So... When’s the Wedding? Great Question.

Gigi Wain
Aug 12
2 min read

Here’s a little confession: I’m engaged, and I haven’t started planning a thing. Not one detail. No venue, no dress, no Pinterest board with the perfect color palette. Every time someone asks me, “How’s wedding planning going?” I give them a tight smile and a vague, “It’s coming along!”

It’s not.

If you’re in the same boat, newly engaged or just... not ready to dive into planning, I want you to know you’re not alone. And more importantly, you’re not behind. There’s this weird pressure that as soon as you get engaged, you’re supposed to have a theme, a venue tour booked, and a ten-tab spreadsheet ready to go. But that’s just not my reality, and maybe it’s not yours either.

So, where do we even begin?

For me, I realized I had to stop trying to do everything at once. I was paralyzed by the thought that I had to have this picture-perfect vision before I could take the first step. Spoiler: you don’t. The first step doesn’t need to be huge or dramatic. It can be as simple as sitting down with your partner and talking about what kind of wedding feels right.

Are we dreaming of something big and lively, or something small and personal? Indoors or outdoors? City vibes or countryside charm? Honestly, we just started talking through what we want, not what Instagram tells us is “in.”

Once we had a rough idea (emphasis on rough), I knew it was time to face the budget talk. Ugh, I know. Money conversations aren’t fun, but they’re necessary. Figuring out how much we could reasonably spend; and who might be contributing, gave me some direction. I was finally able to look at venues and not spiral into “How much is too much?” mode every five seconds.

And speaking of venues: that’s the one decision that really sets everything else in motion. I haven’t booked anything yet, but I’ve started looking. Just looking. And that’s progress. I’m reminding myself that planning a wedding doesn’t have to be some Pinterest-perfect montage, it can be one small decision at a time.

Also? I’m learning to ask for help. As someone who likes to handle things myself, this has been humbling. But when my friend offered to help research photographers, I said yes. When my sister offered to come dress shopping even though I was overwhelmed, I said yes. People want to support you, let them.

So if you’re a bride like me; a little behind, a little overwhelmed, a little unsure where to start, here’s what I’ll say: give yourself grace. You’re not doing this wrong. You don’t need to have a five-page checklist filled out to be a “good bride.” Start small. Talk with your partner. Pick one thing to focus on. And take breaks when you need to.

At the end of the day, we’re marrying the person we love. The rest? We’ll figure it out.

And if you want someone to panic-text about centerpieces or contracts, I’m your girl. We're in this together!