Your head's reeling, your tummy is filled with butterflies, your social media is streaming with hundreds of likes, you know what that means - you're recently engaged!
Congratulations!
First getting engaged is such an exciting time and it is one that you will truly never forget. It is a time that you should make the most of, enjoy to its fullest, and cherish while you can. But, it is also the time to start getting yourself prepared for the wedding.
These days things book up faster than ever and if you want your dream wedding on a date that you already have in your head, it is never too early to get the ball rolling and to get yourself set up and organized.
To help you out with this, our blog today has a list of our top 5 things we recommend doing after you get engaged.
There could be many other things on this list and it will differ for each person and each couple, but there are 5 of the most important things that will stand you in good stead for the times to come.
Start a budget plan
Weddings are expensive, there is no doubt about that. And, in fact, everything involved will probably be a lot more expensive that you even thought it would be. You can make things as least stressful as possible by starting your budget plan as early as possible. Try to work out exactly what you have and what you will need for the things you want, and then make a plan accordingly.
This will also help you set your date because if you do need some more time to save up for the things you want, getting it all out on paper will help you know exactly how much time that will be. This is also the time to start being frugal and putting everything into the wedding fun. Fewer takeaways and more bus trips are a good start!
Secure a venue
Good wedding venues book up fast.
If you want to make sure that you get a specific wedding venue that is exactly what you want and has availability on the date that you want it, you need to make sure you get in there as early as possible. It might feel like a big and potentially scary decision to make so quickly but once you do it, everything else will fall into place much easier afterwards.
It means you can book caterers, photographer, decorations, performers, and everything else you need with all the information they will need early on too. This saves any potential disappointment down the line.
Go to wedding festivals
One way to find the best amenities for weddings in your area is to go to some local wedding festivals and fairs.
Have a look online and you will find loads of them. They will have a lot of supplies in one place, vendors, and services advertising themselves, giving demos, and even giving samples at these events. It's a great way to see what's our there and see what kind of things you like. It's also a great way to get individual quotes by speaking to people directly.
Making contacts in the wedding world is always a great way to go. You also usually get free cake, amazing.
Talk to others who have been through the same thing
Planning a wedding can be pretty stressful, we won't sugarcoat that for you.
A great way to manage this dress is to talk openly to other people who have been through the same process as you recently. They will be a gold mine of tips and tricks and they will be able to tell you all the main things to avoid. They will also probably have some great contacts and leads from people who helped them out with their wedding.
Having someone who can truly understand what's going on for you right now will help you to not feel alone or overwhelmed during the process. And it's always great to have someone to laugh with about the oddities of wedding planning.
Get a binder
Wedding planning requires a lot of forms, documents, dates, times, people, contacts, etc.
You can keep yourself right by getting an organizational binder that is just for wedding paraphernalia. Keeping everything all in the one place will help you keep yourself organized, together, and calm.
You never know when you will need that one slip of paper you had three weeks ago for something important, and so it's great to know exactly where it will be. This is also a great place to keep all your legal documents together for the actual marrying part of the wedding.
After that, all you have to do is enjoy yourself and enjoy this wild ride you are now embarking on.
Good luck, and happy planning!
*This is a sponsored blog post by Giggster.
