You’re Engaged – What Happens Next?
You’re Engaged – What Happens Next?
Congratulations to all the newly engaged couples out there!
Perhaps the proposal happened at Christmas, and after all the excitement it’s now time to start planning your wedding.
So, you’re engaged – what happens next? We thought we would share our top tips to get you started!
Set Your Budget
When you begin your wedding planning journey, setting a budget is the key starting point.
Not the most glamorous or exciting part of planning, we know, however it will allow you to ensure you stay on track.
Be realistic. Sit down and go through your finances.
Whether you’re using your savings or getting help from family, work out how much you have in the pot, as well as any additional you might be able to save before the wedding.
It’s always worth building in a buffer, as it’s almost inevitable that you will find some last-minute things you want to indulge in…
Create Your Guest list
Firstly, a word of warning – this process invariably brings some kind of disagreement, so it’s important to stay strong and decisive!
Start off with the most obvious immediate family and your closest friends, before working your way through the remainder.
The guest list doesn’t need to be set in stone. It will likely evolve over time once you have secured your venue and have a better idea of cost-per-head.
Choose Your Bridal Party
Choosing your bridal party can be tricky. Sometimes there are family obligations to overcome or potential politics amongst friends.
It’s important that you have your favourites with you on that day – but make sure they are also aware in advance of the responsibilities involved.
Set A Date
With many venues booked months and years in advance, flexibility is often required in choosing the date if you have a specific venue in mind.
Try and narrow down your preferences – what time of year, indoor or outdoor, weekend or midweek?
Book Your Venue
Once you have some dates in mind, you can start to narrow down potential venues.
Whilst style is of course important, there are also a number of other key considerations, such as size, cost and exclusivity.
Create a shortlist and try to visit several so you can get a sense of what you do and don’t like.
Prepare your questions in advance, and check out testimonials from other wedding couples.
Experience
Planning a wedding should be a fun experience, and not one that becomes overwhelming or tiresome.
Think about what you can outsource – perhaps to talented friends and family.
Remember to enlist the help of the wedding team at your chosen venue, their experience will be invaluable.
It’s important that you enjoy the process, and sometimes handing over the reins is the easiest way of doing that!
Why not take a look at the other wedding blogs on the website for more inspiration!
