We are officially in the middle of engagement season and if you’re reading this, you likely know someone who – or maybe you – got engaged over the holidays. If so, you’re in good company. Did you know that The Knot “Real Weddings” Survey shows that 45% of couples get engaged during engagement season? That sweet spot of the year between Thanksgiving and Valentines Day. If you got engaged, or proposed to over the holidays, what should you do next?
1. First and foremost, take time to enjoy what just happened. This is the first of two “honeymoon” phases, and frankly, we think it’s the MOST fun. You’re in that perfect euphoric space of love, happiness, celebration and the butterflies are fluttering everywhere. So take all the time you need and enjoy sharing this special time with your new partner for life. The second phase comes during the actual honeymoon...we'll focus on that one later.
2. Get with your partner and narrow down top priorities for your wedding day. We recommend no less than 3 and no more than 5. This will help you keep what matters, front of mind. And it will help you decide where to focus your budget. If your planner doesn’t ask for this information upfront, that’s a red flag. If you call us first, you won't have to worry about this part...we'll hold your hand through the whole process.
3. After you’ve nailed down your priorities, it’s going to be time to think through the beginning stages of budget planning. Don’t get too deep yet (you'll want your planner to guide you through this process for sure) but let’s decide your “fall of the chair” number. That’s the number that you are comfortable spending on your wedding day. It may be $20K, $50K or $200K. Whatever it is, you’ll need to know the total to start breaking down the appropriate amounts for each category to properly manage spending and not let the wedding take over.
4. Without question, the next step is to hire your planner. Do this sooner than later to maximize your planner fee. Hiring the right planner will save you time, money, stress, arguments, headache, sleepless nights, etc. Obviously we know why and we’ve got 100 reasons to share, just ask, and the right planner (uh, us) will set you on the right planning path for a smooth process. And as mentioned above, the right planner should ask lots of questions about you and your fiancé and what is important to you. They should not focus on themselves or what they can do for you. The right planner will do what’s needed to flawlessly execute your event and the vision you have in your head.
5. Begin reviewing and touring venues. This will help you figure out your date, if you don’t already have one and/or are open to flexibility and determine exactly what type, style and location fits within your budget. Another tip we love to share is do NOT book a venue or any vendors until you’ve created a budget. This is rookie mistake #1, and we don’t want you to make it. When you select a venue prior to resolving your budget, you often end up “venue poor” and we want to avoid that at all costs…pun intended!
6. Now that you’ve narrowed your priorities, hired a planner, set your budget, and narrowed down your venue selection(s), you can officially settle on a date. We put this toward the end because if you can be somewhat flexible on your date, it will open a lot of opportunities for cost savings and maximized use of the space.
7. Lastly, start working through the rest of your vendors. Most couples like to start with the photographer and go from there. Often times your favorite photographer will book up faster than other vendors, so lock them in and then tackle the rest.
Wedding planning can be overwhelming but not if you have the right team in your corner. So whether you are getting married in a month, or a year, reach out and let us help get you squared away. And if you didn’t follow these steps during your process, that’s okay. We can still help way more than you know.
All you need now to enjoy the process is to Plan It With Me!
No time to read but still interested in this topic? Click to enjoy Episode 35 of Lifting the Veil where Kathy & Christina take a deeper dive and weigh in with their opinions.
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