Congratulations on your upcoming harvest!!! They will dry a little quicker if you just cut the branches, but that's not always a good thing, depending on your curing/drying environment. I prefer a slower dry/cure, so I cut the whole plant with the fan leaves and hang it. Some people cut the fan leaves off and/or do a rough trim while the plant is still wet. It's pretty much personal preference, there's really no right or wrong answer.
