As a former wedding planner I always get asked the question “What do I do now that I’m engaged?” It is a very common feeling to be overwhelmed by the excitement and I’m here to help you figure out what the next steps are in your engagement. It’s important to be on the same page with your fiance as far as timing goes. You may want to get married right away and they may want to wait a few years. The planning process is all about timing. Make sure you share the same vision or at least agree on the big parts of your special day. When that is understood, then you can move onto the steps that listed below!
1. Nail down the time of year you want for your wedding
This is important to do as the very first step because everything from your decor and theme to wardrobe and venue will largely play into the season of your wedding. This touches on what I mentioned above, obviously make sure you’re on the same page as your future partner. This will lay the foundation for everything else you do in this crazy ride we all call wedding planning.
2. Start a Pinterest board
You may have already done this if you’re like most girls, but now is the time to actually start pining things that are relevant to you and your partner’s vision. As lovely as all of your previous pins of extravagant and sparkly weddings are, it is now time to start finding pins that reflect your vision and your budget. Follow our Pinterest here!
3. Select your venue
This takes time. I always suggest starting with this because finding a venue may be one of the hardest things you do. Begin with research, call venues and find out which ones fit your aesthetic and budget and make appointments to meet with them. Some venues offer everything from wedding coordination to catering, and some offer just the venue space. Decide what you need from your venue and select one accordingly. Check out this list of amazing Colorado wedding venues to get some ideas!
4. Decide on your wedding party
selecting your wedding party early on is essential if you want them to be part of things like finding your dress and helping with the planning process. This can be done before any of the other steps if you would like but don’t do it any later if you want them to part of the big planning steps.
5. Find your wedding attire
This can also be done as early as you would like, just don’t buy your dress too early if your wedding isn’t for a few years because you may change your mind, and don’t buy it too late because no one wants to to pay the rush fees to have their dress altered right before their wedding date. The typical recommendation is getting your dress 7-9 months in advance. Finding the perfect gown can be intimidating but if you do your research on styles and designers you like, you are likely to be successful within the first few bridal salon trips. Men’s wedding attire however, can wait a little bit longer. Just make sure that there is time for suit alterations.
6. Send out save-the-dates
Whether or not you decide to take engagement photos, you still need to send out a save-the-date to your Guest list. This lets people know when you are tying the knot so they don’t make any other plans for that day and can start planning travel arrangements if necessary. This should be done as soon as you know what your wedding date is, especially if you are getting married in the busy Summer season.
7. Decor and Vendor decisions
Now that you have a venue it is time to start finding ways to enhance the space with decor, our favorite part of the planning process. This is where your Pinterest board will come in handy! You can start hand picking your vendors based on your vision. Check out our post on the 5 biggest wedding trends this season here!
8. Register for gifts
You have officially made it past all of the difficult part of planning your wedding, now it’s time for a little bit of fun! Registering for gifts is a blast because it’s like designing your home without having to spend the money, but remember to be kind to your guests. Yes they want to help, but they don’t want to buy you a $500 mixer. Our favorite place for a wedding registry is Zola.com. It is the perfect place for all of your needs and it it’s conveniently online where everyone can find it. It can also link up with your wedding website if you have one!
9. Throw your parties
Like I mentioned above, it’s time to celebrate! Throw your bachelor and bachelorette parties! Just a friendly reminder, your bridesmaids and groomsmen are already paying a lot of money to be part of your big day. As fun as a trip to Vegas might sound, make sure it’s cool with everyone before you book it, or be okay with some people skipping the festivities.
10. It’s WEDDING TIME!
The moment you planned for so long is finally here! Enjoy yourself. Drink plenty of water. You’ve made it!
