Congratulations on your engagement! You’re about to embark on an exciting time in your life, whether you have a small courthouse wedding or a massive and elaborate one. The following is a list of 12 things most all weddings should have, or things to consider to help you plan. And no, this isn’t a 12-step program that must be done in a certain order. Though some do make logical sense to handle before another.

Step 1: Set your target date.

Step 2: Set your budget.
At Tulle and Tulips Designer Weddings, when we work with brides in the planning of their wedding we always keep their budget in mind. There are many places in a wedding you can cut back to make sure you have everything you want. We help a bride and groom see where those areas are as needed.

Step 3: Decide on the size of your wedding party and how many guests.
You may not be 100% certain how many people you’ll invite to your wedding, but having an idea will help you narrow down so many details. For example, if you’re having a destination wedding you probably shouldn’t expect large masses of people to be able to travel long distances. At the same time, if you know you’re inviting 300 people who live near you or will certainly travel you’re not going to want to book a chapel that will only hold 50.

Step 4: Decide on your venue.
This is easier to do once you know your budget and how many people you’ll want to plan for.
It’s fun when you can choose a venue that is suitable for a wedding, but that also says something about you as a couple. Some examples: Foodies getting married in a culinary school. Hikers getting married in a gorgeous park near a hiking trail. Sailers getting married on a beach or at a marina. Even if the wedding ceremony doesn’t take place in these places, the reception can be great fun in them.

Step 5: Get the invitations out.

Step 6: Schedule your minister/priest/rabbi and the photographer.

Step 7: Think about a theme or color scheme or both.
You’ll probably end up doing this one before you choose your venue. Knowing the colors or theme of your wedding, or having a really good idea, will help you choose a venue that will match. If you’re doing a fall theme, then maybe you go for a place with warmly stained wood accents and stained glass rather than a brightly lit reception hall.

Step 8: Shop for you dress.

Step 9: Order your cake.
You can go traditional here, or again choose something that goes with your theme. Let’s go back to a fall wedding. How about white pumpkin shaped cakes instead of a traditional layer? If you’re majorly into sailing, how about a groom’s cake shaped like a sailboat? If you’re going for the traditional layer cake, how about having the accents in the color of your bridesmaids’ dresses?

Step 10: Order flowers.
Think of your favorites here as well as what’s in season the season you’re getting married. Do you want the flowers in the colors they’re grown in, or would you prefer to have some or all of them dyed to match your theme? Do you even want flowers? Sometimes colored LED lights or fabric colored lanterns set a better mood.

Step 11: Choose bridal party dresses and tuxedos. (Don’t forget the groom’s.)
This one is tricky, especially if you have a wedding party with women of different shapes and sizes (and let’s be honest, that’s common.) If you want all one dress, it’s going to take some time to find something that will look good on everyone. If you want to allow your bridal party to choose their own dress, you’ll want to give them some direction like a specific shade of blue, or the same color heels, or all long or knee length or mid calf. You could allow some to go strapless and others who don’t like strapless to wear a small jacket that matches. The possibilities are endless.

Step 12: Get with the venue coordinator and iron out the events.
It’s important to have a schedule for your wedding day, and not just so your guests know what time you’re getting married. If you’re having a longer wedding, you don’t want your guests to be starving while they wait for the photographer to do those bridal party photos. At the same time, you don’t want to feed them so much during a cocktail party that dinner is unneccessary. Also, if the wedding isn’t all in the same place, carefully plan how long it’s going to take guests to get from point A to point B. Do they need a detailed map, because believe it or not everyone doesn’t have GPS or an iPhone.

Good luck and enjoy your day.