So you are newly engaged and EXCITED, but overwhelmed and wondering where to start? You’ve come to the right place!
While every wedding planning team is going to be a bit different in how they operate, I think we can all agree that the most important thing is that you do hire a wedding planner for your big day, at least that is our philosophy, we are planners after all! Whether you are hiring us for a month-of type of service (we call it Event Management), or you want a planning partner from start to finish, you’ll want to contract with someone whose process aligns with your goals. Our team utilizes a signature three-phase planning process. We have found this is a great way to get all the things checked off your to-do list, but truly enjoy your engagement at the same time.
If you’re one of our current clients or you’ve chatted with our team about vendor acquisition or design services, you’ve likely heard about our three-phase planning approach. In truth, we’ll be the first to tell you that wedding planning can be stressful and time consuming. But here’s the catch: it can feel like that only if you let it. Sure, you will definitely have time periods where you will be chatting with some potential vendors, sending in deposits, and make decisions about menu options, but wedding planning should not take up every second of your free time (nor should it!). Outside of hiring a wedding planner, how can you alleviate that stress and overwhelm? Say hello to phase-based planning!
This approach breaks down the year (or two!) leading up to wedding planning into three steps: VIP Vendors, Design, Final Details. The best part? It allows you to have your core vendor team after just a few short months or being engaged and also gives space for breaks in between. So if you are planning to buy a house, take a huge promotion at work, start grad school, or anything in between- you can easily build those into your planning process!
Keep scrolling to read more about why this process works best for our DMV-based wedding planning team.
Phase 1: VIP Vendors
Regardless of whether you’re handling all your vendor communication and planning, or if our team is taking care of you with our Full Service Package, we highly suggest you begin Phase 1 with your VIP Vendors. This means taking immediate action and focusing on those vendors that can only host or work one event in a day. Your venue, wedding planner, photographer, videographer, and band/entertainment are some of the first vendors you need to book. We also suggest including catering into this phase. While caterers can often do two or three events in a day (and usually do!), they’ll have a considerable impact on your budget and are usually your most expensive vendor.
Once you’ve completed your first phase of planning- TAKE. A. BREAK! We tell our couples this from the very beginning: you need to actually enjoy being engaged and not spend every waking moment thinking about your wedding. Go on dates, chat about your honeymoon and plans post-wedding, visit friends and family- your wedding should not be an all consuming experience. You have lots of time to choose your cake design, finalize your ceremony florals, and plan your reception entrance.
Phase-based planning allows you the flexibility to monitor your progress, without feeling overwhelmed by decisions because you’ve already solidified an epic vendor team!
Phase 2: Design
The Design phase brings all of the visual elements together. Give us all of your inspo photos that have been cluttering your phone, the Pinterest boards, the screenshots- we want to see every part of your vision! If you don’t have a vision yet, we can help with that, too.
If you’re a Full Service or Design client of ours, this starts with our Design Questionnaire. We want to get to know more about you, both as individuals and as a couple. What are your favorite things to do together? What’s your favorite restaurant? Where do you love to vacation? On a scale of 1-10, how obsessed are you with your dog/cat (hopefully it is a 10+!)? This is where we bring elements of the two of you into the wedding.
Florists are the first stop in the Design Phase. Rentals such as linens, napkins, chargers, dance floors, and any other specialty pieces, like stationery and other signage come after your floral vision is figured out and your florist is booked. Really, the ultimate goal is to create a visual experience for your guests that is cohesive, fun, and feels like you. From the moment they receive their invitation to the second they receive your signature cocktail complete with the personalized bar napkins or drink stirrers- every detail tells the story of you and your relationship. Let’s make it exciting, unique, and deeply personal!
Phase 3: Final Details
Finally you’ve reached the final stage in planning: final details. This is what we would refer to as the wrap-up stage, and it’s usually a few months before the big day. Your RSVPs will start coming in, you’ll be able to make final decisions on table scapes, florals, and whether you want to include late night snacks, and provide vendors with final numbers (catering, florals, rentals, etc.). It’s during this phase that your planner will perform your final walkthrough to discuss layout and timeline items, and start to confirm vendor services for your wedding through a draft timeline. Worried about forgetting details? Don’t be! Our Planning Checklist and Detail Tracker through your Aisle Planner platform will be sure you’ve done everything you need to from start to finish, plus your planner will confirm that as well! This is when all the excitement, and some of the pre-wedding jitters, kick in- but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
As a MD-based wedding planner (we travel to DC and throughout Virginia, too!), it’s so important to us that you have a fun, low-stress engagement with your person. We realize that not every client is in need of Full Service Planning, but we do highly suggest that every client adapt this phased-based planning process. With our package amenities, you’ll still receive our custom Planning Portal through Aisle Planner – a planning solution built by wedding planners who have seen it all! – full of the tools and checklists you need to complete our signature planning process.
Want to learn more about what we do and how we serve our clients? Fill out our contact form or schedule a consult today!
