Where Do I Start with Wedding Planning in San Antonio or Austin?

Your beloved got down on one knee and popped the question. You said yes. Now what? If you’re sitting there in a panic, wondering where do I start with wedding planning and you’re located near San Antonio or Austin, then you’re in luck. In today’s blog post, I’ll guide you step-by-step from putting the engagement ring on your finger to walking down the aisle. I’ve got a list of do’s and don’ts, plus a few recommended vendors that will help you along the way. So don’t worry – you’ve got this.

Where Do I Start with Wedding Planning? – The Talking Stage

This is the initial stage when you are a newly engaged couple. The ring is still fresh on your finger, and you’ve got so many thoughts running through your head. The important point here is that you shouldn’t make any grand plans…yet. Here is a list of what you should do first.

Celebrate and share the news. I mean, you just got engaged! Shout it out to the world if you want, but definitely tell friends and family. This puts them on the alert for the big event that’s coming down the road. No doubt they’re going to be asking questions like when and where. Try to put them off until you can sit down together and make a plan. By all means enjoy being engaged, but don’t make any big decisions for the first 48 hours. You still have a lot of planning to do once the initial thrill wears off.

Get the ring insured. That little sparkler cost a pretty penny. And with it being a new ring on your finger, you no doubt aren’t used to having it on your hand quite yet. Now is the time when it’s easy to lose your ring. Make sure that the ring is sized correctly so it stays firmly on your hand. Then make sure that the ring is insured for its full value.

Time for a big talk. Sit down and have a big picture conversation to discuss with your other half what you both want in terms of overall vibe, approximate guest count, time of year, and general priorities for your wedding. These priorities may include food, photography, or atmosphere. You two may be envisioning very different things when it comes to your wedding, so now is the time to get on the same page.

Where Do I Start with Wedding Planning? – Time to Strategize

Set a realistic budget. Your budget is the framework upon which you entire wedding hangs. It’s all well and good to shoot for the moon, but if you can’t pay for the trip, then it doesn’t matter. You need to determine your total investment amount, and decide who will be paying for what. If parents are going to be pitching in, then clarify how much input they will have in your decisions. If you will be taking on the brunt of the investment yourselves, then decide how much of a hit your own budget can take. It’s best that you determine your top three priorities for your wedding and allocate your funds accordingly. Do you care most about your photographer, your honeymoon, your catering, or your band? Focus on these priorities, and then downscale everything else.

Draft a guest list. At this point you are just determining an approximate headcount. A wedding of 400 guests is a lot more expensive than a wedding of 20. To create your guest list, start with immediate family, then add extended family, then friends. Create an A-list and a B-list if needed. Remember, this is just an estimate, but you want it to be a realistic estimate at the same time.

Start your creative direction. Now is the time to create that Pinterest board you’ve always dreamed of. Select your color, palette, think about florals and design, and start shopping for your wedding dress. By all means go nuts with the planning, but don’t go too far down the rabbit hole that you fall off the wagon when it comes to your budget. Stay true to your priorities, or else your pocketbook will suffer.

Decide if you’re going to go it alone. And by go it alone, I mean, work without an event planner. Personally, I think all events work better with a planner. But that said, they don’t come cheap. Event planners can keep your priorities and budget at top of mind. If you don’t want to go the route of a full-service planner, you can always hire a month-of coordinator, or even a day-of coordinator. If you will be handling the wedding all on your own, then make sure you have a crew of friends and family who can help you plan the wedding – and most importantly – help you clean up afterwards. It’s not just about the pre-game, but also about the post-game.

Where Do I Start with Wedding Planning? – Pinning Down the Details

Select a date for your wedding. Picking a date can be based on a number of different factors, including the dates your venue has available, the weather, meaningful anniversaries, and local event conflicts. If you have a specific venue that you want for your wedding, it’s best if you go to the venue first to see what dates are open.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that if you’re getting married in Texas, the time of year will make or break your wedding date. Since it starts getting hot in February (90°, really?) you have a very narrow window for pleasant weather. As a result, wedding venues book up quickly, especially in Austin. High season for weddings in Texas are in spring and fall.

