Engaged, Now What?
I’m engaged… now what?
You’ve been dreaming of this day your entire life and now it’s finally happened! First of all, congrats! Being engaged is one of the most exciting times of your life and, as your pulling out that “wifey” coffee mug and “Future Mrs.” t-shirt, you might be wondering “now what?”
Rule one of being engaged: do not stress. Whether you have all the ideas and know exactly where to begin or don’t even know which way is up at this point, do not stress. There are plenty of people who can help you along the way!
Once you’re ready to start planning and you’ve taken some time to enjoy the moment, celebrate with family and friends, and, of course, share the long-awaited ring pic, it’s best to start narrowing down a few dates. If you’re not extremely tied to one specific date, it’s best to have a few in mind as venues fill up quickly. Something else to keep in mind when choosing dates is that typically venues will be more expensive in the late Spring, Summer, and early Fall. Hint – if you’re looking to save some real cash, consider a January or February date and you’ll thank me later ;)
Speaking of money, the next important thing to decide on is your budget. While it’s intimidating, it’s also very important and hard to continue planning without one. Just remember, this is YOUR special day and no matter how much or little you spend, it will be special.
Once that dirty work is done, it’s all fun and games from here! Where do you want to get married? Will your ceremony and reception be in two separate locations? Start researching venues in your area and scheduling tours with those that catch your eye. When touring, don’t forget to ask about pricing, availability, and how many guests the venue can hold. Making the guest list can be hard but it’s helpful to have a general idea in mind so that you know right away if a venue you’re touring is too big or too small.
Once you’ve nailed down a date and venue, it’s time to gather some inspiration for your big day. Maybe the Pinterest board you created back in high school is still relevant to how you feel today but, either way, it’s good to refresh yourself (and your future hubby) with your vision.
Next, if you’re thinking you’ll want a coordinator to help bring your vision to life, start looking into those in your area who can fulfill all your needs. Some coordinators offer full service design needs while others might only help day of or leading up to the event. If you’re going to be your own coordinator and plan entirely on your own, that’s okay too! The Knot has a great tool for helping to make sure you have every detail covered and it will keep you on track as well. Their checklist can be found here.
See… wedding planning is, dare I say, easy?! Just remember, this is your day and there is no right or wrong way to host a wedding but, hopefully this has given you a good idea on where to start and you can already see your dream coming to life.
