Wedding planning can be both exciting and overwhelming. By starting early, you can avoid a lot of stress down the road. Wedding planners can be a big help in organizing your big day and making sure everything runs smoothly. They can also provide helpful advice on things like choosing the best wedding venue and selecting the perfect wedding photographer, and if you’re getting married in Minnesota, there are plenty of great wedding planners to choose from. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of planning your wedding, take a deep breath and remember that it’s never too early to start. The sooner, the better. Here are my top 10 tips for planning your fairytale Midwest or destination wedding.

1. You get what you pay for

Be realistic about your budget.  Getting caught up in the excitement of wedding planning and overspending is easy. Before you start making any decisions, sit down with your partner and figure out how much you’re comfortable spending and stick to it. This will help you keep your costs in check. Things will get out of hand quickly especially when friends and family are involved and all want a say.

2. Choose your guest list carefully

Start by making a list of everyone you absolutely want to invite. This includes immediate family, close friends, and any other must-have guests. From there, you can start to trim the list down based on budget and venue size. When planning my own wedding, I thought to myself, what are the chances this friend or family member will still be around 5 or 10 years from now? Many of the people we invite to our weddings don’t stay in our lives, so I found it important to prioritize the people I valued.

3. Select the right venue for your style

First, think about the type of wedding you want. Do you envision a grand affair with hundreds of guests, or a more intimate gathering? This will help narrow down your choices. Second, consider your budget. Wedding venues can range from inexpensive community halls to luxurious country estates. third, take into account the logistics. Where are most of your guests coming from? Will they need overnight accommodation? fourth, think about the style of your wedding. Do you want a traditional church ceremony followed by a reception in a banquet hall, or a boho mountaintop elopement?

4. Pick the right theme

First, think about what kind of atmosphere you want to create on your big day. Are you looking for something romantic and elegant? Fun and festive? Intimate and relaxed? Once you have a general idea of the vibe you’re going for, you can start narrowing down your choices.

Next, take a look at your venue. Is there a particular style that would complement the space? For example, a rustic barn venue would be perfect for a country-chic wedding. Alternatively, if you’re getting married in a more traditional setting like a church or banquet hall, you might want to consider a classic theme like black-tie or formal.

Finally, don’t forget to factor in your own personal taste. What is your favorite color scheme? Do you prefer classic or modern styles? Once you’ve considered all of these factors, you should have a better idea of which wedding theme style is right for you.

5. Start DIYing Early

Taking on too many DIY projects can quickly turn your wedding into a stressful nightmare. To avoid this, start by making a comprehensive list of everything you need to do and then delegate tasks to friends and family members. Wedding planning is all about being organized and staying on schedule. In addition, remember to budget for unexpected costs and give yourself plenty of time to complete each project.

6. Schedule things early and often

It sounds awful, but don’t trust that ANYTHING will be done on-time. do you need this one thing done by so-and-so date? Request it a week earlier than you actually need it. Don’t tell the vendor. Plan for mistakes to be made and you’ll thank yourself later.

7. Ditch anything that doesn’t fit your vision

Everyone is going to want a say in how the wedding day unfolds and looks. If it doesn’t match your vision, communicate it firmly but respectfully. In the end, it’s your day and  your vision. Settling will lead to feelings of regret and resentment later.

8. Plan for rain, hope for sunshine

It’s self explanatory, but have a rain plan. It’s not enough to simply hope for good weather. Enough said.

9. Easier said than done, but don’t freeze up doing too much research. Take action often.

Do good research and then make a decision based on it. I was guilty of this myself and wasted colossal amounts of time researching and trying to find the perfect this that or the other thing. Be confident in your decision making, and don’t get stuck in a research-rut.

10. Don’t sweat the small stuff

Get the important details done and out-of-the-way first. Delegate the assign smaller tasks to friends and family. If it’s not going to matter 1/5/10 years from now, it’s probably not worth stressing over right now.

There ya go! Those are my top 10 tips for planning a stress-free and fun wedding in Minnesota or the midwest based on my my experience as a wedding photographer and in planning my own wedding.

Happy planning.