No Room for Nonsense!! Checklist of Decisions to Make Before the Initial Meeting with the Wedding Venue

2018.11.05 published

When is the first meeting for the wedding?

Once the wedding venue is decided, preparations for the ceremony begin.

The first meeting for the wedding is generally held 3 to 4 months prior to the date.

While many people reserve their venue six months or even a year in advance, making an early reservation does not mean that the timing of the first meeting will be moved up.

In most cases, there will be a gap of a few months to over six months between the venue decision and the first meeting.

@ayumimimi__wd

What should we do before the first meeting?

Just because there is time until the first meeting, it is a bit risky to just dawdle. Deciding everything from scratch 3 to 4 months before the meeting can be extremely tough.

However, if there are no specific instructions from the venue, you might not know what to do in the meantime.

You may feel anxious thinking that you need to be doing something.

In this article, we’ll introduce what the two of you should decide and prepare before the first meeting.

As long as you prepare these, you can confidently attend the first meeting ♡

What to decide before the first wedding meeting ① Number of guests

The first thing to finalize should be the number of guests. While a few changes can be managed a few months before the ceremony, if there is a change of more than ten people, you might need to change the reception venue.

It is recommended to individually reach out to all your guests beforehand asking, "We have a wedding on (date); can you make it?"

What to decide before the first wedding meeting ② Invitations

The very first task in wedding preparation is sending out invitations. It’s common to send them out about two months before the ceremony, so before the first meeting, you should decide:

☑ Sender (parents or yourselves)

☑ Whether to order them through the venue or provide your own

☑ How to address them (calligraphy or by yourselves)

It would be great to also have a rough idea of the design.

@ke__wedding

What to decide before the first wedding meeting ③ Rough budget

You often hear stories from other couples saying, "The costs jumped significantly from the initial estimate!”...

It's natural for estimates to increase as you add more elements like decorations and performances.

However, it's important to have a set limit about how much you can spend on the wedding.

Once the first meeting starts and preparations intensify, you may not have much time to discuss it calmly with your partner.

It’s advisable to decide the final budget for the wedding together after considering future plans like pre-wedding photos, honeymoon, moving, buying a home, kids, and job.

What to decide before the first wedding meeting ④ Attire

Choosing a wedding dress is one of the most exciting parts of wedding preparation ♡

The typical rental dress price ranges from 200,000 to 300,000 yen. For imported or branded dresses, it can be around 400,000 to 800,000 yen.

The choice of attire and the number of changes will significantly affect the flow and costs of the wedding reception. It’s beneficial to decide this early on.

If you can start trying on dresses before the meeting, it is recommended to visit dress shops about six months in advance.

What to decide before the first wedding meeting ⑤ After-party

After the wedding reception, there’s usually an after-party with friends. Discuss whether or not you’ll have an after-party with your partner before the first meeting.

If you plan to hold the after-party at the venue, it’s necessary to book it early.

Make sure to make the decision prior to the first meeting with the planner, so you're not left discussing "What do we do about the after-party?" in front of them.

The preparations for the after-party can often be rushed, so it’s best to act early ♡

@ikik_wd_0428

What to decide before the first wedding meeting ⑥ General theme of the wedding

During the months leading up to the first meeting, it’s great to expand on your ideal vision for the wedding and set a general theme or main colors, even if they are rough.

Start by searching the internet and social media to gather various wedding images ♡

This will help make the selection of invitations, which needs to be done immediately after the first meeting, run more smoothly.

Discuss with your partner what kind of wedding you both want and freely brainstorm ideas.

@maapipi0428

What to decide before the first wedding meeting ⑦ Schedule before and after the ceremony

It is also recommended to discuss the schedules for yourselves and your families before and after the wedding.

If you’re coming from a distance, you'll need to arrange travel, as well as accommodations for the night before and after. Coordination with both families is necessary, so be sure to consult with them early on.

@0212wedding_yk

There’s quite a lot to do before the first meeting!

We have introduced various items you should decide on before your first meeting with the venue.

The meeting is primarily the time for the couple to interact with the planner rather than a discussion period between the two of you.

Make sure to decide on what you can together so that you can approach the first meeting in an organized manner ♩

@moca_wd503