Preparing For The Wedding Planner Means Being Honest And Clear.

Hiring a wedding planner is a very smart move, but before they can help you plan and create the ceremony of your dreams they first need to know exactly what you want. Not what you think you should want, or what you imagine your mother-in-law would prefer, but what you actually would like for your wedding. From colors to food, you'll have a lot of decisions to make in the times to come and it's easier to make some of them if you've thought about your likes and dislikes beforehand.

When you're ready to start your wedding planning, a great first step is to sit down and just jot down every single thing about your wedding that is whirling around in your mind. Get a large piece of paper and just start writing everything that comes to mind in any particular order. A list might read something like, "NO asparagus, slim line dress, church like the one in England, stuffed mushrooms, chocolate, wine bar, disco dancing…" etc. The point is not to organize your thoughts yet or start in on the job of the wedding planner, the point is to get as many thoughts related to your wedding out of your head and onto paper so that you can see them clearly.

Once you're done getting all the wedding details you've been mulling over out of your mind and on paper it's time to organize them. Get a fresh piece of paper and write the following across the top: Dress, Flowers, Ceremony, Reception, Food, Guests, Invitations, Transportation, Entertainment, and Miscellaneous. Write each item from your original list under the header that it pertains to. For example, "stuffed mushrooms" would go under reception, "church like the one in England" would go under ceremony.

Once you're clear about what you'd like and not like in your wedding, share the information with your partner. When both of you are aware of each other's preferences and hopes, the planning process becomes much easier. Bring this information to your first visit with your wedding planner so that your thoughts will be clear and focused and a lot of your basic decisions will already be made. This will free you up for the fun part of planning which is meeting new people and learning how they can add their skill and artistry to your wedding.