Our Top 3 Wedding Priorities

Where To Begin

There we were, visiting the venue that would eventually be the place we would be married. Steph had already visited the venue once before and knew this is what she wanted and this time I tagged along with her mom, her dad and my mom to make the final decision. The cost was high. It was a beautiful place and they took care of everything. It was exactly what we wanted! BUT the cost was high… we sat in some chairs in the backroom of their office with Steph’s dad. We already knew we had to move it from a Saturday to a Sunday to save some money and that we would only serve Beer & Wine rather than liquor, but the cost was still high.

“Choose the top 3 things you can’t do without.”

So we did. Steph and I sat in that backroom for maybe 10 minutes talking about the priorities. It didn’t take long. We knew what we wanted and what we couldn’t do without. We knew that no other venue would live up to the one we were sitting in at that moment. We decided that we could cut costs elsewhere as well. But we decided and prioritized on three things.

The first was the venue. We were going to be married at The Barn on Bridge in Collegeville, PA. We made this top priority because we loved the atmosphere. We could see the wedding happening while we stood there. We wanted a rustic vibe but not super rustic and the inside of the barn was so unique! There was a catwalk and upstairs seating and the dance floor didn’t separate the room into two sides. Don’t even get me started on the food! It was the perfect place and it was very close to home. Going somewhere else would have felt like betrayal. We knew that we would be very happy getting married here.

The second was the photography. We knew that the budget had to be high to get photos we loved and memories captured the way we wanted. Plus we are photographers so it would be a little hypocritical to not place this as a priority. Regardless of that fact, we placed this second on our priorities list and booked a photographer we trusted at a higher price point with enough coverage time, an engagement session and a photo album.

The third was the wedding dress. Now this one may surprise you. It was actually my idea to make the dress a priority. Some would say make the flowers a priority, but I knew that if she didn’t feel comfortable and happy in her dress that she would hate the images and the first two things we prioritized wouldn’t matter at all. Spending all that money would have been pointless. We could have just been married in my backyard, which I’m sure we would have totally been happy with, but this is the wedding she dreamed of having for so long… So we prioritized the wedding dress and she found one that she absolutely loved! Actually, her mom found it, but more on that later!

So to all of you newly engaged brides who may not know where to begin. We recommend prioritizing. What are the areas that you absolutely can’t cut costs? Make a list. Write 3 things down and have your fiancé right 3 things down and then show each other. Maybe your priorities will line up. Talk about it and decide. You heard our three things and the reasons behind each. Now it’s your turn!

Happy Planning!