Every minute of your day doesn’t need to be devoted to obsessing over the coronavirus. Actually, it shouldn’t be. It isn’t wrong or insensitive to be looking for joy in the monotony of quarantine. That’s why we think now is a great time to start planning your wedding! What could be more uplifting than thinking about how you want to celebrate one of the biggest days of your life?

Here are ten things you can do from the comfort of your home to start planning for your wedding:

#1 – Decide Your Budget

Budgeting isn’t a glamourous place to start wedding planning, but it is actually necessary. Your priorities may be shifting and finances unsteady during this unpredictable time so it is best to be rational and realistic about what money you’ll have to spend on your wedding. This isn’t a comfortable topic for most people, but it is better to be open about it from the start. We have a blog post that covers some Tips for Your Wedding Budget.

#2 – Make Your Guest List

An estimated guest count will guide almost all your wedding decisions and have a massive impact on your overall spending. You can quickly decide if a venue, caterer, baker, and florist is a good fit for you if you know approximately how many guests you plan to have. To help you get started with your guest list we actually put together a full blog post about How to Create the Perfect Wedding Guest List!

#3 – Gather Inspirational Images

I don’t know about you, but gathering inspiration is my favorite part of wedding planning. Pinterest, Instagram and wedding blogs are my favorite places to find fresh ideas. I can get carried away sometimes so it is key to remember that your wedding should be authentically you. Here are a few tips for how to make the most of your time:

Pinterest Tip: When you pin something be sure to note in the comment exactly what you like about the image so that you and your vendors are clear about what you’re looking for. For example, if you pin a photo of a bride note that you love her dress, but not her hair or the bouquet.

Instagram Tip: Search hashtags to find images related to the style and location of your wedding. For example, search #fineartwedding if you want to see stunning fine art wedding photos. You can pin your favorite images to Pinterest or save them in collections on Instagram.

Wedding Blogs Tip: Here is a list of awesome wedding blogs to check out –>Branch Out From Pinterest for Wedding Inspiration. You can even pin from these pages to your Pinterest board to collect all your ideas in one spot.

It is also good to note that it is totally okay if event design isn’t your thing. Your wedding vendors (florists, planners, etc.) will be able to help you out Have no fear!

#4 – Research Wedding Vendors

Wedding vendors would love to hear from you right now! New clients are keeping us optimistic. Use The Knot, Wedding Wire, Google, Instagram and recommended vendors lists provided by your venue and/or planner to build a list of vendors you’d like to know more about. Explore their websites and social media, then reach out to each to learn more. Many vendors are hosting virtual meetings so you can get to know them and ask questions. It is really helpful if you have an idea of what you are looking for from each vendor. Remember, do NOT shopping based on price alone.

If you’re looking for a wedding venue, we have a step-by-step guide to help you out! Check it out here.

#5 – Create Your Wedding Website

Have fun building your wedding website with your fiancé! It can be as elaborate or simple as you’d like. When in doubt keep it short and to the point so your guests actually read it and find it useful. Here are some helpful resources:

The Knot: The 9 Best Wedding Website Builders of 2020

Wedding Wire: 10 Things Your Wedding Website Needs

Brides: How to Create a Wedding Website That’ll Get Your Guests Excited for the Big Day

#6 – Start Your Wedding Registry

Your wedding registry is the best way to communicate to your guests what you need and want to be gifted. This guidance isn’t pushy. In fact, most of the time it is actually appreciated. Your guests want to get you something you’ll love. So during this COVID craziness, take the time to build a registry of things you can’t wait to start married life with. Check out these useful articles for more information:

Brides: Where to Register: The 44 Best Wedding Registry Sites & Stores

The Knot: 10 Registry Tips That’ll Make Your Wedding Gifts So Much Better

#7 – Go Online Shopping for Your Wedding

Shopping online for your wedding may be the retail therapy you’re needing right now. Surf the internet looking at your options for wedding decor, your wedding outfits, wedding invitations and more. Even if you don’t feel like you should spend the money to actually purchase things now, you can make a plan for what you’d like to buy in the future.

#8 – Create Your Wedding Playlist

Your wedding day should be full of your favorite songs. There are way more songs to choose than you would think. It isn’t just your aisle music and first dance song. To help you out, Wedding Wire put together a list of All the Wedding Songs You Need to Choose. Set back, relax and enjoy selecting the music you can’t wait to hear on your wedding day.

#9 – Do Your DIY Wedding Projects

COVID quarantine is the perfect time to complete your DIY wedding projects. Just put on some music and knock out those to-dos! If you don’t have the supplies you need, don’t rush out to get them. Instead, order them online or make a plan for what you need to buy from where so you’re ready to rock as soon as it is safe to shop. Just as a friendly disclaimer, please don’t go DIY crazy. If you feel like you’re on the verge of overwhelm, reel yourself back in by reading our blog post about the DIY dilemma.

#10 – Make a Plan

Once you are further along in the planning process, you’ll want to start pulling all the details together. This step is especially important if you do not have a full-service event coordinator or wedding planning. Here are a few documents that will help you to get organized:

A Ceremony Outline with everyone listed in the processional & recessional

A complete Event Timeline that includes every activity of the day as well as vendor arrival & departure times.

A Vendor List that includes the name, contact information and basic service information for every vendor

A Plan for Setup & Cleanup ( Here are two posts that you may find helpful for this part: How to Utilize Wedding Weekend Helpers & 10 Tips for Wedding Setup & Cleanup

A Packing List that shows exactly who is bringing what and when.

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Turn this COVID craziness into something positive by using this time to plan your wedding. Focus on the things you CAN do instead of the things you can’t do. Now is the time to have the conversations, explore your options and make a plan. Use your wedding as a source of hope and excitement because we could all use a little more of that today!

*Feature Image by Kelli Lynn Photography | Styled by Styled Shoots Across America | Floral Design by Roots Floral Design | Rentals from Bryant’s Rent-All and Nüage Designs

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