Weddingbee boards

Well the first thing is to decide your total budget and how many guests you want.  That will narrow things down considerably.  Find a reception venue (or a venue and caterer, if the one you pick doesn't have one already) and ceremony site first- you can't have the wedding without those and they tend to take up the biggest chunk of your budget, so that will let you know how much you can spend on everything else.  Investigate lots of different options- hotels, restaurants, indoor or outdoor venues, fire halls, country clubs, historic sites- and see what fits your style and budget best.  Once you find a ceremony site and a reception venue, book them on the same day!  There's nothing worse than booking one only to find that the other isn't available.

After you have your venue, most other things start to fall into place a little easier.  Pick out your major vendors- photography, music (ceremony and reception), cake, etc. And also decide which vendors you just don't need at all (for me I didn't need videography, transportation, or a florist)

Once you have that down, it will be a little clearer what you have to do.  For example, the DJ will probably ask for a "do not play" list- so you start to make music decisions.  Your bride will probably start to think of little projects that need to either be done by the two of you, or that you'll need to hire out- like making invitations and programs.  Volunteer to help!  It's always more fun if the two of you do these little crafts together than if she's stuck at home cutting and pasting by herself all night.

And most importantly- be there to help her if she gets stressed.  The two of you are going to get pressured about little things and big things- some inconsiderate person will call your decorations cheap or tacky, and that will be upsetting (and petty!), some relative will get mad about a decision you made, which is inevitable because you can't please everyone, but it will still be hurtful.  Whatever happens, stand by each other.  This is the start of your marriage, and for some reason in this culture there will be people who insist on trying to make it traumatic.  But in the end, the wedding is a party that will come and go, and the important thing is making the experience something that strengthens rather than hurts your relationship.

Hope that helps, and I'm so glad to see a groom ready and eager to help out!!

My groom helped out a lot by taking on some of the tasks that he knows that I don't like and therefore will not do, ie, calling venues and setting up viewing appointments, gathering pricing quotes on bands, etc.  He let me focus on the fun stuff, like picking a color scheme and flowers.

I think it definitely helps to make a To-Do list and set some dates for when you need them done.  Booking a venue should be #1 on the list, followed by photographer, florist, band or DJ, etc.  Get those big items off the list right away and then you can focus on the details. 

Oh, and maybe give your bride something to focus on first, like picking a color scheme.  It's hard to plan specifics if you don't know what "look" you're going for.

I can't add anything the girls haven't already said, but how cute are you? Your lady sure is lucky. :-)