Start here
Just engaged? Start here.
Bejoined helps you figure out what to do next, what it costs, who to hire, what to ask, and what to skip. Not inspiration, decisions, in the order they actually matter.
Every guide is researched first. We start in Chicago, and the same steps work in any city.
Where should we start?
With one article. Read this first, then work through the decisions below.
First step
Just Got Engaged? What to Do First
The four decisions that come before any booking: tell your people, set a rough budget, draft the guest count, and pick a season.
Start reading →
Once that is done, keep going: How to Start Planning a Wedding Without Guessing→
What matters first?
Six decisions carry the whole plan. Follow them in order, and hold off on the next until the one before it is done.
Set a budget you can defend
A real number before you tour anything. Guest count moves it more than any average.
Draft the guest count in tiers
The headcount sets your venue size and most of your cost. Build it in tiers you can trim.
Tour venues with the right questions
The venue sets your date. Ask what the fees and the contract hide before you sign.
Lock the booking order
With the venue set, book the vendors who take one wedding a day, before they sell out.
Screen every vendor the same way
Ten questions work for any vendor. Ask them first, and get the answers in writing.
Put it all on a calendar
Month-by-month deadlines from today to the wedding, so nothing slips.
What can wait?
Plenty. If it is not a date, a place, or a headcount, it can wait. These are the ones couples rush:
Can wait
- Colors and decor
- Favors
- The playlist
- Table names
- Hair and makeup trials
- The honeymoon
- Dress fittings
- The hashtag
Planning
Wedding Details You Can Skip
Favors, staged exits, printed extras, and other wedding details you can skip without anyone missing them. What the data says, and what earns its keep.
· 5 min read
Read article
Budget
What to Cut From Your Wedding Budget First
Over budget? Cut in this order: guest count, favors, printed extras, flower volume, transportation, and upgrades, before touching the vendors guests notice.
· 6 min read
Read articleWhat should we read next?
Go straight to the decision in front of you. New topics fill in as we publish.
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When should we get the Starter Kit?
Whenever you are ready to move. Eleven printable pages that gather everything on this page, so you are not rebuilding the plan from scratch. Free when you join the newsletter.
- What to do first
- Vendor booking order
- Budget categories
- Venue questions
- Vendor questions
- 12-month planning checkpoints
- Chicago planning notes
- What to skip for now
