No matter where you are in the process of planning your wedding, there are plenty of things you can do to plan your wedding right at home! This is great news since we are all spending a lot more time in our homes over the next few weeks. If you recently got engaged, this looks more like picking your date, starting a guest list, etc. And if you have already booked your venue, there are so many things you can do! Let’s jump in!
Research Your Potential Wedding Vendors
You may not be able to tour a venue or try on dresses, but you can start researching these vendors. Start by identifying the vendors you still need for your wedding. Then start looking at vendors for each category. You can ask friends for recommendations, google search, look at the knot, etc. Make a list of the vendors that stick out to you.
Now, it is time to widdle that list down to your top vendors. A great place to start is by looking at their reviews, check to see if their website is up to date (aka, they are still working!), checking out their social media, etc.
Next, it is time to start reaching out to them! Contact each of them to get more information on pricing, with any questions you have, etc. From their response, you should be able to bring your list down to just the top few vendors for each category. You may also be able to set up a virtual meeting/tour! Otherwise, you now at least have a solid list of places to visit once everything starts to open back up!
Continue Booking Your Wedding Vendors
Most wedding vendors have quickly been able to adapt to virtual meetings, contracts, payments etc. (Honestly, a lot were already set up for it! We do a lot of destination weddings here in Arizona where our couples are from out of state.) If the vendor doesn’t have a store to visit, you can most likely book them virtually! Think wedding planners, photographers, officiants, DJs, florists, etc.
You can also continue to purchase items for your wedding too! Things like non-perishable favors, invitations/save the dates, custom guest books, etc.
Do Some DIY Projects At Home
A huge wedding trend that I love is personalizing your wedding. This often comes in the form of a Do It Yourself project. I have seen everything from custom wedding arches, to DIY centerpieces and decorations, to sisters sewing custom wedding dresses! The possibilities here are really endless. Just be sure to focus on things that will store well until the wedding day. You can store things like invitations and programs, centerpieces and table decorations, signs, non-perishable favors, and wedding arches really well!
Usually you are doing DIY projects at home anyways, you just have to get your hands on the supplies! You can order your supplies online to be delivered (etsy, amazon, etc) or order for pick up (home depot, target, etc). Then, get your DIY on!
Work on the Details and Logistics
It’s never too early to start making your guest list, choosing your wedding party, planning your timeline, making rehearsal dinner plans, choosing a first dance song, etc. The more little details you get out of the way now, the more time you will have for all your in-person meetings that got pushed back a bit!
What details you can finalize right now will definitely depend on how far along you are in planning your wedding. But here are some ideas to consider!
- Draft/Finalize your wedding party
- Draft/Finalize your guest list
- Decide on ceremony readings
- Choose family traditions to incorporate
- Choose your wedding songs: First Dance, Processional, Recessional, Parent Dances, etc.
- Make a must play and do not play list for your DJ
- Make a wedding day timeline
- Purchase small details like ring box/pillow, cake topper, card box, dress hanger, etc.
- Choose a guest book (traditional signing book, photo booth, artwork, etc.)
- Create a Wedding Registry online
- Choose/create a signature cocktail (sounds like a fun date night to me!)
- Put together a wedding day emergency kit
- Make a wedding website
Being stuck at home can definitely make planning your wedding a bit more challenging. But, you can totally still make huge progress! The key is to be flexible and do all the things you can from home now, so you have plenty of time to do the in-person things later this year!
