You Can Now Learn How to Plan Your Own Wedding from Celebrity Planner Mindy Weiss

Mindy Weiss is the wedding planner to the stars. Her eponymous party planning business has curated stunning celebrations for stars like Paris Hilton, Justin and Hailey Bieber, and the Kardashians, as well as some spectacular celebrations featured on Brides. With 30 years in the industry and three author credits under her belt, it makes perfect sense why she would be the ideal person to host a MasterClass on wedding planning.

"I’m constantly asked to share my tips and secrets for planning a wedding, and my class on Sessions by MasterClass gives me the perfect platform to share my step-by-step approach to the process," tells Mindy Weiss to Brides. "This is the first time I’ve shared everything I’ve learned over the past 30 years all in one place, and my goal is to help couples come away with all the tools they need to plan their dream wedding without the stress. I worked very closely with the MasterClass team to identify all of the key steps to planning a wedding and from there, shared my resources and tips to ensure the class gave a comprehensive overview with no detail left behind."

The "Plan Your Dream Wedding" course provides a flexible 30-day curriculum for couples to learn how to curate their ideal affair on their own. "In this session, I will break down my step-by-step approach to help members plan their dream wedding, no matter their budget," says Weiss. "I will touch on everything from how to determine your budget, how to craft your guest list, how to find a venue, how to create your invitations and how to plan your ceremony. My favorite part of the session is that members will come away with a comprehensive binder that maps out all of the logistics of the planning process and wedding day."

Enrollment is open now until the session begins on December 15. In the meantime, Weiss has offered us a preview and revealed three of her best wedding planning tips to get couples started on their journey.

Begin With Budget

The first thing on your wedding planning to-do list is determine your budget. "One thing I always tell my clients is to set their budget before they start shopping around," shares Weiss. "If you have a budget limit in mind, that will eliminate certain venues from your search and narrow the scope of your work to only properties (and companies) that suit your needs."

Determine Your Guest List

To determine the scale and cost, Weiss advises to think about who you will invite to your wedding. "I suggest putting together a temporary guest list right from the jump. That gives you an idea of how many guests you’ll invite when looking at venue capacities and breaking up that budget," she explains. "Oftentimes, people don’t realize their guest list is as large as it is until they put the names and plus ones to paper."

Discuss With Family

If your family members will be making any contribution to wedding costs, it's a good idea to get them on the same page before most planning begins. "When it comes to spending the budget, before you get started, I suggest couples have a lovely family dinner to get clear on expectations, money, and boundaries," advises Weiss. "If family members are helping to pay for the wedding, this is a great time to fully understand what they’re offering before you start planning. Sometimes parents have certain expectations when writing a check, so avoid any future arguments by making limits, boundaries, and wishes clear at this dinner."