Raise your hand if the farthest you’d thought about your wedding was what color your manicure should be on the big night… Anybody?

For those non-Type A’ers, Erica Pruwett, owner of A Big To Do Event has you covered. A list-maker extraordinaire, she presents you with some of the TOP things to start on once you answer the big question. In her own words, here’s Erica’s spiel!

…According to the Association of Wedding Ministers, the average wedding engagement is seven to 12 months.  If you were one of the lucky ladies who got engaged on Valentine’s Day, odds are you will share wedding vows during the months of September to January.  This makes sense seeing as the most popular wedding month in Atlanta is October.  There’s a lot to do between now and October!

So what do you do first?

My very first recommendation is to find a venue.  A couple of questions to ask yourself before trekking all across the Metro Atlanta area:

  1. What will my wedding date be? This is a question that you might not be able to dictate.  Especially if you are looking at a September or October wedding, venues may have a limited number of Saturday’s available. That’s when you might consider a Friday or Sunday celebration.  Many venues will discount their food and beverage minimum or site rental fee on those “off” days.
  1. What is my general style? Do I enjoy the historic feel of one of Roswell’s Antebellum mansions? Or is it more important to me that the guests can just take the elevator to their room after the reception?
  1. Where do I want to have my wedding? One of the biggest trends is to have a mini-destination wedding.  Choose a venue that is about an hour and a half from your home – someplace like Serenbe or a winery in North Georgia.  Having your celebration there cuts down on the number of guests – generally just getting rid of the ones who are just coming for free food.

Secondly, discuss with your fiancé what each of your Most Important Elements of your wedding will be.  Do you have your heart set on a band instead of a dj; is his most important element the food? By bringing him into this conversation early on, both of you will enjoy the planning process more because each of you knows what’s a key ingredient for your partner.

Above all, remember, you are not planning a wedding.  You are planning the first day of your married lives together.  The two of you are planning a marriage celebration.  That’s what is Most Important…

Erica Prewett is a wedding expert and owns A Big To Do Event. You may contact Erica at 404.547.5712 or Erica@ABigToDoEvent.com.

Can’t scribble down notes fast enough? Put down the pen. Erica delivers all of her wedding planning expertise at StudioWed’s The Wedding Experience on Saturday, April 14th. Covering everything from to-do’s, to etiquette to timelines and more, join her and rest easy in your next several months!

Register for your tickets now at www.studiowedexperience.eventbrite.com