Engaged and Clueless

Insanity. I'm from Cambridge/Kitchener area and it's nuts how many places are already booked up for 2019!!

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May - September are the most popular months so some venues will charge more for weddings during those months.

It would be best to reach out to the venues to ask. You can also look into Friday or Sunday weddings which usually are less expensive than Saturdays.

The to-do list on this site is a good starting point. I would pick a season you want to marry in (summer is the most popular by far) and go from there. Ask your friends and family if they know people who could provide certain services to you at a discount. Look into venues soon as they book up fast and keep in mind that wedding dresses can take 6-8 months to arrive.

Also use all the advice given on here already.

If you can go to a bridal show in your area, do it! Tons of vendors there and they are willing to answer any question! I went to one in Ontario years ago where planners set up sample tables and other sample decor. It was helpful for my friend for ideas.

There is a lot to accomplish from the moment you get engaged. To help better, there is a wedding planner you can look online and track one by one crossing off as they are taken care of. It does guide you to know what needs being done and researching vendors each catogory.

View quoted message May-September will be the most expensive hands down lol. When researching venues, a lot of them had May-September pricing, then they had October-April pricing. If you pick a month that’s less expensive that will seriously impact the price at the venue. ALSO, if you choose a Friday or Sunday that can also affect the price (or if you choose a weekday) since Saturday will be the most expensive.

I agree with Catherine about using “The Knot” planner to get organized - it has been a lifesaver! Between that and basically Googling everything else, I feel fairly confident in my own wedding planning abilities (I was definitely like you too when I first got engaged lol!).

View quoted message Ahh Courtney ! Amazing. Good to starting points for sure !! We are lucky and have a DJ already (friend) so thats one off the major list. I didnt realize venues booked up so quickly !!!! Going to get on that this week !! We Are OK with anywhere between May and September - do prices fluxuaye? Are there certain months that might be more expensive do you know?

These are the first things I started with:

1. Pick a ROUGH date to get married (this may have to change a little bit depending on venue availability

2. Have a ROUGH idea on the amount of people you'd like to have (ie. I knew I wanted less than 100)

3. Talk with your fiance to decide on a budget idea. If your families are helping, knowing their idea for contributions would be helpful.

Once you know these then i would start looking for a venue. Typically they book up about a year in advance as do some photographers and other popular vendors. I'd get all your main vendors into place before worrying about anything else:

1. Venue

2. Photographer

3. DJ

4. Florist

Ah I didn't see that part before (the to do list) amazing ! Thank you

Have you checked out the “to do” list on the app? It’s a great starting point. Also, if it’s in budget, there are some great wedding planning binders at the book store. I’ve been using the one by “The Knot” and it’s been really helpful.