I’ve been dreaming about my wedding since I was eight years old. Call it Type A, call it prepared—but when my boyfriend and I started dating, we both knew pretty quickly that we were going to get married. So naturally, I didn’t wait around to start mapping things out for the perfect wedding.
Wedding planning can be overwhelming, and having a head start made things way less stressful. If you’re in the same boat—knowing an engagement is coming but wanting to get a few things in order first—here’s everything I planned before he popped the question.
1. Worked Out a Rough Guest List
Before you can choose a venue, you need to know how big of a venue you’re looking for. We put together a rough guest list early on so we had a general idea of capacity needs.
2. Picked a Rough Date
While we weren’t locking anything in just yet, we talked about the season we had in mind. This helped us get a feel for availability and venue options when the time came. Personally, this was easy, because I have always wanted a December wedding, but we still considered our timeline and considered the best options.
3. Chose Colors & Theme
My Pinterest board has been a thing for years, but this was when I started taking it more seriously. I narrowed down my vision—colors, overall aesthetic, and little details I knew I wanted and organized it into folders.
4. Started Thinking About the Bridal Party
Let’s be real—most of us already have an idea of who will be standing next to us on the big day. While nothing was official, I had a good sense of my bridesmaids. This was also important so he could consider how many groomsman he would need to match.
5. Made a Reception Playlist (Yes, Really)
About two months into dating, we started making a reception playlist. Some people might say that’s early—I say, priorities. Music has been really important tous and we knew we wanted the reception to be a full-on party, so we made sure the music matched the vibe.
6. Figured Out an Estimated Budget & Vendors
Since I have a lot of family friends in the industry, this part was easier for us. I started estimating costs for vendors and getting a realistic idea of what things would add up to. With a guest count, general budget, and theme in mind, I started looking at potential venues and reaching out to some people I knew I wanted to work with. No bookings—just gathering options and some rough estimates!
Why Plan Early?
Doing this ahead of time made the actual engagement process so much smoother. When we were finally engaged, we weren’t scrambling to make big decisions—we already had a solid foundation. If you know a proposal is coming, I highly recommend getting some of these details in place.
Because when you are finally engaged you should be celebrating—not stressing. 💍✨
Best of luck with planning!
Sincerely, Noelle
