Click here to download the catalog as a PDF file. To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. NEWLY ENGAGED bridesmaids dresses and even food and drinks. Remember - these are just ideas! They give you a solid starting point on which to build your wedding planning foundation. Develop Your Budget Once you get a general idea of how you want your wedding to look and feel, it’s time to sit down with your parents, your fiancé and your fiancé’s parents. Find out what each party is willing to contribute to the wedding and talk with your fiancé about how much you can afford to contribute as well. This will help develop your wedding budget. Once you’ve got a figure in mind, you need to break it down by priority. Talk with your partner about what is most important to you when it comes to the wedding. You don’t want to spend a fortune on china and have nothing left for the cake! By deciding what is most important to you and your fiancé, you can decide what you’re going to spend the most on and where you need to cut back before you even spend a dime. Make Your List and Check It Twice! Once you’ve brainstormed and set up a wedding budget, it’s time to make a concrete wedding planning list of what you’ll need and where to get it. Detailed wedding checklists are available online, but it’s best to use them as a template to develop your own, personalized wedding checklist. Decide what you’ll need for the wedding, from the venue down to the very last napkin ring. Having a complete wedding checklist will give you a guide to follow to help you and your fiancé from getting overwhelmed. Make A Timeline Depending on when you’ve set your wedding date, you may have a long period of time before your wedding with plenty of time to spare or you might be in a crunch. Either way, sit down with a calendar and set up a timeline for yourself on what you need to do and when. Pick dates for venue viewing and wedding cake tasting, as well as dates for dress fittings and bridesmaid luncheons. Your schedule may change, but having a preliminary will definitely help you keep all your ducks in a row between your engagement and the big day. While starting the wedding planning process after your engagement can sometimes zap your energy and frustrate you, remember to try and enjoy it. It should be a fun and exciting to create your own special day! SoMdWeddings.com | 13