What foundational mods ensure stable load order and immersive Skyrim?

[Matthew35]

I'm diving back into Skyrim after several years and want to completely overhaul the experience with mods, focusing on graphical enhancements, more immersive survival mechanics, and deeper role-playing options, but I'm overwhelmed by the sheer volume and potential conflicts. I'm starting fresh with a clean install and using a mod manager, but I need help prioritizing a stable load order that won't crash ten hours into a playthrough. For veteran modders, what are your essential foundational mods for stability and bug fixes, and which graphical overhauls and gameplay mods do you consider must-haves for a modern, immersive playthrough? I'm particularly interested in mods that add meaningful consequences to the world and expand faction questlines without breaking the core game balance or lore.