You’re engaged and you’re on your way to marry your best friend! But now what? He put a ring on it, you have a ton of ideas but you don’t know where to start. I will provide the steps couples should take after engagement!
Here are the 8 first steps you should take when beginning the wedding planning process!
1. Take it all in:
Breathe together for a minute and enjoy this moment to celebrate with your friends and family! Soak up the excitement with your fiancé and enjoy this engagement period for a week or so before any planning or extra pinning on pinterest.
2. Create a Budget:
You cannot begin planning anything without money, right? Create a budget with your fiancé, parents or whoever is involved in the financing and be strict about sticking to your budget. Pro tip; spend more money on long lasting items such as: Photography, Videography, Albums, Dress, Rings, Gifts, Jewelry. These are the things you’re going to cherish for years to come!
3. Pick a Season:
I say this instead of a date because dates can be changed, but the season can’t, so there is no need to settle on “April 24th” when you have no idea when the venue you choose is going to be available. Say Spring instead, or Fall etc. The season will help narrow down ideas as well, for example, you probably don’t want to have red and and orange as your colors/decor in the spring right? And your dress, you probably don’t want to pick something too heavy for a summer wedding, you want a light dress to stay cooler!
4. Choose your Venue:
This is where the planning starts! Now that you have your budget and your season it will be easier to narrow down your venue. I recommend looking on wedding wire, the knot or google, and typing in something very specific that you want in your wedding venue! Tour your top pick first but make sure you have 2 backups just in case it does not accommodate all of your needs. What I mean by this is, if you’re thinking of having 200 guests your venue may only allow 50 guests maximum, or you are only allowed to use vendors from their list etc, venues can be very tricky like this, so ask ALL the questions you can!
BONUS – Questions to ask on the venue tour:
- How many guests does this accommodate?
- Is there an indoor and outdoor option in case of rain?
- Who is in charge of clean up on wedding day
- What is included in my package?
- Are there any rules or restrictions we have to follow?
- How early can we arrive?
- How late can we stay?
- Are we allowed to set up the night before?
- Can we have our engagement photos on the property?
- Do we have to find our own Caterer? If it is included, who is it?
- Can we use sparklers for our exit?
- Are we allowed to have alcohol? What about a bartender, are they included or can we hire one?
- Are there any added expenses we need to be aware of?
- Can I read the contract before I sign?
- Do you host more than one event on the same day? If so, how many other events will be booked for the same day as my wedding?
- Can we bring a DJ or Band?
- What time does the music need to stop?
- Can we see a full gallery from a wedding in our season?
Okay that was way more questions than I thought I would think of, but you get the idea, be very specific about what you are wanting to know and be thorough with your questions, this is a huge investment so you deserve to know what you’re getting into!
Now continuing the steps couples should take after engagement.
5. Set your date:
Once you have finalized your Venue and have gone over their availability, pick your date! It is getting real now, your date is set and now it is time to officially start the planning process!
6. Hire a planner:
If this could be number 1 it would be, because I cannot stress enough how much a planner will help you with the process of wedding planning! It can be so stressful and overwhelming, especially if you are still in school, have a full time job or free time is not as frequent, hire that wedding planner and let them handle all the hard tasks! Send your pinterest boards, mood boards, ideas all of it! Tell them exactly what you want, be thorough and be honest if you don’t like something, it is YOUR day! But, also trust their professional opinion as well, they know more than anyone about weddings!
7. Bridal Party Proposals:
Let’s get your squad together! Bridal party proposals are so important, this is a question you can’t take back so be sure to pick accordingly haha. Your bridal party crew should be the people who hold you accountable, who make you feel loved and appreciated and the people who have influenced your relationship in the best way! You want to make sure you have an even number of bridesmaids and groomsmen so your party is equal and you want to choose an even number (4,6,8) because you both want to be the 1 in the middle, so you stand out! ( this isn’t required but what can I say, i’m OCD haha)
8. Book Your Vendors:
Now it’s time to get those vendors for your special day! You have a budget, a venue and a date so now this should narrow down the availability of the vendors and give them the correct information for your big day! You won’t go way over budget because you have a wedding planner involved and you are on your way to creating your dream wedding! Vendors to be sure to nail down first: Photographer, Videographer, DJ, Bridal Boutique, Florist, Hair and Makeup, Invitation Designer, Caterer and Cake Artist. Any other vendors you wish to include can be added bonuses!
These 8 steps couples should take after engagement are pretty simple and straight forward and I hope this helps make your wedding planning process much easier!
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