Where to begin...?

[BettyCrockaShit]

Hello all,

Bit of a basic one, but I'm new to all this so would value any advice going! My boyfriend and I have just got engaged - wedding next summer (2020). We know the venue we want but I have no idea what else we need to arrange.

If anyone could recommend a good diary/organiser, magazines etc., or offer any tips, I'd be so very grateful!

Next thing I'd sort is the Photographer. The good ones get booked up quickly.

I'd then did dress, cake, flowers, invitations.

Are you having any bridesmaids?

Yes, I would get the venue booked so you have a firm date.
Will the reception be at the same place? If not, book the reception venue too.
Then photographer, hairdresser, make up artist, florist, wedding cars, your dress and shoes, bridesmaid dresses and shoes, groom/best man/ushers outfits, DJ for the reception, cake...

Later, your jewellery, bridesmaids jewellery, food for the day, music lists, presents, honeymoon...

If you have a venue and a date the next thing I'd do is book a registrar (unless Ur having a church wedding,) and make sure they are available on that date and get that paid n sorted!!!

You can only book a registrar 12 months in advance so i would put an alert on my phone to remind me to do that on your date in the summer. Nothing really needs doing until 9 months in advance. So just use this time to browse, decide on guest lists , bridal party and have a look at dresses

Yes I forgot about make-up. There's a make-up artist near to us who doesn't even advertise and she's nearly always booked up.

popcorndiva I booked my registrar 22m in advance. My council it’s 2years.

Magazines... you and your wedding, wedding ideas and your .... wedding (insert county).

Definitely photographer I would get nailed down, get along to some wedding fayres and open days

Definitely photographer I would get nailed down, get along to some wedding fayres and open days. Make sure you see their work, they talk to you about what you want and they're insured too.

Have you thought about having the wedding filmed too?

Decide on a budget and then break things (invitations/venue/ entertainment/church/clothes/flowers/misc things like favours, thank you cards etc) down to see if you can roughly apportion costs. I did this at the very beginning and it quickly set my expectations / made reality set in! It's amazing how a few hundred here and there mounts up!

Definitely agree re booking photographer / videographer (I don't want this but in hindsight am so pleased I did) ASAP.

Wedding insurance straight away

Thanks for the great advice everyone - hadn't even thought about the order to book everything in!

We're going to get cracking with visiting venues over the next couple of weekends, and I'll be researching photographers ASAP.

Thanks again!

@BettyCrockaShit

You can download an app called Bridebook which may help budgets and timeline etc

Rough order:
Venue
Registrar
Insurance
Photographer/videographer
Catering
Band/DJ
Dress
Make up/hair if using popular people
Cake
Florist
Stationery
Transport
Rings
Everything else

@HappyHarmonica @Shitonthebloodything thanks for the tips, both! So far we've managed to secure the wedding and reception venues. Just 100 or so more things to go now...