Brides, Here Are The Top 5 Things to Prioritize Once You Are Engaged
1. ENVISION YOUR PERFECT WEDDING DAY: This is the sweetest of seasons to celebrate, you’re engaged!!! Now, think about what the perfect wedding day would be like for you + your fiancé. Think about what elements matter the most, what colors you want to incorporate, & dream about where you will say “I Do” in front of all your friends and family.
2. BUDGET + GUEST LIST: It is crucial to establish a budget immediately when beginning planning. Establishing a budget will help you determine what elements + vendors are your top priority. Outlining a budget will also allow you better find the perfect vendors within your price range. Overall, outlining a planning budget will just keep you on track throughout the planning process. Now, on to the guest list- it is important to start figuring out an approximate number of guests that will be attending your wedding. This rough estimate of the number of guests will help you to better book your venue, cake, catering, and several other vendors! It is a crucial factor to know about how many guests you are expecting before you book a venue. You do not want to pick a venue that can only hold up to 200 guests but yet, you have about 300 on your guest list. If you hire a wedding planner, this step will be super easy because the planner will ensure you stay on track with budget and guest list/RSVPS.
3. OPTIONS FOR DATES + TOUR/BOOK A VENUE: Wow, this is a big priority after getting engaged! It is important to think about what time of year you want to get married and start looking into dates that would be perfect for you & immediate family, etc. One thing that is important however, do not have your heart set on an exact date until you pick a venue because the venue that you love may not be available on that specific date you like. Once you get a time of year in your head, it is important to start touring venues! When touring venues, it is also crucial to go prepared with any questions you may have or questions that are important to know for your special day if you were to book. This is another step that you, as a bride will be less overwhelmed with if you have a wedding planner.
4. START FINDING & BOOKING VENDORS: Once you have your wedding date & venue, it is important to start finding and researching vendors. The vendors that need to be your first priority are photographers, catering, florists, wedding planner and band if you are choosing to have a band. The reason being, these vendors are normally the ones that book up as far as a year in advance or more. I always suggest setting up meetings with multiple vendors so you can meet them and have several options to choose from. This way, you can find the perfect vendor that will suit you and your wedding style the best.
5. BUY YOUR WEDDING DRESS: The next thing to prioritize is finding you perfect wedding dress for the big day!! This is crucial to prioritize because you never know how long your wedding dress could take to order and come in because it all depends on the designer/store. You want to have plenty of time for the dress to come in and be able to have all the alterations you need done in a timely manner. Not only is timing an important reason to prioritize finding your dress, but it is also important because your dress can help a lot with the overall design and look of your wedding day. You will need to base bridesmaids dresses, color scheme, textures, and even the groom/groomsmen attire off of your wedding dress design + a whole lot more.
We hope this top 5 list helps you to prioritize what steps to take first after you are newly engaged. While wedding planning is all about prioritizing and making a schedule/checklist, it is also incredibly important to prioritize the true reason of a wedding celebration, and that is the marriage! Your engagement season is one you should cherish and make sure to prioritize your soon-to-be spouse through it all.
Brides, if you read through these steps and feel overwhelmed, we encourage you to reach out to us! We would absolutely love to help you plan your special day & help you to prioritize the most important steps to planning your wedding day!