1.Take some time to celebrate with your new fiancé
You two have just decided to make a lifelong/life changing commitment to each other. Take some time to enjoy one another because you will be spending the next several months planning a wedding of your dreams.
2.Take pictures
It’s easy to get caught up in the moment, but don’t forget to document this special time. Even if you don’t show anyone, this is moment you’ll always want to remember. PS don’t forget the ring selfie!
3.Tell your close family and friends
Time to let those near and dear to you know, if they weren’t there of course. Your family and friends will be excited to hear every little detail!
4.Announce your engagement to extended friends and family.
Now share with everyone. You can do this via social media, sending texts, calls, or cards. There are cool sites waiting to hear how he asked that could give you an opportunity to get featured! (ie: howtheyasked, the knot rings, etc.) Tag your jewelry store, ring designer if you know it. Do what feels right for you, but be prepared once you’ve made it public everyone will want to know “so when’s the wedding, when are you getting married?”
5. Get your ring resized (if needed) and insured.
Make sure your new bling fits properly and will not slide off. When a ring fits properly, you should be able to put it on and get it off with some resistance.
6. Set a budget
You can do this or allow a wedding planner to help you create a realistic budget. This is the opportunity to see if family members will contribute and set how much you’ll be able to spend on your big day. Discuss with your fiancé what’s your top five things that are a must have for your wedding. Before you can research venues, pick out flowers and taste cakes, you need to sit down with your fiancé and set a budget. This is going to be one of the most critical components to planning your wedding.
7. Think about the big picture
Imagine the type of wedding you BOTH want. It could be the wedding of your childhood dreams or similar to your likes now. Consider the time of day and the vibe. Are you wanting something more traditional, rustic, a party atmosphere, vintage or shabby chic.
8. Think of your guest list
Who must be at your wedding? Bride and groom…okay that’s two, but who else, if anyone else. If all the people you and your fiancé want to invite runs the risk of you going bankrupt, you may want to slim your list down. If you can’t decide if you want to invite someone, I like this advice, if you wouldn’t invite them to your home for dinner don’t invite them. Having a drafted guest list will help with choosing your venue.
9. Pick a venue
Now with a vision, a budget, and estimated guest count under your belt. Now let’s choose a venue. Picking a certain venue can control your date, formality, and what other vendors you’ll need. Consider this advice, just like for THE DRESS, “try on” different options not just the one you want.
10. Discuss a date
You really can’t do anything else until you have your date set. You don’t want to wait around on this because vendors book up quickly, sometimes even a year in advance. Keep in mind if you have a specific date you want (ie. Parent anniversary) your favorite vendor could be unavailable. If possible be sure to get a few available dates from each vendor to help you narrow down what date works best overall. Make sure to consider weather, if you want an indoor or outdoor wedding, in-season vs. out of season prices, etc.