HOORAY! You're Engaged... Now What!?
Photo Credit: Todd Drake Diamonds
YAY! You're engaged! First of all, a big CONGRATULATIONS is in order! It's totally normal to feel overwhelmed with emotions at this time - excited, happy, anxious, and most importantly, in love! But... you might be asking yourself, now what!?
1. One of the first things you'll probably do is update your Facebook status and share the news with all of your family and friends.
2. Get ready for the ever so popular question: "So, when is the wedding!?" One of your very first steps in the planning process is to start thinking about when you want to get married - summer, spring, fall, winter - and where (i.e. local, destination, etc.) From there, you can at least pinpoint a general date and time that the big day is bound to happen :)
3. Set a budget. Figure out who is contributing to what (you and your fiancé, parents, etc.)
4. From there, start compiling your guest list. Be sure to include everyone from both sides of the family, friends, etc. If you have a rather large guest list, it may be beneficial to create an "A" list and a "B" list. The "A" list being the people who absolutely must come to your wedding, and the "B" list being the people who you will include if the venue allows space for that many people, they fit in the budget, people from the A list cannot attend, etc. (Psst... check out next week's blog for Guest List Etiquette)
5. The next step is to start touring venues. This is the fun part! There are tons of venues to choose from -- historic, modern, loft, vineyard, farm/barns, and even your own backyard! The Knot is a great resource to start your venue hunt. This is also a perfect time to hire on a wedding planner (like us!) if it fits in the budget. A wedding planner will be by your side every step of the way through the planning process to help you select a venue that fits your personalities and budget, secure the best local vendors, keep you on track and on budget during the planning process, and much more! Note: If a wedding planner isn't in the budget, be sure to check out the next best thing... a day of coordinator!
6. If a wedding planner itself isn't quite in the cards, be sure to get access to a wedding planning checklist of some sort. This can be found almost anywhere online otherwise Amazon and other retailers carry some awesome planners if you prefer the ol' paper and pencil version ;)
7. Once your venue is secured and wedding date is selected... your off to the races! Time to secure the best local vendors and really get going on the planning process! Remember to take it one day at a time and try not to stress too much over it. The average wedding take about 12-16 months to plan, so plan accordingly and have fun!
If you have any questions during the planning process, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to help!