One of the first questions couples ask after getting engaged is:
What do we actually need to book first?
There is plenty of advice online, and most of it will tell you to immediately start booking suppliers.
A photographer.
A florist.
A band.
A celebrant.
But before any of that, I think there are a few bigger decisions worth getting clear.
After working across weddings, hospitality and venues for more than ten years, I've found that the order you make decisions can have a significant impact on the rest of the planning process.
You don't need to have everything figured out immediately.
In fact, I would argue that trying to make every decision at once is one of the quickest ways to make wedding planning feel overwhelming.
Start with the wedding you actually want
Before looking at venues, I think it's worth having a conversation about what you're trying to create.
Not the colour palette.
Not the flowers.
The actual wedding.
How many people do you imagine being there?
Do you want one day, or do you want to turn it into a weekend?
Would you rather have a long lunch or a big party?
Do you want to get married close to home, somewhere regional or overseas?
Is food an important part of the celebration?
Are you imagining something relatively relaxed, or something with a more structured format?
You don't need all the answers, but having a general direction makes the next decisions much easier.
A 40-person restaurant wedding requires a very different approach to a 150-person wedding at a private estate.
The earlier you understand that, the less time you'll spend looking at options that don't actually suit you.
Then, establish a realistic budget
I know this isn't the most exciting part of wedding planning.
But it should happen early.
Your budget will influence almost every major decision that follows.
The venue.
Guest numbers.
Food and beverage.
Photography.
Styling.
Entertainment.
The type of planning support you bring in.
A budget doesn't need to be an exact figure from the beginning.
You can start with a comfortable investment range.
The important thing is having a realistic understanding of what you're prepared to spend before committing to suppliers.
One of the biggest challenges I see is when couples fall in love with a venue or supplier before understanding how that decision affects the rest of their budget.
A beautiful venue might be worth the investment.
But you need to understand what that means for everything else.
Your venue is usually the first major booking
For most weddings, the venue is the booking that unlocks everything else.
Once you have a date and location, you can start approaching suppliers with something concrete.
You know where the wedding is happening.
You know when it's happening.
You have a clearer understanding of guest numbers and logistics.
This doesn't mean you should rush into booking the first venue you like.
A venue is one of the biggest decisions you'll make.
When visiting venues, I would look beyond whether you like the view or the interiors.
Ask how the property actually works.
What happens if it rains?
How do guests arrive?
How does the ceremony flow into the reception?
What is included in the package?
Are there timing restrictions?
How does food and beverage service work?
How much supplier access is available?
A venue can look beautiful and still require additional planning to make it work well for your wedding.
That's not necessarily a problem.
It's simply something worth understanding before you sign the contract.
Guest numbers should be considered early
You don't necessarily need a final guest list before booking your venue.
But you do need a realistic idea.
Guest numbers affect far more than table numbers.
They influence your budget, venue options, catering requirements, furniture, transport and overall atmosphere.
A common mistake is booking a venue based on its maximum capacity without thinking about what the room will actually feel like at your guest count.
A venue that can legally hold 150 people might not feel comfortable with 150 people seated, dancing and moving around while staff are trying to provide service.
Comfortable capacity and maximum capacity are two different things.
After the venue, book the suppliers you care most about
Once your venue and date are confirmed, I wouldn't necessarily follow a rigid supplier checklist.
Instead, think about what matters most to you.
For some couples, photography is the priority.
For others, it's entertainment.
For others, it might be food, styling or finding the right celebrant.
The suppliers you care most about are usually worth approaching early, particularly if your wedding is during a busy period.
Popular suppliers can book well in advance.
But there is no benefit in booking every supplier immediately simply because a wedding checklist told you to.
The planning process should still have some flexibility.
Think about the location as a whole
This is particularly important for regional and destination weddings.
If you're planning a wedding on the Mornington Peninsula, for example, the venue isn't the only consideration.
Where will guests stay?
How will they get around?
Do you want to host a welcome dinner?
Will people stay for the weekend?
What happens the following morning?
For destination weddings, there are even more considerations around accommodation, transport and guest communication.
These decisions don't necessarily need to be finalised before booking the venue.
But they should be part of the bigger picture.
I've always thought the best weddings consider the entire guest experience, not simply what happens during the ceremony and reception.
Don't start with styling
This might sound strange coming from someone who genuinely enjoys the creative side of weddings.
But I don't think styling should be the first decision.
The venue should influence the creative direction.
The architecture.
The landscape.
The interiors.
The time of year.
The way guests move through the property.
All of these things give you something to respond to.
I've seen couples become overwhelmed trying to create an entire wedding aesthetic before they've even confirmed where they're getting married.
You don't need to know the exact colour of your napkins twelve months in advance.
Give the wedding somewhere to exist first.
The creative direction will develop from there.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, bring in support early
You don't need to wait until things become stressful to speak to a wedding planner.
In fact, one of the most useful times to bring in professional support can be right at the beginning.
A planner can help you establish priorities, understand your budget and narrow down the type of wedding you're actually trying to create.
That doesn't mean you need to hand over every decision.
Planning support can be flexible.
Some couples want comprehensive planning from the beginning.
Others want guidance at key points or prefer to plan independently before bringing in coordination closer to the wedding.
The important thing is recognising that you don't have to work everything out alone.
So, what should you book first?
If I was giving a couple a simple answer, it would be this:
First, get clear on the type of wedding you want.
Then, establish a realistic budget and guest count.
Then, find the right venue and secure your date.
After that, start with the suppliers who matter most to you.
The temptation when you first get engaged is to start doing everything immediately.
My advice would be to slow down.
Make the big decisions first.
Give yourself a structure.
And remember that planning a wedding isn't about completing the fastest checklist.
It's about making a series of decisions that work together.
Once the foundations are in place, everything else becomes much easier to build.