You’re Engaged… Now What?
“OMG I can’t EVEN believe you’re engaged! Are you LOVING wedding planning?!”
No comment.
Isn’t it crazy Miami Brides how we dream of planning our wedding for so long, and then the time comes and we feel totally stuck?
There’s so much to do, and so little time - where should a Miami Bride even get started?
Well, we totally hear you, and that’s why even though we’re Miami Wedding Photographers, we want to give you some exclusive Miami wedding planning tips too! Because even though we’re Miami Wedding Photographers first, we also had to plan our own wedding once, so we’ve lived through the process ourselves, and helped brides from all over with the details of their big day too. Basically, we have all the behind the scenes wedding planning tips you’ve been missing!
So without further ado…
Our Miami Wedding Planning Timeline
First Stop:
1. Venue, venue, venue! (Ideally 12 - 18 months before your desired wedding date)
It’s so easy to want to start looking for your perfect gown, or start Pinterest boarding hairstyles and makeup looks, but to be honest, your wedding seriously can’t happen if you don’t have a venue, so this should be decision number one on your wedding planning list!
Especially because if you have a special date in mind, you need to make sure that your dream wedding venue has that date available!
And, as some bonus tips to you, here are some extras to keep in mind while shopping for your perfect Miami Wedding Venue!
What is the venue’s “Plan B” if it happens to rain the day of?
Do they offer discounts for weekday or Friday night events?
What else can they throw in for their price i.e. An extra appetizer or dessert option? Champagne as guests enter?
Will you have an assigned bridal attendant/day of coordinator?
2. Dress Shopping! (Ideally 12 - 16 months before your wedding date)
Ok! Now that you have your perfect Miami Wedding Venue, it’s time to start dress shopping! Why now? Well, for a couple reasons. First of all, wedding dress shopping takes time! Not just to pick the dress, but also to get the dress ordered and altered. You’ll likely have 2 or more fittings before your big day, and those will be spaces a few months apart.
Plus, now that you have your venue picked out, you know the “vibe” of your day, so you can get a dress to match.
And what are our *exclusive* wedding dress shopping tips?
If you’re less than a year out from your big day, consider buying a sample straight off the rack to alter - that way you don’t have to wait for your dress to be ordered and shipped!
Get your shoes before your first fitting! The tailor needs to know what length to hem your dress at.
3. Miami Wedding Photographer and DJ (Ideally 12 months before your big day)
As you know, there are only so many weekends in a year, so it really helps if you reach out to your desired Miami Wedding Photographer and DJ months before your wedding date.
But of course, this is still not a decision to be rushed! Make sure you get along with your vendors’ personalities, and make your special requests known to them before booking, so it can be written up in the contract i.e. Do you want the photographer at the rehearsal dinner too? Or, do you want the DJ to provide strobe lighting?
And what should you be prepared to ask at a Miami Wedding Photographer or DJ consultation? Here are our favorite suggestions:
Miami Wedding Photographers - Are albums included in your package? How long do you store my wedding photos for? How long will photo delivery take?
DJs - Do you have a video of yourself MCing a wedding, so I can get a sense of your energy? Do you bring extra lighting?
4. Makeup and Hair (Ideally 12 - 8 months before)
When it comes to makeup and hair stylists for your Miami wedding day, trials are key! Not just to see the quality of your vendor’s work, but to see how your beauty vision plays out.
Maybe a gold smokey eye is what’s all over your Pinterest board, but at your trial you’ll see that on your complexion, it just doesn’t look right! Or maybe you wanted a gorgeous updo, but it actually feels uncomfortable after the first couple of hours of wearing.
Basically, if you don’t try first you’ll never know, and you don’t want your wedding day to be when you find out your look isn’t to your liking!
Q’s to ask your makeup and hairstylist:
Do you charge more for travel?
How much does a trial cost and how far in advance can I book one?
How many people are on your glam team?
5. Flowers, Decorations, and Favors (Ideally 6 - 8 months before)
Unless your big day requires A LOT of customized items, 6 to 8 months prior should be sufficient for these last minute bridal details.
And remember - the month of your wedding really dictates the price and availability of the flowers and decorations you want. Basically, the moral of the story is, if you have your heart set on lilies, don’t get married in the winter!
That’s all the advice from this Miami Wedding Photographer, for now!
Well Miami Brides, we hope you found this quick wedding planning guide helpful! We know wedding planning can be a lot on your plate, so we’re more than happy to provide you with as much help and support as possible.
And while we’re being helpful, do you still need to book your Miami Wedding Photographer? Are you interested to know more about Miami Wedding Photography Packages? If so, click here to find out if GC Media Miami is available to capture your gorgeous big day!
That’s all for now - until next time!
Gabriel and Gina