If you’re recently engaged and just secured your dream wedding venue, congrats! It’s such an exciting part of the process, and allows you to deep dive into a lot of the (arguably more) fun aspects of planning! If you haven’t yet hired a planner or photographer and are feeling a bit lost on what to do next, these next steps are for you.
1. Think about any other wedding vendors you may need so you can secure them ASAP
Once you have a date and location secured, start reaching out to your dream vendors as soon as possible. Even if you’re not totally set on a vibe or style, it’s still a good idea to see if your dream team is available so that you can get started on the booking process.
If you’ve booked your wedding venue,
here’s what to book next (preferably in this order, as your planner/designer or photographer can help you find your other vendors):
- Planner
- Photographer
- Florist
- Officiant
- Hair + Makeup Artist
- Musician/DJ
- Videographer
- Cake/Dessert
- Stationer
2. Create a wedding website
A custom wedding website is where you can:
- send invites;
- have addresses as well as directions and detailed venue check in info all in one place; and
- do everything from have guests select their meals, to sharing other important details like dress code, packing list, schedule of events, etc.
Even if you’d like to have beautiful paper goods or stationery, you can still create a website. It’s always handy to be able to update it as plans change and/or solidify during the planning process.
A few of my favourite wedding websites for couples:
Zola and The Knot are both free and easy to use. They also look great on the recipient end.
Bliss + Bone has a monthly fee, but has absolutely gorgeous templates. There’s also a “Private Event” feature that I love. For example, if you want to host “friends only drinks” one evening during your wedding weekend and invite certain guests and not others, then it’s easy to do so. It’s also much easier for you to keep track of everything!
See also: Brides “8 Best Wedding Websites of 2024”
3. Send out Save the Dates!
If you’re hosting a wedding weekend or multi-day event, make sure that you include the full date range for the entire weekend. It’s also important to specify which date the wedding falls on, while letting guests know that you’ll have more details to follow, such as:
- ceremony start time
- where the reception will be
- dress code
- whether kids are invited
- etc.
4. Choose a rough colour scheme and vibe for decor, florals, and and wedding details
This will help to inform not only the aesthetic overall for the day, but also what the guest dress code will be, and the overall mood for other vendors that you’re bringing on board.
When choosing your colour scheme and vibes, try to piece things together in a way that you actually love – not just what looks good for attire like bridesmaid dresses or suits. If you’re working with a planner and designer, get their input on how to bring a certain mood to life using colours, textures, tones and decor.
Once you have an idea of how you want the day to look and feel, you’ll be able to create a dress code:
- black tie
- formal
- semi-formal
- casual
for both the wedding day as well as any other events throughout the wedding weekend (such as rehearsal dinner, drinks, or any other “group activities”). Guests appreciate having some direction for what to wear, especially when it’s a multi-day event.
Your vendor team will also have a better idea of what you’re looking for if you can tell them the vibe, colour scheme, venue, and guest dress code – and then propose ideas that match your vision.
Not booking a wedding venue because you’d rather have an intimate elopement?
If you’re not set on booking a traditional wedding venue, that’s totally fine! There are a ton of options to do your wedding day differently, so here are some additional resources:
See also: Top 10 Travel Tips for Your Elopement
See also: The Ultimate Guide to Weddings in Ottawa
5. Start thinking about any other elements that you might want to include in your wedding day:
Music: Maybe you want a DJ, some live music, or you’re ok to just have a bluetooth speaker if you’re having an intimate wedding at a private estate.
Different activities for group outings: A vineyard tour, hitting up the beach, going to a spa, biking, doing a private brunch before or after the wedding
Incorporating your engagement shoot or a fun private photoshoot before your wedding day: a hike, a private sailboat tour, a beach date, a picnic and driving along the coast
With your wedding venue booked, make yourself a list of vendors and their contact info so that you can keep track of everything. Once you have a greater vision for the event as a whole, you’ll be able to more easily decide what gets added to your “must have” list and what goes!
