Just got engaged? First off, congratulations! Second: these are the 10 things you should do next…
1. Share the good news with family and friends
This is a happy time and the great news must be shared with loved ones, preferably in a creative and fun way! Create a digital postcard with a photograph of the engagement ring or of the bride and groom and email it to all your family and friends announcing your engagement! Share the good news on Facebook, Twitter or other social media and keep your account up to date with all the next steps.
2. Plan an engagement party
Whether it’s a lunch, dinner or an all out engagement party, plan something special to announce and celebrate your engagement with close family and friends. Don’t forget to let them know that a fabulous wedding awaits them…
3. Choose the wedding date
In order to choose the perfect wedding date decide if you want a Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter wedding. Is there a special date on which you would love to have your wedding? Don’t forget to check the calendar so that you know exactly what day of the week you’re talking about when you decide to choose the wedding date.
4. Determine a budget
How much can you afford to spend on your wedding? What is your dream wedding? Can your budget cover it? What can stay and what must go?
5. Put together the guest list
Many decisions go into putting together the guest list: how many guests does your budget permit? Who do you invite? Who don’t you invite? Do you invite colleagues from work or just close family and friends? Do you want an intimate wedding or a traditional wedding with hundreds of guests?
6. Choose the place where the ceremony is going to be held
The place where the wedding ceremony is going to be held should be in agreement with the guest list, as well as the venue for the reception. If you expect 200 guests, then maybe getting married in a small chapel is not the best idea.
7. Choose the venue for the reception
Many popular venues, like hotels and other wedding appropriate spaces, require reservations a year or more in advanced, especially during wedding season.
8. Book an engagement shoot
It’s the perfect time to book an engagement shoot and document your love in a beautiful engagement album that will be a wonderful memory of this precious time in your lives. Since you have to hire a photographer for the wedding, look for one that also does engagement shoots – this is also a great way to get to know the photographer before the wedding and vice-versa. Make sure you get some very romantic shots and have fun doing it!
9. Decide if you’re going to hire a wedding planner
Idealizing, organizing and coordinating a wedding can be a full time job and stressful at times. So, if DIY is not a concept that applies to you, hire a wedding planner who will navigate all the pre-wedding organization like a pro. The result? Less hassles and unnecessary worrying for the bride and groom.
10. Choose the wedding dress
The wedding dress is one of the star pieces of the big day and requires a lot of idealizing and research, preferably in advanced, so you have time to check out all your options before making a decision. You don’t have to buy the dress immediately after the wedding proposal, but it is a good idea to start window shopping, magazine and online browsing… so the dream can start to become reality…
