Congratulations, you are now engaged and ready to start the planning process, but wait! Where to start? Before you start looking at a million venues you will want to set a realistic budget for your big day. Once you have established this starting point it is then time to make sure you allocate your expenses accordingly by selecting four very important items. Four Budgeting Must Have's Most couples have no idea where to begin or how to start the planning process. No bride and groom are the same; no couple has the same budget or the same needs for their special day. Today, weddings range any where from $5,000 to an average of $25,000. Whatever your wedding budget may be, there are some definite must haves to budget for and some other items that you can put in the do it yourself pile.

Venue- The venue should be first on your priority list. Most venues have the convenience of hosting a ceremony and a reception in one centralized location. How to pick your venue? For most couples the venue comes down to the bottom linen, what is the cost. I encourage everyone to step outside of this mindset for just a moment. Instead of focusing on how much, your first question should be what do I want? It is possible to find a venue that has everything on your check list at a reasonable cost. Venues will send you their standard packages but know that many are able to provide inclusive packages with all the bells and whistles. Venues now, more then ever, are open to customizing personal wedding plans to better fit couples' needs. Subbing out items is also a great way to get the best bang for your buck. Instead of having five hors d'oeuvre options during your cocktail hour, choose three instead and allocate the additional money towards a candy bar or favors. If you have a general idea of your expectations of food, ambiance, décor and service, venue hunting will be easy. You can then request a quote from your top locations and begin the true negotiation process.

DJ- Many couples make the mistake of hiring a friend or back yard DJ to, "just play music" at their wedding. Too many weddings make this easily misguided mistake; this mentality has proved to be detrimental. Venues will often hand out a list together of recommended vendors they work with repeatedly. Do not make the mistake of displacing these DJ's just because you think they might be out of your price range. In fact many of these DJ's offer discounted rates and booking incentives because they are on a preferred vendor list. Preferred vendors are a testament of successful DJ companies who continue to host successful wedding events. The DJ is the most important personal that you will work with for your wedding. They are the time keepers and they will dictate whether your event has a good flow. A good DJ will personalize your agenda including your grand entrance, toasts, first dance, garter toss, bouquet toss, cake cutting and even a few newly wed games. A professional wedding DJ is the essence of what wedding entertainment should be; do not make the mistake of hiring a friend for this special occasion. Photographer &

Videographer- Any one can pick up a camera and take a photo, as well as burn a disk with a few photos. But do not skip out on this very important vendor. Yes, it is easy to print out your own wedding photos to scrap book and hang, but the quality of those photos will not stand the test of time. Many couples believe that this is an area to save. Your wedding photos and personal video are the only memories you will have to look back on this special day, do not cheapen the day by ordering prints from Costco. Photos are amazing for capturing a moment in time but a video really captures the essence of the night, this is something your future family will be able to watch and enjoy. Many of these companies work in accordance with each other, so spend wisely on these very important time captures.

Dress- Not every bride has a $10k budget for her wedding gown but his is no reason to toss one of the most important articles of clothing you will ever wear into the thrifty pile. Give yourself a reasonable budget to find a dress that looks and feels like every woman should on her wedding day, absolutely amazing! This is your time to shine, make sure it is a dress that you feel beautiful in.

Brides now, more then ever are making their own centerpieces, bouquets, candy bar, invitations, save the dates and favors. There are so many wedding crafts ideas out there that every bride is virtually her own personal wedding coordinator. Sites like Pinterest, The Knot and Here Comes the Guide, have amazing how-to tips to send any wedding over the top. Focus the bulk of your budget on the Venue, DJ, Photographer/Videographer and Wedding dress and the rest can be re-evaluated as far as cost.

The smaller do it yourself areas are where you can really save a bundle for your big day. If you stay within your own budget, focusing on the four main wedding must haves, everything else will fall into place for your big day.