Oh, and remember that the Hill Country has a few major events that you should avoid at all cost when planning your wedding. Here are a few calendar dates to keep in mind when planning your wedding:

Austin

Austin Marathon: February
OUTsider Festival: February
South by Southwest (SXSW): March
ABC Kite Fest (Zilker Park): March
Republic of Texas Biker Rally: June
Pride Fest: June
Pecan Street Festival: May/September
Formula 1 United States Grand Prix: October
Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL): October, two weekends
Austin Trail of Lights (Zilker Park): December

San Antonio

San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo: February
Fiesta: April, 10 days
Valero Texas Open: April
Pride Fest: June
Muertos Fest: October
Wurstfest: November, New Braunfels
Alamo Bowl: December
Riverwalk Lighting: November-December
Riverwalk Artisan Shows: various times throughout the year

Book your venue. Your venue ultimately determines your wedding date, your overall aesthetic, and many of your vendor requirements. Many venues have a specific set of vendors that that the venue only allows. Knowing this ahead of time may make or break a venue decision for you. If you are set on a specific vendor – a photographer, band, or caterer – but that vendor is not approved for your venue, then you have a conflict and it’s time to look for another venue. One other concern is that venues book early, usually up to a year and a half in advance, especially in Austin during the spring and fall.

Book your priority vendors. After booking your event planner, the top vendor you’ll need to book is your photographer and videographer. Granted, I am prejudiced in this decision, but the reality is that as a photographer, I can only handle one wedding a day. So, when I’m booked, I’m booked. Most photographers book a year in advance. And there are only so many weekends in the year. If you have a specific style of photography that you want, then you need to go after that specific photographer. Here’s an article to help you in your search for a photographer. Other major vendors to book now include your caterer and band or DJ.

Review your contracts carefully. Let’s just back up for a quick second. Before you book with any vendor, make sure that you review each contract carefully. Most wedding vendor contracts are non-refundable, so you need to read each document carefully before you sign and handover a deposit. In particular, you need to pay heed to cancellation policies, payment schedules, and any overtime fees. Make sure you also verify insurance requirements from the venue and that your vendors can satisfy these insurance needs. There’s no sense in booking a vendor if the vendor can’t supply the necessary insurance documentation.

Where Do I Start with Wedding Planning? – The Final Countdown

The end is in sight, and by now you should be able to see the light at the end of the altar. At this point, you should have a good handle on your wedding day. All of your major vendors should be booked, and the event should pretty much be planned. These final items are the last to-do list on your checklist.

Build a timeline and checklist. This is a master list of everything you need to think of between now and your wedding day. Include on the list anything that comes to mind. The rule is if you don’t write it down, it will be forgotten. Make sure you also include items on the list beyond your wedding day like thank you notes and returning any rentals.

Plan your save the date cards. Save the date cards should be sent out 6 to 8 months ahead of your wedding. You’ll need to book your photographer for the shoot or select a photo for the card. If you’re going to go with an online printer, select one now.

Plan your invitations. The same rules pretty much apply for your invitations as for your save the date cards. Your invitation should be sent out 2 to 3 months ahead of your wedding. If you’re going to be going with engraved and printed invitations, these take quite a while to print and mail out.

Book your catering and wedding cake tastings. Will you be going to your tasting alone, or will your family members be joining you? How many guests will your caterer allow? Be prepared to make notes during your tasting.

Schedule your dress fitting. You may luck out and need only one fitting. Or, you may have to go back several times for alterations. Plan accordingly.

Get your marriage license. Ultimately, this is the most important bit of paperwork, so make sure you take care of this properly. If you’re getting married in Bexar County, you’ll need to apply for the license online. Then you’ll need to physically walk in to the Bexar County Courthouse and pay your $80 fee. The fee is discounted if you go through the ‘Twogether in Texas’ marriage counseling class. If this is your plan, then make sure you have that on your calendar. This article will walk you through the entire process of obtaining your marriage license in San Antonio.

Take time for any marriage counseling or religious requirements. If you’re Catholic, then make sure you have contacted your parish at least six months in advance and completed the church’s prerequisite marriage preparation program. You will also need to meet with the parish priest and go through any additional parish requirements. Other religions may have requirements as well in order to use a specific place of worship.

Relax, and plan to take some time away from wedding. Planning a wedding will come to feel like a second job. Trust me. In addition, you’ll no doubt have a committee of close friends and family giving you input on this, that, and the other. Remember, the end goal is to say ‘I do’ – not produce an gala event. If it gets to be too much to handle at the end, this is what month-out or day-of planners are for. These planners specialize in handling the chaos and making things manageable for couples.

Meet Cody and Mikayla

The photos accompanying this article are of Cody and Mikayla. I had the pleasure of photographing Cody’s proposal to Mikayla at the Japanese Tea Garden in October of last year. These two had an epic love story that started an ocean away.

