If you’re reading this in late fall, there’s a decent chance somebody in your life is about to propose. Close to 40% of all engagements happen between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day, and Christmas Day is the single most popular day of the year for it.
So let’s say it happens. The ring’s on, the group chat exploded, and now you’re staring at a whole wedding to plan with no idea where to start.
Here’s the order I’d do it in.
1. Take two weeks and do nothing
Seriously. Tell people, enjoy it, let your mom cry about it. The planning will still be there.
The one exception: if you have your heart set on a specific season or a specific venue, start looking sooner. Which brings us to the next part.
2. Settle three things before you tour anything
You can’t evaluate a venue until you know these, and most couples try to skip them:
Roughly how many people. Not a final list. Just “about 120” versus “about 60.” It changes everything about which venues work.
Roughly what you can spend. Including who’s contributing. This is the uncomfortable conversation, and having it early saves you from falling in love with something out of range.
What kind of day you want. Big and formal? Relaxed and outdoors? A whole weekend with everyone staying together? Picture the feeling first, then find the place that matches.
3. Book the venue before anything else
This is the one couples get backwards. They pick a date, then try to find a venue available on it.
Do it the other way. The venue sets your date, and nearly every other vendor you want gets booked around that date. Photographers, DJs and caterers all fill up based on the day you pick.
And if you’re planning for 2027, know that good Saturdays in fall and early summer go early. Couples who got engaged last Christmas are already holding a lot of them.
4. What to actually ask on a tour
Most couples walk a venue and ask about price and capacity. Ask these too:
What’s included, and what’s extra? Tables, chairs, linens, setup, cleanup, parking.
Is there a rain plan, and have you used it? Any outdoor venue should have an immediate, confident answer.
How many weddings do you do in a day? If the answer is more than one, you’re on a clock.
Where do we get ready? On-site is a big time and stress saver.
Can our guests stay here? Huge if people are driving in from New Jersey or Philly.
What time does the music have to stop?
Who will actually be here on our wedding day? Not the salesperson. The person running it.
Can we use our own vendors, or is there a required list?
5. Then build out from there
Once the venue and date are locked, go in this order: photographer, caterer, DJ or band, then everything else. Dress and flowers can wait longer than people think.
Where Bellagio Fields fits
We’re a good fit if you want your wedding to feel like a getaway instead of a rented room. Seventy acres in the valley of the Sugarloaf Mountains, an outdoor ceremony space with a mountain backdrop, a reception building with a patio, and a villa that sleeps up to 30 so your family and wedding party stay right on the property.
That last part is why a lot of our couples end up doing a [full wedding weekend](link to your week 2 welcome party post) instead of just a Saturday.
Come see it
Call 570-929-7200, text 570-553-5434, or email bri@bellagiofields.com.
