty of time but I would definitely get started sooner rather than later. Third, set a budget and start thinking about a guestlist (if you have not done so already - many RH's are going to ask you how many ppl you plan on guaranteeing so it helps to have an idea of how many you plan on inviting). If you're getting married at a church, I'd make an appointment with the priest to set your date (you can also book your RH first - we just happened to book our church first). Look at the RH's in SI and NJ online and narrow down your choices (this way you have an idea of what places you're interested in before you go look at them). Once your RH is booked, I'd start looking at photographers & videographers, then DJ/Band.
PS - My RH is in NJ. If you need any suggestions/recommendations, I am happy to help so feel free to message me.
Beautyconsultantbk
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Re: I have no idea where to begin
I did a lot of research on venues and narrowed down my list. Went to see them booked a hall, church if needed, dj now booking photo/video
SummerBeauty
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Re: I have no idea where to begin
Congratulations.
Enjoy being engaged and then set a budget & make a guest list so that when you go to look at your venues you know how much your willing to spend and how many people each room can hold.
