Welcome to The Seville’s “How to Plan Your Wedding” blog series, where our experienced wedding coordinators are taking you step-by-step through everything you need to check off your to-do list leading up to the big day. We hope our guide can help relieve some of the stress of planning a wedding so that you can focus on enjoying this exciting time with the people you love.

Are you just joining us? This post is a continuation from our previous blog “How to Plan Your Wedding 1: Getting Started,” so make sure to start there for more detailed information on:

  1. Getting organized and setting your wedding planning timetable
  2. Finding your “big picture” wedding vision and beginning to plan around it
  3. Selecting wedding venues you may be interested in

All caught up? Great! The next thing you need to do is:

4. Set Your Budget

You can’t start making any big decisions until you know what kind of budget you’re working with, so figure out what the bottom line looks like sooner rather than later. If you have families who would like to contribute to your wedding fund, take some time to sit down with them and talk about the numbers. Accept anything they are willing to give with grace, and then figure out how much money you and your future spouse can pitch in from your own funds.

Once you have an estimated budget, you can start thinking about how many people you’re inviting to this shindig!

5. Begin Building Your Guest List

This part might be hard, but it’s important — and you have to start building the guest list early. Since the number of people attending will affect your venue, decor, and dining choices, you need to have a ballpark estimate before you can make any final decisions. This is why it’s important to have your budget set ahead of time as well, since it will inform how many guests you can afford under-budget.

Start thinking about things like:

  • Do you have a venue in mind already? How many guests can it accommodate? Some venues may limit you to 50 to 100 guests, while others have room for many more. At The Seville near Schaumburg, our versatile wedding hall can accommodate anywhere from 100 to 800 guests!
  • Do you want an intimate event where you are able to have one-on-one time with each guest, or take the opportunity to throw a big once-in-a-lifetime party for all your friends and family?
  • Do you have a large extended family or a large circle of friends?

Also consider the fact that not everyone you invite will be able to attend. For this reason, most couples send out staggered invitations: once you’ve determined that you can accommodate X number of guests, send out your first wave of invitations to VIP attendees (your closest family and friends). Once they give you their RSVPs, you can send out a second wave of invitations to fill vacant spots, and then a third, and so on.

6. Register Early!

Now for something fun: registering for your wedding gifts! If you’re concerned that registering early will make you look greedy, don’t be. Most wedding attendees are happy to commemorate the occasion with a gift, and your friends and family will appreciate your foresight and the opportunity to purchase a gift well in advance.

One etiquette note: don’t include registry information in your formal engagement party invitations. Up until you send out your wedding invitations, let your registry information sit on your wedding website and be passed by word-of-mouth.

7. Choose Your Wedding Party

Now it’s time to choose the people who will stand beside you for this big life moment: the wedding party.

We recommend keeping these things in mind as you choose the wedding party:

  • Ask earlier rather than later. They will appreciate having time to plan in advance, and you’ll get to enlist their help early on!
  • Understand that they are giving you their time and money to be there for you on the day, and make it as easy as possible for them to budget by being up-front with any expected costs: the dress code, travel expenses, bachelor(ette) parties, etc.
  • Give back by offering thoughtful wedding party gifts — and make sure you’ve budgeted for these in your bottom line!

Consider The Seville for Your Schaumburg Wedding Venue

Are you interested in having your wedding ceremony or reception near Schaumburg, Naperville, or Barrington, Illinois? Come and visit us at The Seville! Our event space is beautiful and versatile, and we have helped hundreds of couples create their dream weddings. With a brand-new lobby complete with a gorgeous curving staircase, and a sweeping wedding banquet hall with glass chandeliers and silken drapes, you can find the perfect place to say “I do” at The Seville!

Ready to know more? Check out our all-inclusive wedding packages and view our wedding gallery, then contact us to schedule your tour. We look forward to meeting you and helping you create your dream wedding!