Engaged? Now What?

Engaged now what? 5 things to do after you say YES!


1. Purchase and subscribe to Bridal Magazines.

Go a little crazy. Spend some time looking through magazines, tear out things that you like.

Tip: Get an accordion folder or a binder, and file your finds under ‘dress’, ‘flowers‘, ‘cake’, ‘bridesmaids’, etc

2. Ask yourself: When you picture your wedding what do you see? (Other than your soon-to-be spouse, of course!)

Brain storm your ideas and record them on a note pad. Include locations, guests, colours – anything that you have always dreamed about. Then, circle anything that is a ‘have to have’ and focus on these parts of your wedding first. For example, if you have always dreamed of getting married at that Japanese garden, then secure the location (and check with an almanac) before you announce the date!

3. Purchase a wedding Book.

Get yourself a wedding planning workbook. These books are full of checklists and are organized by how many weeks/months in advance you need to do everything. They will make your life so much easier. Even if you are going to use a Wedding Planner, purchasing the book, this will allow you to be prepared and informed once you meet with your planner.

4. Decide – DIY or Wedding Planner

Take a good look at the wedding book you just purchased and ask yourself honestly – do you have the support system in place to get all of the ‘to-do's’ items on the lists done? If not, do you have the time and the organizational skills to do them all yourself? I remember hearing that some women actually take a leave of absence from their work to plan their weddings. I heard this about a month before my wedding when it seemed like I was spending every minute that I wasn’t at my own job and on the job working on my wedding. It made perfect sense to plan my wedding on my own, I figured that being hands on and involved made my wedding even more special.. I was wrong I was constantly stressing.

Tips or Options: scale down and simplify the wedding (revisit that list you made of ‘must-haves’), hire a Wedding Planner or a consultant (this is also a service provided by many planners), the consultant, will help you get on the right track but they don’t actually plan your entire wedding. For more information you would need to meet with your planner and discuss the wedding planning packages and services they may provide.

5. BUDGET

You must have a budge, you can not move forward until you know how much you can afford to spend. This will involve a meeting with anyone helping financially. At the least, have a verbal (preferably face-to-face) conversation – never assume anything! If you and your partner are paying for everything yourself, you need to sit down together and talk openly about what you can both afford. You don’t want your marriage to start off with the added stress of money troubles, or worse, money arguments!

Happy Planning!

From your specialists,

Elegant Creations.