Anyone who's planned a wedding knows: there's always information you walk away with after your event that makes you think, "I wish I'd known that when I was planning our wedding!" From the woes of complicated seating charts to awkward conversations to be had around budget ("Hey mom, can I, uh, get that check?"), there are so many things to consider when it comes to planning the perfect soirée. To help you as you plan, then, we reached out to our amazing community of Aisle Planners to ask for their most treasured pieces of planning advice—and we've rounded up their oh-so helpful wedding planning tips below. Read on, and get ready for some seriously powerful (and empowering) planning knowledge. 1. “Discuss the budget candidly before doing anything! Who is paying? Parents, the couple? And decipher exact amounts. This makes planning easy and eliminates any gray area or misunderstandings Don’t forget to plan and prepare for your marriage.” Try your DIY project wayyyy before you think you should. There is a whole site devoted to Pinterest fails for a reason! Make one of those centerpieces and live with it on your dining room table—you never know when additional inspiration will strike!” Procrastination is your worst enemy! Making decisions early in your planning process is the best way to ensure you will get the best vendors for your style and budget without compromise! It also allows you to have some time to relax leading up to the wedding rather than feeling like your to-do list is still unchecked! "Wedding time is different than regular time. You may have 12 months to plan your event, but in reality it's less. You have to plan your wedding while working or going to school, living your life and so much more. If your wedding is D.I.Y., allow yourself even more time. I advise my clients to start counting back from 1 month before their wedding. You don't want to be making any decisions at that point. Too stressful!" Start the seating chart early! It is more stressful than most couples realize. It’s an art within itself." Make sure you know who the important voices are as you are planning—maybe that's your planner, your mom, your best friend. Whoever it is, make your list and stick to it (and put yourself at the top!). So many couples try to gather extensive information and inspiration, seeking out friends of friends and Facebook groups. You can quickly become overwhelmed by opinions! Facts are great, but an overwhelming amount of opinions can keep you from remembering your own opinions and thoughts when it comes to your day!" "Prepare or order a picnic hamper for the bridal party to enjoy while they’re having photos taken with you. These usually are taken between your ceremony and reception, so your bridal party often misses cocktail hour (especially if you go off-site for pics), and by this part of the day everyone is hungry" "Start with your values. A short list of your and your fiance's values in-hand will help you filter through all your decisions with more ease and joy. If you want to minimize stress on your wedding day, be sure to communicate effectively. Set clear expectations for bridal party and vendors and be clear in your wedding day/week itinerary. Good communication will minimize the chances of your expectations being broken. Also, feed for vendors. Take care of them. They are taking care of you." On your RSVP cards, number each card so that if someone forgets to write their name(s) on the card, you can match it up to your list. I use Excel and number each guest as I address the envelopes so that...Guest Number 10 is Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but they didn't write their names, but I have 10 on the RSVP card, so I know exactly who it is!" You’re officially engaged—congrats! The next step? Oh, you know—just planning a large-scale event for all of your closest friends and family that you’ll remember for an entire lifetime. No big deal, right? Exactly. Dipping your toes in the wedding-planning pool can be a bit overwhelming to say the least. With guest-lists to manage, invitations to send, and decisions to make on everything from decor to dessert, knowing where to get started planning a wedding can be beyond difficult. But, not to fear engaged friends—today we’ve tapped the expertise of husband-wife duo Aleah and Nick of Valley & Co. Events to talk their top tips for where to get started with wedding planning. Read on for their expert advice! (And don’t forget to check out our piece on 10 Wedding Planning Tips No One Tells You when you’re done!) What's the absolute first thing a newly engaged couple should do? There are so many wonderful emotions that pop up when a couple is freshly engaged. Just taking a moment to soak in the excitement should top a couple's list for what to do first. There is no need to rush on settling on a date or location a week after the engagement. Enjoy the moment and share that moment with family and friends before you start to dream up your plans. Taking that approach will give you time to sit back and think about what kind of wedding you both would like to have. Who are the first wedding vendors a couple should look at booking? Finding a wedding planning team first is always our unbiased answer. A seasoned planner will help you weigh the benefits of a date and location, and quickly help you pare down a list of properties based on your criteria (guest count, aesthetic desired, time of year, and per-guest budget). We recommend scooping up your photographer and videographer as well as entertainment just as soon as you lock in the date. Any artist who provides a service and can't be in two places (meaning two weddings) on the same day should be booked as soon as you can so you get your top choices. If you have a photographer whose work you fell in love with before you were even engaged, talk to them before booking a venue to check their availability. What are the first conversations a couple should have about planning their wedding? When a couple first embarks on their wedding planning adventure, we recommend they have a conversation about the overall vision for their wedding weekend festivities. Thinking about your wedding from the guest standpoint can be helpful to polish the entire vision—where do you want them to stay, what are the feelings you want your guests to experience when they arrive at your wedding and when they leave? We treat our weddings like true experiences that tell the stories of our couples, and encourage them to think about each chapter—like what guests will see and experience upon arrival, during the ceremony, through happy hour, and into dinner and the dancing festivities. What will the moments feel like and look like? All of those chapters can help a couple get specific about their goals for the wedding.