01/10/2026
Unsure where to start? Focus on the essentials and build as you go π
πΈ Carrie Turner Photography
- Define ballpark budget and guest count.
This sets the tone for the rest of your planning and gives you some important information up front. You will be able to rule out vendors based on budget alone and narrow things down so your choices don't seem so overwhelming.
- Pick your top three vendor priorities and build around them.
Do you love food? Want live music? Care more about the view and less about the rest? Sit down and think about what vendors you are super excited about and which ones you aren't sure of. This will help you figure out where to spend the bulk of your budget and can help you save in other areas. Planners are a great first vendor to help you sort through everything - we include planning in each package!
- Trust your vendors.
You love us, you booked us, nowβ¦ trust us! We may offer input that is different than what you had envisioned, but there is likely a reason. As professionals in the industry weβve seen a little bit of everything and then some, which means weβve learned what works and what you can make work, but with some changes to logistics and budget. Our job is to help you weigh investment versus impact.
- TAKE BREAKS. And take care of yourself.
Make sure that you are well rested, fed & hydrated, and have a good chunk of time to look through options when you step into planning. If time blocking is your thing, schedule an hour or two at a time and then STOP when the time is up. We make better decisions when our minds are clear and our needs are met!