8 Things It’s Okay to Start Planning Before You Get Engaged — Or Even Meet the Person You Want to Marry

Make your big day the day of your dreams!

By: Jen Glantz

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Dreaming About The Big Day

Planning a wedding can take more time than you think it does, especially if after getting engaged you find yourself starting at square one with the decisions and the details. While it might seem premature to do, some people start brainstorming what their ideal celebration would look like long before they are engaged -- or have even found the person they will one day marry.

It’s absolutely okay to get a head start on visualizing what your future wedding will be like, as long as you have a few options and stay open-minded. If you’re already dreaming about that perfect day, here are 8 things you can start thinking about before you get engaged to the love of your life.

The Venue

One of the first decisions you’ll make after getting engaged is what type of venue you want to get married in. While you might have your heart set on a traditional venue, like a hotel ballroom or even a local catering space, it’s worth it to explore unusual options as well, like a concert venue, restaurant, or even a museum.

Based on the personalities of you and your future spouse, the activities you enjoy doing, or even the size of the wedding you chose to have, thinking about three very different venue options that you’d be okay with can help you come to the table with ideas when the wedding planning process officially kicks-off in the future.

The Season

There are perks that come with getting married during any time of the year. As you head to weddings during different seasons, begin to think about which one appeals the most to you. Perhaps you find yourself in awe of the fall foliage, the spring colors, the summertime atmosphere, or all the winter wonderland decor ideas you could use.

Having a season in mind can help you and your future partner make a lot of easy wedding decisions around a date for the celebration, the type of decor, and even the dress code for the event.

Color Palettes

As you’re browsing photos of other people’s weddings, take note of the color palette that captures your attention and fits with your style. These colors help you think about the season you’d like to get married in, the decor options you’d want to have, and even a potential theme. In case your future partner has a strong preference for or against a certain color palate, pick a few different options.

Dress Style

Shopping for a wedding dress can be both an exciting and overwhelming experience. You can browse photos of dresses online and think you know what style you love, but your final decision will happen the second you try on the dresses and see which one makes you feel extraordinary.

If prematurely going to a wedding dress boutique and putting some dresses on feels like too much, it’s okay to start clipping photos of dresses you like so you have a head start in the dress searching process when the time comes.

Type of Celebration

When you start to think about what your future wedding might look like, consider what types of celebrations you are completely uninterested in having. Maybe you’re certain you don’t want to elope or you’re sure that a 300-person wedding isn’t for you.

If it feels too early to make a list of what your dream wedding looks like, you can always start by getting clarity on what you know you don’t want, what would make you uncomfortable to have, and what just wouldn’t feel right, regardless of who you marry.

Half of the Guest List

It’s never too early to take inventory of your life and put together a rough draft guest list of who you would want to invite to a future wedding. Figure out which family members and friends you would want to have there by your side. While who makes the final guest list might change over the years, having a starting point to go off of when you get engaged can help you and your future partner decide how big of a wedding you’ll want to have.

Bachelorette Party Details

Celebrating your future engagement with your best friends is something you might already be looking forward to. Even if your maid of honor or bridal party ends up taking the lead on planning your bachelorette party, you can start deciding where you’d want to go, what kinds of activities would be fun to do, and what theme you’d want to have.

That way, after you get engaged and decide who you want in your bridal party, you can pass the official planning onto them for this special occasion.

Back-Up Options

While it’s absolutely okay to get started brainstorming and planning your wedding before you’re engaged, or even before you’ve met your partner, it’s important to stay flexible. Their opinion will matter and you want to make sure you include them in decisions as well!

Pick three or four things that are must-haves for your future wedding and consider creating a few different back-up plans to suggest in case they don’t love the idea of a summer beach wedding or a fall black-tie celebration with 300 guests.

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