Planning a Wedding in Greenville, Sc
Feeling Overwhelmed With Wedding Planning? Start Here (Based on what I have learned by photographing over 100 weddings)
If you’ve recently gotten engaged and are feeling a mix of excitement and panic, I have great news, you are not alone.
One of the most common questions newly engaged couples ask is:
“Where do we even start?”
After being helping numerous couples through their wedding planning I have noticed a trend that made planning much less stressful.
Why Wedding Planning Feels So Overwhelming at First
Wedding planning doesn’t feel hard because you’re bad at planning.
It feels hard because you’re trying to make hundreds of decisions without a framework or game plan
Most couples jump straight into:
Pinterest boards
Instagram saves
Vendor stalking
Before they’ve made the three decisions that actually matter.
That’s when everything starts to feel chaotic.
The First 3 Decisions That Actually Matter
Sit down with your fiancé and discuss these 3 things first:
1. Set a Realistic Budget (With a Buffer)
Not a fantasy number — a number you’ll feel good about five years from now.
Ask yourselves:
What can we comfortably spend?
Do we want a financial cushion?
Are family contributions coming with expectations?
This one conversation eliminates dozens of future arguments.
2. Create a Rough Guest List
You don’t need seating charts, just a ballpark number.
Because here’s the real truth:
👉 You’re not choosing a wedding…
👉 You’re choosing how many people you’re feeding.
Your guest count directly affects:
Venue options
Catering costs
Bar costs
Rentals
Overall vibe
A 50-person wedding and a 150-person wedding are entirely different events.
3. Book the Venue (and Lock the Date)
This is the turning point.
Once the venue is booked:
Your date is real
Your timeline exists
Vendors become easier to book
The noise quiets down
This is the moment planning stops feeling overwhelming and starts feeling manageable.
What can you skip early on? :
Feel free to skip these at the very beginning.
Over-researching vendors before booking a venue
Designing décor before knowing the space
Comparing their wedding to social media…..never do this. It’s your day…no one elses
Trying to plan everything at once
Wedding planning is not linear, so plan to ride the waves
A Pro Tip Most People Don’t Tell You
Pick your top 3 priorities as a couple:
Photography
Food & drink
Music
Guest experience
Intimacy vs. party vibe
Spend your energy there.
Let the rest be “good enough.”
Guests won’t remember your font choices, but they will remember how the day felt.
Final Thought: You’re Not Behind
Feeling overwhelmed doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.
It means:
You care
You’re at the beginning
And you’re asking the right questions
Take it one step at a time. Start with the big decisions. Everything else will follow.