How To Plan A Wedding

How Do I Plan My Wedding Day? 

“How do I plan a wedding… where do I even start?” Planning your wedding can easily start to feel overwhelming, but we think it should be a journey filled with as much joy, excitement, and creativity as possible. Our biggest goal at Bath Hollow Farm is to make weddings less stressful and more fun!  So whether you envision your big day with beautiful backdrop of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, dancing the night away in the Bath Hollow Barn (shameless plug 😊), or not, we thought we’d share some wisdom from nearly a decade of weddings on the farm. 

---

1. Decide what’s most important to you:  

Your wedding can be whatever you want it to be, and we think it’s the most fun when it reflects what’s truly important to you!  Deciding up front what you value most will help you narrow down the options, clarify your vision, and make the tough decisions a little easier – especially when budgets and opinions from friends or family start to come into play. 

2. Create a Wedding Checklist:

Organization is the next key to stress-free wedding planning. Start with a comprehensive checklist that covers every detail, from booking your venue to sending out invitations. This will keep you on track and ensure that nothing falls through the cracks. Consider breaking down tasks by month or week to make the process more manageable. Here are common check list items to consider:

Once you start booking vendors, add any deadlines they give you to your calendar and checklist (e.g., final guest count due to your caterer, song lists to your DJ, final payments due, etc.). Also, make sure you fully savor that dopamine hit every time you cross off a finished task!

*Pro Tip: Share responsibilities with your partner and trusted friends or family to prevent burnout. By spreading out planning tasks and taking occasional breaks, you’ll maintain a clearer perspective and enjoy the process more.

3. Plan your Wedding Budget

We recommend making a couple more lists. First, add up the money you have: how much do you plan to save and spend? Will any family or friends be making contributions? Then, consider all potential expenses, including the venue, catering, bar, photography, entertainment, and décor. If you have specific ideas in mind, you may want to start by researching costs and availability. Knowing what’s realistic within your budget will save you time and prevent disappointment.

As you’re talking with vendors, make sure you understand what’s included in the quotes they provide. Is a tip included (or expected)? Do you have to pay extra to use a caterer that’s not on the venue’s preferred list? How much more if you need your photographer for an additional hour? What about tax? Everything adds up, and not all vendors are as straightforward and transparent with their pricing as Bath Hollow Farm (:-D sorry, we had to… this is on our website after all!). So make sure you’re getting the full pricing upfront.

Making a budget is one thing, but sticking to it is the real challenge. This is when it’s most important to revisit the values you discussed in step one. Sometimes we all need a little reminder that the seventh tier on the cake is probably not mission-critical when what we really want is to spend quality time celebrating with the people we love!

4. Book Your Venue First

Unless you’re set on a very specific date and aren’t too concerned about the venue—or you’re planning more than two years in advance—it’s usually most advantageous to be flexible with your date and select the venue first. Popular venues often get booked quickly, and generally speaking, you’ll have a lot more choices and flexibility with your other vendors, such as catering, photography, etc. Once you lock in the venue, you’ll likely also have a better idea of how the other details will work best for the space, making it easier to choose things like décor and food.

*Pro Tip: Planning a wedding takes time, so it’s crucial to take breaks and step away from the process when needed. If you find yourself feeling stressed, schedule regular time for yourself to relax and recharge. Re-focus on what’s most important to you in the process and let go of the rest!

5. Plan Your Wedding Guest List and Tell Everyone! 

6. Book Your Other Vendors 

The next step is to start booking the rest of your vendors—caterers, photographers, DJs, and florists won’t book up quite as quickly as venues, but it’s best to get this part done as soon as you’re able. This way, you can ensure you work with the vendors you prefer and cross some of the biggest decisions off your list! At Bath Hollow Farm, we’re happy to provide our list of favorite vendors, but you’re welcome to use any vendors you’d like—no limits! We love when couples get to be as creative as possible!

7. Plan Your Wedding Party 

Or don’t! It’s the 21st century, baby! You can do whatever you want! But seriously… having a wedding party is a beautiful way to include some of the people you love most to support you in this big life transition you’re approaching. However, if it feels most supportive for the focus to just be on you and your partner, that’s absolutely great too! Either way, now’s a good time to make those choices and start making necessary plans with your wedding party if you decide to have one.

*Pro Tip: Whether you have a wedding party or not, you can and should ask people you love and trust to help out, either in the planning process or on the day. In our experience, we often see that loved ones are honored to be a part of your celebration, and it creates more opportunities for quality time with friends and family (which might be especially important during this busy time of life!).

8. Create a Wedding Website 

A wedding website isn’t required, but we think it’s a great way to keep your guests informed and excited about your upcoming celebration. Include essential details like the venue location, schedule of events, accommodation options, and your registry. It’s also a convenient way to collect RSVPs and can be a fun way to share more about yourself and your relationship with your guests. However, like with most wedding traditions, new or old, if it doesn’t work for you, you don’t need to do it! When making decisions throughout the planning process, keep going back to those values you identified in step one—if it doesn’t support what’s most important to you, feel free to do things differently!

Plan Your Dream Wedding at Bath Hollow Farm:

Organizing a wedding is an adventure, but with careful planning and a focus on what truly matters, it can be one of the most fun and rewarding experiences of your life. At Bath Hollow Farm, we want to help you be as creative and stress-free as possible, ensuring your wedding is as beautiful and unique as your love story.

If you’re ready to start planning your wedding at Bath Hollow Farm, contact us today to schedule a tour or discuss your vision. Let us help you create the wedding of your dreams in the heart of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

Get in touch – let’s get the party started!