Planning the wedding of your dreams can be either one of the most exciting or stressful events of your life. One way to minimize the stress and maximize the fun is to plan and organize effectively. Whether you have a long engagement or short, you will turn your vision into a reality if you start planning early. Here are 6 tips to help you get your wedding going.

1.Get Organized

There are many details involved in planning a wedding. If you are not organized, the long to-do list can become overwhelming. Fortunately, you can easily create a system for organizing all of the checklists, orders, receipts, vendor lists, and the myriad of other information you will accumulate and need to track. This will help you measure your progress, locate information quickly, and stay on budget. Being organized will relieve much of the anxiety association with planning a wedding. An accordion file folder can help you organize the paperwork, so you will be able to find what you need when you need it.

2.Decide on a Budget

Create the budget before you make any decisions about the wedding. Your budget is critical because it will guide your decision-making for every component from the flowers to the reception venue to the honeymoon destination. You will need to identify what you can afford for each element to avoid getting your heart set on a dress or venue that your budget cannot accommodate.

Not only is it important to create the budget, it is equally important to stick to it. When you are organized, it will be easier to track your spending.

3.Select the Venue for the Wedding and Reception

Once you know your budget, you can decide on the style and size of the wedding, which will lead you to the appropriate options for venues.

At this stage, you will need to determine what type of ceremony you will have and where you would like to have it. Whether you prefer to have a justice of the peace or a religious leader or other person to officiate the ceremony, you will need to book the space about a year in advance. Depending on the popularity of the venue or month of the wedding, such as the ever popular month of June, you may need to book a venue even farther in advance.

You will also select the location for the reception. Your budget and the number of guests will determine the options available to you. However, if you find a venue you love that would put you over budget, you may still modify the size of the guest list or cut back in another area to get what you really want without overspending.

4.Hire the Vendors

You will need a variety of services for your wedding, such as a photographer, florist, musician or deejay, and cake-maker, to name only a few. The best vendors’ calendars fill up quickly, so about a year to 8 months before the wedding, start selecting and contracting with your vendors of choice.

5.Start Searching for the Wedding Dress

Between 10 and 8 months before the wedding date, start looking for the wedding dress. It might take several trips to a number of stores before you find the perfect one. Once you make your selection and place the order, you should schedule the fittings. Because the wedding dress needs alterations to be the right fit, the first one should be immediately after the dress arrives.

When you are looking for your wedding gown, take along a friend or family member who will give you an honest opinion but will not pressure you into making a decision. Your goal is to choose the dress that is right for you and your budget.

6.Order Printed Materials

There are several printed items you will need to design and order about 6 months before the wedding, including the invitations, menus, place cards for the reception and rehearsal dinners, guestbook and thank you cards. You will have already determined the style and color palette for the wedding at this point, so you can select the printed materials to match your theme.

These are only a few of the tasks involved in planning a wedding. However, if you start with these important details, you will enjoy the process and create the wedding of your dreams.