First of all, congratulations! Getting engaged is one of the most exciting milestones as a couple, you will celebrate in life. It’s a time full of mixed emotions and romantic expectations, but it’s also a time of significant learning and life changes. Yes, you and your future hubby are preparing to link your lives and share ‘forever’ together. But the reality is, this time in your life, although ecstatically happy, is not always easy.
So many challenges can confront you while you’re preparing for the big day. One of the first tests of marriage will be surviving the wedding planning process. And once you make it to your day, the journey you have taken together to get there will make the love and the bond between you two grow stronger and deeper than before.
Now to help you on your way to wedded bliss, we have prepared a list of the 7 most important things to do once you get engaged:
1. The “Ring” Selfie
As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words” and nothing says “Yasss we’re engaged!” than updating your social media status with a beautiful photo of your hand adorned with that beautiful sparkly stone (and hopefully your mani is on point too!).
The ring photo is also usually accompanied by a photo of you and your future hubby together with your new shiny pride of joy. And if your fiancée was well prepared for the moment, there may even be a professional video or photo of the proposal which can be shared on your social media pages.
And don’t forget to update your Facebook Relationship Status!
2. Collating your information & inspiration
Create a Pinterest board, or a Google Doc, save photos to Instagram or Facebook, or create a dedicated file on your computer to compile imagery of your favorite wedding elements. This will come in handy when the time comes to pull all of the visual inspiration together for your special day.
Nothing will save you more trouble and time than having everything organised in just one spot. When you are planning your wedding there are lots of things to compare, consider and keep track of and if you don’t save it in one place it’s going to be very hard to stay on top of things. (where are the flower quotes I received?).
It doesn’t need to be a physical wedding planner, you can make one on your own using drive, saving expenses to spreadsheets and compile documents with all of the questions you have asked and notes you have taken.
Some websites offer you great online planning tools completely free. Like Wedsites which is our favourite because it’s Australian owned and operated.
3. Picking your bride tribe
Bridesmaids, sounds easy right? You probably have some besties in mind already but choosing who’s going to be on your side when you say “I do” can cause some drama. In the end, you just have to remember that it’s your special day and you don’t have to feel obligated to have someone you don’t want at your side.
The people you choose to be in your brides tribe (females and males, as is common today) will be those who will have the most joy sharing that moment with you and who support your relationship whole-heartedly. Tthat best friend who told you your ex didn’t deserve you?! Yeah, they have to make the cut.
4. Setting a budget
Let’s face it, determining the budget is the least glamorous part of wedding planning but one of the most important. Weddings are a significant investment for any couple and if you don’t set a budget from the beginning, the cost could spiral out of your control as you get closer to your wedding date.
Your overall budget will dictate every decision about your wedding from your choice of venue, the guest list, the wedding dress, your ceremony setting, your reception decor, your flowers … every detail. So always remember to prioritize things to make sure not to over-spend on something that really isn’t important to you.
5. The guest list
Making the guest list seems easy because you’ll just invite everyone you love right? But actually it can be a very complicated task. Your guest list will be constrained ultimately by your budget. And if your budget doesn’t cover your mother’s distant cousin and plus one, then it will take some tough love to cut back where you need to.
As a couple, you and your hubby-to-be must sit down and think of whom you want to share your special day with. Traditionally the guest list is split between the groom and the bride, having half of the guests each. If your parents are financially contributing, then they may have a say in who attends. The best way to approach it when your parents are involved is to sit down and discuss the parents’ expectations about the guest list very early on (so there are no surprises).
6. Picking the date (or season)
Choosing the best date that works for you and your fiance (and families!) is not something easy. You don’t have to choose an exact one from the very beginning but it’s necessary to be clear about certain things when choosing dates.
Is important to decide if you want to get married during a certain season, or if you have a specific venue in mind that has limited dates. This is necessary because all the decoration, ceremony, and even the dress may depend on it (wearing a long sleeved wedding dress during a wedding? no, I dont think so).
7. Have fun!
There are so many things to start thinking about for the wedding. But don’t be overwhelmed. Committing the rest of your life to the love of your life is scary and amazing at the same time. And planning a wedding together will be the icing on the cake—we promise.
Remember, you’ve got this! This is a very exciting moment for you and your fiancée and everything will turn out to be just perfect, filled with love and fun as you always imagined. Just don’t forget to breathe and to say “I do” at the right moment, and enjoy the wedding planning journey to your wedding day destination.
Once you have a few ideas swirling around based on the in mind from the inspiration you have curated. Let’s chat about how we can help you bring this vision to life for you.
Jess xo
We’ll be here with you every step of the way to make your wedding planning as stress-free, enjoyable and budget-friendly as possible.
𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏’𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝑴𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝑬𝒂𝒔𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 😉!