Cody is in the military, and was stationed in Japan. Cody‘s brother happens to also be married to Mikayla’s sister. While on a road trip to Japan to visit her sister, Mikayla met Cody.

It was a fateful visit that ended up with Cody and Mikayla going off to Kyoto on a road trip of their own. During their romantic trip through the streets of Kyoto, they of course fell in love. If you’ve never been to Kyoto, I can attest that the city is indeed magical.

Mikayla eventually went back to Texas. But not for long. She came back to visit Cody for a few more road trips. The most ironic part of their meeting, however, is it they’re both from La Vernia originally. Believe it or not, they had to go halfway around the world to meet, even though they’re from the same little small town in Texas. The long-distance travel seems worth it though because now they will be making the road trip of a lifetime together when they get married.

Final Thoughts

As you can see from this extensive guide, getting married takes a lot of planning. Granted, you can get it together like my recent DIY bride, Sarah, who put her wedding together in just three months. However, if you want to maintain your sanity, and if you have a big day planned, then this is the guide that will get you through to the end.

The trick is to pace yourself and take breaks in between so that you don’t get overwhelmed. Stick to your priorities – and most importantly – to your budget, and you won’t get lost in the details.

Enjoy the images, and I’ll have more photo adventures for you next week!

A few recommended vendors:

Videographer

San Antonio Video Productions – www.SanAntonioVideoProductions.com – Michael Angelo, Owner/Operator; email: info@savp.pro; phone: 515.705.3315

Photo Booths

Countdown City – www.CountdownCityCo.com –Jonathan Gutierrez, Owner/Operator; email: jonathan@countdowncityco.com; phone: 210.306.4836

Event Coordinators

Cat Haus (event planning & rentals) – www.CatHausRentals.com – Brooke Conaway, Owner & Event Designer; San Antonio; email: brooke@cathausrentals.com

Makeup Artist

Love, Lipstick and Lashes –www.lovelipstickandlashes.com –San Antonio; email: lll.lipsticklashes2018@gmail.com; IG: love.lipstick.andlashes
Jacqueline Roberson, Jax Studio – www.JaxStudioSA.com –San Antonio; email: info@jaxstudiosa.com; phone: 210.990.JAXX

Officiants

Texas Wedding Ministers (bilingual) – www.TXWeddingMinisters.com –San Antonio; email: contact@txweddingministers.com; phone: 210.802.8097
Pastor Bethany Hull Somers (non-denominational, Lutheran) – www.GraceSA.org – San Antonio; email: pastor@gracesa.org

Florists

Ay! Poppy Floral – www.AyPoppyFloral.com – Cici Occhiuzzi, Floral Designer; San Antonio; email: aypoppyevents@gmail.com; phone: 210.954.2250

Lighting, Décor, Linen, Etc. Rentals

Great Events Full Service Rentals (linen, tables/chairs, tents, stages, dance floors, red carpet, lighting) – www.GreatEventRentals.com – 9315 Broadway, #104, San Antonio; phone: 210.340.2007

Wedding Attire

BHLDN (vintage-inspired bridal attire from Anthropologie) – www.BHLDN.com
Convertible Wrap Dresses – www.ConvertibleWrapDress.com, www.TwoBirdsBridesmaid.com, or www.Henkaa.com
Rent the Runway – www.RentTheRunway.com – 30 W. 15th street, New York, NY, ph: 800.509.0842
Rocketbuster Handmade Custom Boots (custom wedding boots) – www.Rocketbuster.com – 115 Anthony Street, El Paso, TX, howdy@rocketbuster.com; ph: 915.541.1300

Desserts

Sugar Clouds (organic, gourmet cotton candy) – www.SugarCloudsCottonCandy.com – San Antonio, email: sugarcloudscottoncandy@yahoo.com, phone: 210.800.2738

Misc. Artists

Trinity Brushworks (live wedding painter) – www.TrinityBrushworks.com – San Antonio, email: NP@trinitybrushworks.com
Nicole W. Clark (custom, handmade cake toppers) – www.minicouples.com – nicolewclark@gmail.com

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If you find this article on ‘Where Do I Start with Wedding Planning?’ useful, then check out these articles:

Looking to say ‘I do’ in Austin or San Antonio? Drop me a line and let’s chat about how I can help you. I have hourly rates, and all photo shoots include editing and high-resolution files.

To view more images from my wedding photography portfolio, please visit my website – KellyWilliamsPhotographer.com