Tips For Your Engagement
So you’re newly engaged, and you’re not sure what is next?! You are filled with emotion and trying to remember every detail of your proposal. You wake up the next morning still in shock that you’re an engaged woman, and you’re eager to begin booking vendors and picking your theme, but what to do first?! Remember one thing; this will be the most emotional and fun planning process, so cherish every moment of it! I tell this to all my brides and grooms when they first reach out to me. Here are 7 tips on where to start this astounding planning process.
1. Telling Your Friends and Family
The most important people that you should know are your family and close friends. When my best friend got engaged, I was there for the engagement, and then when we got back to their house, her entire family was there to celebrate. FaceTime family, send them pictures, and post photos on social media!! Make sure all the important people know before posting, though! Tips For Your Engagement
2. Pick Your Ideal Wedding Theme
Picking the theme of your wedding can be one of the hardest things to do unless you’ve known for years, and now you can officially start to make your visions come to life. I’m sure you have Pinterest Boards with details, floral arrangements, wedding dresses & details, and bridal party gowns/tuxes. This is super important because it will help determine what type of venue you want and what kind of budget you need to have. Tips For Your Engagement
I would start with the time of year that you want to have your wedding, figure out if you want an indoor or outdoor wedding, and then a location. Destination weddings are trendy during the winter months, and beach weddings are popular during the summer. When I get married, I am going to be getting married in a warmer month of the year. Remember one thing, the fall and late spring are the most popular times of the year to get married so that they will be more expensive than the middle of winter or middle of the summer. That will play into the next point, too, setting your budget. Tips For Your Engagement
3. Set Your Budget
I cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure you have your entire wedding budget set and then break that budget down into each vendor. The biggest should be the venue and then the photographer. Those are the two most important vendors for your wedding day. Also, dividing up your overall budget. I would set aside at least $15-$20K for the venue and another $3-5K for your photographer. So when you find vendors you like that are cheaper than your set budget, you can put that money towards one of your bucket list items for your wedding.
4. Set Your Date
Setting your date is the most important thing on your to-do list. Do not reach out to any vendors until you have your date set and venue booked. All your vendors will be able to book based on if they have your date available. When I am approached about a wedding, and the couple doesn’t have their date set, I always tell them to come back when they have their date set. Otherwise, you will hold the vendors to multiple dates, and they won’t sign the contract with you. Tips For Your Engagement
5. Pick Your Venue
This goes hand and hand with setting your date. It is important to have a few options for your venue choice. Don’t just pick one. I would recommend having 3 options minimum. Also, when looking at these venues, make sure to ask a ton of questions. Most importantly, the cost per plate and if they have a guaranteed number. Most time, Monday-Thursday is lower numbers and cheaper. Then Sunday, Friday and Saturday in that order, cheapest to most expensive on the weekend. Saturday is the most popular day of the week to get married, and Friday is the second.
When making a list of venues, pick different types of venues. Park Chateau, Crystal Point Yacht Club, Perona Farms, & Ryland Inn, to name a few. They are all different types of venues and have different aesthetics to them. Variety in venue options is good.
6. Choose Your Photographer
This is the most important vendor that you can hire for your wedding. Your photographer will be a part of telling your story, and you want to make sure that they are professional, experienced, and all-around good. Do your research and meet with multiple photographers, get an idea of what they offer and what kind of service they can give you. Compare from photographer to photographer but keep notes to yourself. Tips For Your Engagement
Also, pick a style. True Color, Light and Airy, Dark and Moody or Brown-tone. They all make a difference in your images’ look, and professional wedding photographers have a certain style that they stick with.
Remember one thing, HIRE A PROFESSIONAL, don’t pick your family friend or someone cheap. You will get what you pay for, and you don’t want crappy wedding photos to remember the best day of your life.
7. Stay Organized
If there is one thing about wedding planning that you should always remember is to stay organized. Create spreadsheets, write things down, and have a folder with all your vendor contracts. Ensure that you get a copy of every contract you sign with your vendors and read through every one of them. Having a file folder for receipts and a notebook. Being organized is one way you will stay sane and not feel overwhelmed. Tips For Your Engagement