Your engaged- what do you do first ?
Prosperity Mansion- outdoor / garden wedding and events venue . Conviently located in Frderick / Carroll Co Maryland
Set a budget
I talk to brides all the time that say they have no idea what so ever as to what anything costs for weddings. That's to be expected unless you have a friend that has gotten married recently. Maybe they had a garden wedding or an outdoor event. Maybe you helped with it so you know the costs. If not, how would you know? So what I suggest is to decide what TYPE of wedding ceremony and reception that you want.
Go online and Google types of wedding in your state. Cost vary differently state by state. They also vary quite a lot within the state where you reside. Call and email venues etc. to see what the cost is. You always need to start with where you are going to have the wedding. So get some ideas as to what costs are. The further out you go into the countryside, the better the prices will typically be. The closer you are to a big city area the more expensive.
Don't be afraid to tell the vendors that you are talking to what you feel comfortable spending. So what I mean is this. If you get sticker shock tell them. And ask who they might recommend that may be more affordable. The wedding venues all know what everyone else charges. So they can help if they are nice business owners and most really are. If you want to go up in price that is never a problem. We all wish that we had that as an issue
.
Who will be paying for the wedding? Chat with them and get some feedback as to what they are willing to contribute. Decide if you are willing to have DIY projects, pick up deals and maybe buy items online second hand. There are so many ways to help with costs.
You need to prioritize whats most important for example. Some brides have a certain type of venue that they must have for their wedding day. Others say its all about the gown or food. So you decide what the hierarchy of your day should be and work in that order.
If you are realistic about the budget you won't be disappointed. Don't shop at venues that are to expensive. Don't try on dresses that are over you budget etc. Stay in your lane and compare apples to apples.