Booking our venue also meant we checked off booking our caterer, lodging, and even our Day of Coordinator since they all came part and parcel with the location.

But now what am I supposed to do?

The other week our venue sent us a handy schedule that went over when we would meet (starting 6 months out) and what we would discuss and decide on at those meetings. Now, with 11 months until our next scheduled anything, I might have to nudge that first meeting a little earlier. After all, making so much myself means needing a better picture of pretty much everything a bit farther in advance.

Until then, there are a few things I can get started on:

• Save the Date design. They don’t have to go out for another 5 months, at the earliest, but I have a very specific design in mind and getting started on it certainly won’t hurt, especially now that we have our location.
• Wedding Wed-site. Yes, we have this blog, but I think a general info site, away from all the sneak previews and such, might be a good idea for some of our less-curious guests.
• The Dress. I’ve gone dress shopping twice, already, just to get a feel for what I liked and what looked good, but I’m still not set on one design versus another. There’s also the exploration into making my own that bears consideration.
• The Flowers. Even though our florals will be faux, I can still figure out what styles and looks might work for us and start making the components so they can be assembled after we have that first planning meeting and I know just how many centerpieces, etc. we’ll need.
• The Rings. We’ve decided to go in a different direction than originally planned for my wedding band, so the hunt is on to find something that suits me to a tee.

Hmmm, lots of planning and research involved in most of the above. Good thing I have stacks of wedding magazines I’ve barely even flipped through to help me narrow down my choices!

Did you have some decision downtime during your preparations?
If so, what did you do to keep yourself busy?