“Yay I am engaged!!! Now what?” is typically the question newly engaged couples ask. Amid the congratulatory wishes, the wedding planning tips and advice and recommendations, where do you start?

Well, Carmen, lead creative director and planner of Devoted to You has three surefire tips to help you kick-start your wedding planning. Here’s what she suggests:

1. Set your wedding priorities and timeline

As a couple, openly discuss what you think are the most important elements to your wedding and prioritize these. It’s ok to splurge a  items that are most important to you or what will be most noticeable to guests. Just make sure you save on elements that are you don’t value as much. Determine when would be the best time for you and both families to host the celebration. Once you have an ideal date(s), start building a schedule backwards from the day of the wedding to the present date. If you don’t know where to start, it’s always a good idea to consult with a wedding planner.

2. Gather your Guest list

Put together a list of guests and separate them into three smaller lists (must invites, maybes and not inviting). The guest list tends to be the big variable cost to the overall wedding budget, so it’s important to figure this out. Generally, food and beverage will likely cost around 50% of your overall wedding budget. Other variable costs to consider include:

• Wedding favors
• Wedding invitations/stationery
• Decorations (such as centerpieces, chair rentals, tableware and table linens, and Wedding cake, etc.)

3. Choose the right venue for your wedding

The venue sets the tone of your wedding. It is the canvas where every detail of your plan comes together. Don’t forget about venue capacity if your guest list is likely to grow and you want to accommodate everyone in your list. If couples are on a tighter budget, the key is to choose a venue that is polished and stands beautifully on its own with little decoration needed. Couples should get head start in securing the venue as they tend to be the first item booked. This is essential to scheduling the rest of your priorities.

I have worked with Carmen on numerous occasions. She is super responsive and amazing with couples. She has planned weddings, events, and managed multi-million dollar projects for major corporations, so be sure to check out Carmen’s blog for more wedding planning tips and advice.