I’m Engaged! Now What?
Boy, oh boy, congratulations! Getting engaged is one of the best feelings in the world. Finding the one you were destined to be with hopefully brings with it strong feelings of peace, security, and excitement. And a whole lot of love, of course. After all the merriment has been had to celebrate your new commitment to one another, it’s time look at the logistics of actually making your marriage happen.
Perhaps you’re looking to just have a very intimate courthouse wedding or elopement. If that’s you, then this post isn’t quite for you. But if you’re looking to host a big celebration with your loved ones, you’re at the right spot. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s chat about what you should do now that you’re engaged.
Below are five steps to help you start your wedding planning process. And I’ll give the caveat that these steps can be interchangeable. You can really start any where with the first three but you’ll want those three determined before moving onto steps 4 and 5.
Step One: Determine the region you would like to be married in.
Do you prefer a wedding close to home or is there a destination location (hello Tahoe Weddings) you’ve been dreaming of getting married at? Is there a sentimental location that holds a special place for you and your fiance? Is there a place everyone in your family has been married for the last three generations? Finding the general region will help determine a lot of the next steps for you.
Step Two: Determine what season you’d like to be married
Are you winter lovers? Is skiing a special activity for you two? Do you love the fall colors? Is a summer time wedding on the lake something that represents you both well?
Step Three: Determine your VIP Guests and Get Their Wedding Blockout Dates
Your VIP Guests are your must-have invitees. Think parents, grandparents, siblings, and wedding party. Chat with them and determine if there are any date conflicts anyone might have within the particular season you are interested in. Keep a google note of all these dates to help you narrow down some good weekends within your preferred wedding season.
Step Four: Determine who is paying for your wedding and how much you anticipate you will have for your wedding.
Traditionally, the bride’s parents pay for the wedding but it is very common for the bride and groom to pay for weddings on their own these days. It is also common for ALL parties to pay for some of the wedding the bride, groom, parents of the bride and groom and even grandparents, too! Not sure how much to budget for your wedding? Know that most wedding inspo pics you’re seeing fall within the $60k and above. Many of our couples start at $60k, too. If you don’t have or don’t want to spend that much on your wedding- totally okay! There are certainly ways to have a gorgeous wedding celebration while being creative with your budget, too.
Step Five: Curate your guest list
Etiquette dictates that whoever is contributing financially to your wedding should be able to invite some guests. If you’re going the very traditional way with the bride’s parent’s hosting, the etiquette is to let the bride, groom, and groom’s parents also invite guests. The average wedding size is still 150 guests, but in this new era, we’ve been seeing a lot of very comfortable wedding sizes of 50-100 guests. Do know that your budget and guest list will (or should) play a factor in the venue you choose.
Once you’ve got these five elements down, it’s time to start your vendor search! Perhaps you would like to do a good portion of the planning on your own or after getting through this, you realize you’d love some professional help. Stay tuned for next week’s blog on how to properly curate your budget! But if you’re already knowing you’ll need help, we’d love to connect!
