Newly Engaged: First 5 Most Important Things To Do

Engagement, Wedding Planning

Newly Engaged: First 5 Most Important Things To Do

Oh my goodness, the day is finally here!! That ring finger on your left hand never looked so good and to think, you will finally be Mrs.______. Such an exciting time! But we often hear from our brides that shortly after the initial rush of excitement and happiness comes, they soon feel weighed down by a heavy question…..Now what do I do?

Wedding planning is a tricky time in anyone’s life that is comprised of excitement, joy, stress, worry, and BIG changes. So many newly engaged people go through the same exact emotions and situations so we wanted to share with you a few super easy tips to keep you on that newly engaged high.

♥ 1) Enjoy Your Engagement!!! Wedding planning does not need to immediately happen. Have fun not knowing what the date is, where the wedding is going to be and what colors your lovely bridesmaids will be wearing. Just enjoy knowing you will spend the rest of your life with the person of your dreams! You will have PLENTY of time to worry about all the other details. As for now, rush out and get a manicure so your hands look stunning when showing off your blinding new rock. Enjoy posting those pretty pictures of your hand positioned ever so perfectly to show off your newly banded ring finger. And most of all, have fun telling your family and friends, and well just about anyone who will listen to your tear-jerking engagement story. This is all FUN!!!

♥ 2)Hire A Wedding Planner!!!!! No, not because we happen to be awesome wedding planners🙂 Because this is sooooo important to your entire wedding planning process. You will notice tons of details below that you may not have ever thought about. This is just the tip of the iceberg to the next very important months that lay ahead of you when you are getting ready for your big day. You want someone in your corner that knows the ins and outs of the business. You will cut out a lot of the research you would have had to do if you chose to do this on your own. Just asking your wedding planner is so much more simple than figuring things out on your own. Trust us, this is an amazing investment!

♥ 3)Create Your Budget. Sit down with your new fiancé and go over the ever so dreaded topic….budget. It is so important to know how much money you are working with for this important day, as this dictates just about everything. Determine who you think will be contributing. Often times, your parents will offer a set amount of money for the wedding day but sometimes they won’t, remember this is new territory to all parties. This may be the first time your parents have a child getting married. Sometimes people just don’t know what happens next so don’t hesitate bringing it up. Feel free to set up a time to meet with your parents and with your fiancé’s parents and get this part of the planning set in stone early on so you don’t have to go through any grey areas or uncomfortable situations later on. Keep in mind, it may be a good idea to set up a wedding bank account that you and your fiancé commit to putting aside a specific amount of money each month in to. Always helps to have extra. Talk to your wedding planner about ways to allocate this money so you are not overspending in areas that may cause you to cut corners in others.

♥ 4) Create Your Guest List. Now that you have your budget established, you know about how many people you can invite. A good rule of thumb is to allocate 1/2 of your overall budget to food and beverage. With a few simple math equations, you will be able to figure out how many people you can invite. If you have a general idea of the type of venue you will have your wedding at, contact them to see what the average price/person is. If you have no clue where you will have your wedding, think about the type of food you will want to serve. There are less expensive options like food trucks, a great bbq menu, or maybe you prefer to go more formal with a plated dinner. Do some research (or ask your wedding planner) and get an estimated idea of the price/person so you know how many people can be invited. DO NOT let your guest list determine the budget. Guest lists can get out of control. When you are choosing your guests, you want to be rather tough on your selection. Not every co-worker, friend, or family member needs to be invited. Be selective, this is an intimate celebration and only the people who are really truly close to you and your fiancé should witness this super special evening.

♥ 5) Venue Shopping/Picking A Date. We combined these two because they are very relevant to one another. Either our couples will pick a date that is important to them and find a venue that is open on that date or they pick the venue and see what dates are available and then they pick the date that is most fitting for them. There is no right or wrong here. Choosing the venue is one of the most stressful parts of the wedding planning process. It determines so much in your overall planning. Talk to your fiancé and determine what kind of look and feel you are going for. You want this to be a fair representation of you two as a couple. There are so many options like modern, elegant, classy, traditional, outdoor, indoor, unique, etc. Be sure to take location into consideration. Do you have a lot of out of town guests coming in? Do you need to be close to the airport? Do you need to be in an area that has a great nightlife or fun things to do for guests. Are there nearby hotel accommodations at lower and higher price points? Since we are located in Scottsdale, Arizona, many of our couples want to be sure to keep their weddings close to Old Town where there are tons of shops, restaurants, and a great night life. Be sure to really research these details in your area and think about everything before you commit to a venue. And last but not least, read your venue contract thoroughly (or ask your wedding planner to go over it with you). This is a huge commitment you are making and it is so important to know the ins and outs of the document you are signing.