10 things YOU NEED
TO DO once ENGAGED
So, you just got engaged.
after all the celebrating with family its time to start planning, and what better way than going to pinterest and pinning everything your want, right? wrong. please don’t do that! ✋🏼
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, AS WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS WE GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WEDDING planning AND WEDDINGs IN GENERAL. WITH AS MANY WEDDINGS AS WE ARE AT, WE KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT WHAT A WEDDING DAY SHOULD LOOK LIKE, AND HOW TO MAKE THEM FUNCTION WELL!
SO WE’VE MADE A LIST OF THE FIRST 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO DO ONCE YOUR’E ENGAGED! 👇🏼
DON’T DO A THING. I know its exactly what you don’t want to do since entered planning mode.. but JUST RELAX AND ENJOY THE MOMENT. WEDDING PLANNING IS ACTUALLY VERY TIME CONSUMING. ALSO, THERE IS ONLY A SHORT PERIOD IN LIFE WHERE YOU GET TO CALL THAT SOMEONE YOUR FIANCE’, SO ENJOY this time, trust us when we say it goes fast!
we really need to mention the word communicate! not only is this so important as an engaged couple planning a wedding, but COMMUNICATION is probably one of the most important things to be good at as a couple when it comes to marriage! So, get good at it now, don’t wait until later!
create a budget. 💸 we know, not exactly the most fun thing to do. but it is honestly one of the biggest parts about wedding planning because it will determine almost every other decision that you make: venue, how many guests, decorations, and even your actual wedding date (how long you need to save for the wedding) is effected by budget. so find out if your parents are helping, other family or just your and your fiance’! you can have a beautiful wedding on small budgets. 🙌🏼
p.s. did you know almost half of couples go over there intended budgets.. and they go over by $7000 on average. eeeekk. so we made a guide specifically on budgeting! I know, sounds like a fun one.. 🙃 BUt, we explain how much you need for certain things and give you percentages so you can apply the amounts to any budget! so watch your email for that guide coming soon!
choose a date (or a couple) you dont have to have an exact date right away, but before you can do alot of the next steps, you need to have a firm date. you wont be able to book a venue, hire photographers and/or videographers, find a dj, or send out ‘save the dates’ until you have a firm date.
tour and pick a venue! this will be a big factor for many other DECISIONS. not only does a venue cost about 20% of your total budget, but it will set your mood for you wedding, and give you a limit on guests you can fit. Some venues book very far in advance depending on how popular of a wedding date you pick. thats why this should be done QUICKLY!
*note: fridays and sundays will sometimes be discounted versus a saturday wedding date because of demand! so keep that in mind! 😊
**another note: since covid has messed up a lot of plans, don’t be afraid to elope! it’s actually a great way to celebrate with close family and save a lot of money and headaches!
create your guest list. this is a very fun, and also not so fun time depending on your budget (and/or venue size). Start with people you couldn’t imagine celebrating without. immediate family and your closest friends, and then you add grandparents. after that, your list will get very big very fast once you start adding aunts and uncles and extended family to the list. people will add plus ones and kids and on and on. and remember... it’s doubled because there are two of you getting married. 😉
send save the dates. we know your are excited, and want to tell everyone and show off that ring. so once you have your venue booked for your date, you have enough info to let your friends and family know to mark their CALENDARS.
note: most couples hire a photographer to do an engagement session first, so you have some nice professional photos to put on those invites!
along with picking guest’s, you need to pick a bridal party! make sure to take your time on this, don’t rush into it and just tell people in normal conversations you want them in your wedding. make sure its people you trust, and that have been an important role in your life. (not just a random someone you met a month ago that you think you click with lol..) and remember, how many you pick will also DETERMINE some costs. Normally the couple getting married (aka you and your fiance’) buy gifts for everyone in the wedding part and supply the BOUTONNIÈRES and bouquets!
*Also: having equal numbers of people on both sides is always better if possible. sometimes it can be awkward for the person that has to walk by themselves at the ceremony and reception. 😆
hire a photographer and/or videographer. 📸 yay!! (our favorite part!) your day is important, and you will (hopefully) remember it for the rest of your lives! But having your day captured is a way to relive the day over again. you will not only want to make sure the photographers style fits you, but also their personality! Make sure you are a good fit for each other because they are one of the only people that will be by your almost your. entire. wedding. day. so make sure you talk to them lots and makes sure that you are a good fit for each other! they will be a big part of helping on your day!
note: we photographers sometimes get booked up to two years in advanced, so don’t wait to contact for their AVAILABILITy!
One more thing you need to do towards the beginning of your engagement, will probably be something you want us to tell you to do… Go shopping for a dress! why so early? well depending on how much your’e wanting to spend, you buying a dress that needs alteration could take months or even a year depending on where you buy them from.
but, as of lately, it has became trendy and totally fine to find dresses from business such as asos and other websites who make beautiful dresses for really affordable prices!
okay, now you can do the thing you have probably already done, go to pinterest & find wedding inspiration! we know you care how everything looks and have cared since you were 10 years old. so pin everything you think is you, and keep pinning. you can go through it later with your fiance’ and sort through what fits you guys and probably a lot of things he will think are weird and you don’t need. remember, communicate! alot.
*
we hope this helped! and we will continue into more detail on these topics every week! so keep an eye out, and get planning! 🙌🏼☺️🎉