Helpful Tips For The
Newly Engaged Couple
Article By | Jennifer Atkins & Ashley Blackwell, Perfectly Planned
YOU’RE ENGAGED!!! Congratulations on taking that big step in your relationship. Now what? Planning a wedding can be overwhelming, so we would like to help you navigate the first steps that will make the rest of the planning fall into place.
- Celebrate
First of all, unless you are planning a short engagement, take the time to enjoy your engagement without rushing into any major decisions for a few weeks or even months. Enjoy celebrating with your family and friends and take in all of the excitement surrounding the both of you.
- Get the big conversations out of the way early
Before you start looking at venues or planning for a larger guest count, you should already have an idea of what your wedding budget will be. Don’t get caught up in signing contracts at the most expensive venue if it takes up a significant portion of your overall budget. There is nothing worse than having “buyer’s remorse,” and the sinking feeling that you won’t have enough in the budget to cover other things that are important to you and your fiancé. The guest count also affects many things such as food cost, rental items and floral costs.
- Find out what each other wants in their big day.
You may think you know what your fiancé wants for their wedding day, but don’t assume. Have each of you make a separate list of your priorities and vision for the day, then compare lists. You might be surprised by what you find out. Have that important conversation afterwards to narrow down priorities. Afterall, you both are getting married and want to make the other one happy.
- Know that weddings are expensive.
Unless you’ve had a sibling or relative get married recently, most brides don’t know the cost of weddings. Having realistic expectations early in the planning process will help you overcome sticker shock. In most cases, prices have doubled or even tripled in the last 2-3 years. There are ways to save money and a good wedding planner can help you navigate cost saving recommendations.
- Ignore unsolicited, unwanted advice
This is going to be one of the hardest parts about planning a wedding. Everyone has an opinion on what you should or shouldn’t do. This is YOUR wedding and the decision to accept advise is totally up to you. Know that you are in control and be careful not to let others influence things that you and your fiancé might not want.
- Involve your wedding planner early in the process
If you decide to hire a wedding planner, it’s best to make this one of the first vendors you book. Wedding planners can help you allocate your overall budget to what you should spend on each vendor category and keep you on track during the wedding planning process with your vision and style.
- Don’t spend every waking moment planning.
Your engagement should be a magical time for you and your fiancé to focus on spending the rest of your lives together. Make your relationship the priority and set aside time for special dates or activities that do not involve talking about the wedding. Constant “wedding talk” will result in burnout and it will take away from the excitement on your special day.
Lead planners & owners of perfectly planned share helpful tips to planning your wedding to ensure your celebration is stress free, fun, and most importantly—the day of your dreams!