You're Engaged! Now what?

Congratulations!!! Someone popped the question, and now you’re engaged!

Now what?

1.     Choose a date…range:

Start with a season. Are you envisioning a spring wedding? A fall wedding? Maybe a winter wedding is more your style. Are there any dates that have special significance to you as a couple? Based on this range, you can check availability at potential ceremony and reception venues. Many venues book 4-12 months in advance, so keep that in mind while you narrow down a date for your wedding.

2.     Decide on a budget:

Once you’ve figured out a budget, it’s important to discuss who’s contributing what. These decisions will vary from couple to couple and family to family, but open communication from the beginning will help things run smoothly when settling on a budget.

3.     Decide on a style:

Are you more country chic, urban glam, or old-world elegance? Deciding on a style will help narrow down your venue, florals, stationery, and other wedding details later.

4.     Create a wedding website:

In this digital age, more people are turning to sites like Zola or The Knot to create their free wedding websites. Don’t worry if you haven’t figured out all the details just yet. You can tweak your site as your wedding plans start taking shape. Many of these sites offer matching wedding invitation suites as well as universal registries. Be sure to take advantage of all these features.

5.     Create a rough guest list:

Start making your guest list so you’ll have a rough estimate to give caterers and venues. Make sure your guest list doesn’t exceed the venue’s capacity!

6.     Find a wedding checklist:

There are so many resources online and wedding checklists galore. In fact, if you’ve created a wedding website, chances are that the platform you’re using (i.e. Zola, The Knot, WeddingWire, etc.) has a built in checklist to keep you on track. Most of these are fairly customizable so you can remove action items that you already know won’t fit into your wedding day plans. Prioritizing tasks should help keep the list manageable.

7.     Make a list of vendors:

Make a general list of vendors you’ll need, from photographers to venues to stationers. Not sure where to start? Friends and family may have recommendations for you! Alternatively, you can attend a local wedding showcase and meet a variety of wedding vendors in just a few hours. Once you’ve made the list, you can start creating smaller sub-lists for each vendor type as you get availability and pricing for local vendors. If you’ve already booked a venue, it’s always a good idea to ask if they have a preferred vendor list. At the Wimbish House, we’re always happy to help guide our couples through our list of preferred vendors to create a rockstar team for their wedding day.

8. RELAX:

You’re well on your way to planning a beautiful event. Don’t get too overwhelmed and try to relax and enjoy the process. Delegate tasks to willing friends or family members, if you’re able.