I'm engaged...now what?

Getting engaged is by far one of the most exciting times in your life! I can remember way back when (like 16 ish years ago) when my now husband proposed. He was so nervous, but he got out some amazingly loving words, got on bended knee and through sobbing tears joy I said yes! And then it feels like I immediately began planning. 

Looking back now know it would have been great if I...

1. Talk to your soon to be spouse about what their vision of the wedding is. 
So often we go out and start planning, calling places and shopping and dreaming without even having that beginning                                  conversation of what our wedding looks like to both of us. So my advice is to sit down and together decide on some of the major aspects of your wedding. Should it be big or small, outdoor or indoor,  destination or local, simple and elegant or extravagant. What a beautiful way to start your lives together, talk about what you both desire for the day. 

2. Now that you know your vision for the wedding let's talk guest list and budget. 
The number of guests you invite will directly correlate to your budget. So, it's best to sit down and gather those family and friends names that you both must have at the wedding and then talk to your parents on who they would like to invite. My suggestion is that if your paying to them give your parents a number of guests they can invite this way the pressures off of having to narrow down the list. But, if your parents are paying you should talk to them first about the guest list. 

3. Hire a professional wedding planner. 
​Trust me on this one. It will save you money in the long run. Their a professional, they know how to stay on budget and plan an amazing day for you. How to stay true to your vision and provide a day that is as stress free as possible. You want this person, you need this professional wedding planner. 

3. Location, Location, Location- not date, date date.
You've decided on the general questions, you have a number of guests invited and budget, now let's talk location. Notice we have not set a date yet? The reason is often times newly engaged couples don't know that venues book at least a year in advance. So, if you just got engaged in December 2015 you are most likely not going to get married in the following year of 2016...unless your date is extremely flexible. My suggestion is to find a venue you love, one that stays within the vision you and your spouse to be have and that fits the budget, then talk to them about available dates. If you want a short engagement then speak to the venue about off dates, like a Sunday wedding or a holiday weekend wedding. But if a year long (or longer) engagement is ok by you then look to the following year 2017 where you will likely have a larger array of dates to chose from. 

4. Stick to hiring the professional wedding vendors. 
It may be tempting to save a few dollars and ask a friend to take pictures or perform the ceremony or arrange the flowers, but trust me, nothing can be more stressful than being left last minute with a friend who has decided that they no longer want to perform the ceremony or a friend that is no longer available to take photos. Hiring a professional wedding vendor means you are hiring the best person for the job for you. As a professional we work hard to work with you to ensure your wedding is amazing and exactly what you want. So call on us early as we to book year (s) in advance. Interview us, see if our personality and style are a good fit for you and sign a contract - get it in writing what our services include. 

5. Lastly, have fun! 
I know it's stressful planning a wedding, but try very hard to work together with each other to create a wedding that is beautiful to you. Trust me you don't need many of the little things your going to stress about - your guests will be happy witnessing your love and that is all that you can ask for.