You’re engaged! Next Steps to Planning Your Columbus, Ohio Wedding

columbus-ohio-engagement-tall-grasses-wedding-planning-tipscolumbus-ohio-engagement-next-steps-wedding-planningStefanie and Chris Engagement Session, Dawes Arboretum, Newark, Ohio, tall grasses in background.

Congratulations! Getting engaged is an exciting time…There are some important things to keep in mind during this special time.

Enjoy it!

First, enjoy it! Being engaged is something that doesn’t happen everyday. While you can feel excited to start planning one of the most important days of your life, your wedding day, you should be sure to stop and embrace this precious moment. During the next several months, you’ll have plenty of time to focus on planning, but for the immediate future, enjoy celebrating with your special someone and your families and friends.

Gather Wedding Ideas

Maybe you knew your relationship was headed this direction, or maybe you have just been planning your big day for years. To help get a better grasp on possible ideas for your wedding day, try looking at magazines, visit bridal shows, or save ideas on your own “wedding ideas” Pinterest board.

Select Season, Size, and Possible Wedding Date

Once you’ve gotten some ideas for the types of things that you’d like for your wedding, you can start to narrow down a season and a possible wedding date. If an outdoor ceremony is important to you, you’ll likely want to select a spring, summer, or fall wedding when the weather is suitable. If you want a holiday or winter wonderland themed wedding, a wedding in the winter months would be preferable. Would you like a ceremony in a church, temple, or other house of worship or do you want it to take place in a less traditional setting? As for the size, do you want a small, intimate wedding, (50 or few guests), medium sized, (50-150 guests), or do you want something large (150+ guests)? Is there a particular theme you’re seeking? If so, you may want to consider venues that fit this theme and will accommodate the potential number of guests you are considering.

Visit Venues

After you’ve narrowed down the size and feel of your wedding, visit potential venues that will fit your needs. For example, if you’re seeking a small, intimate wedding with a cozy, yet romantic feel you may want to consider venues such as The Worthington Inn or a Bed and Breakfast like Pine Lakes Lodge. Country clubs typically offer a range of room sizes to accommodate a variety of group sizes and can easily be customized with unique centerpieces and decor. For a larger affair with urban elegance in Columbus, The Columbus Athenaeum, the downtown Renaissance hotelHyatt Regency, or the Hilton are a few other local venues you may want to consider.

Happy bride looking into grooms eyes on the coast of Lake Erie in Toledo, Ohio.dream-wedding-day-toldeo-ohioAnna Hicks and Scott Ketcham Wedding, Maumee Bay State Park Lodge, Lake Erie, Oregon, Ohio

Book the Wedding Venue and Secure your Wedding Date

Selecting the venue and securing your wedding date are two of the most important and beginning steps to planning your wedding. After booking the venue, (or venues if you are having your ceremony and reception in separate locations), you can proceed with securing the services of other wedding vendors. It’s important to do this well in advance of your wedding, as many vendors are booked a few months to a year before the big day. Potential vendors you might need include: an Officiant, caterer, cake bakery, photographer, videographer, DJ and/or live musicians, photo booth, décor and linen rentals, florist, bridal consultant/planner, and other specialized wedding vendors for a personalized experience for your guests such as a candy shop for a candy buffet with your favorite treats or a winery for custom labeled wine.

Choose Trusted Wedding Professionals to Make Your Dream Day Come True

As you’re searching for other trusted Columbus wedding vendors who will make your wedding day dreams come true, we recommend you visit Wedding Professionals of Columbus’s page of event professionals: http://www.weddingproscols.com/event-professional/. Muschlitz Photography LLC is a proud member of the group and highly recommends our local wedding colleagues.

Learn More

The wedding planning process can be very exciting, but it can also be overwhelming at times. At Muschlitz Photography, not only do we focus on connecting with our clients and telling their stories authentically, but we’re dedicated to educating couples and helping their planning and wedding day run smoothly and be stress free. 

If you’re recently engaged and planning a Columbus, Ohio wedding, we would love to work with you! Click here to tell us all about it and learn if we are a good fit for you as wedding photographers.