Congratulations to all you newly engaged couples out there! You’re about to embark on two amazing adventures! The first, of course, being the exciting life you have ahead of you as a married couple, and the second being the exciting, though often overwhelming wedding planning process. Don’t despair though. Take a deep breath and consider these 5 helpful tips to get you off to the right start in planning the wedding of your dreams.
Enjoy the moment
- You’re engaged! Stare at the engagement ring! Enjoy the fun of sharing the wonderful news with all those nearest and dearest! Kiss each other a thousand times. Jump up and down saying “We’re engaged!” Take the time to write down in detail how you got engaged. Contemplate the wonderful things ahead of you. Take pictures of yourselves with the engagement ring. Kiss each other a thousand more times. Did someone say engagement party?
Set the Date and Venue ASAP
- Setting the date is one of the most important decisions you will make as you plan your wedding. You can’t start much in the planning process until this has been done. Once you establish the date you should start selecting your venue. Many venues are booked a year or more in advance, so the further in advance you start looking, the more likely you are to get the time, and date you’ve planned for.
Consider hiring a Wedding Planner AND book your photographer
- A professional planner can be invaluable in putting together your ideal day, and can often save you time and money.
- Book a professional photographer now- unlike many we only take one function on a day.
Dress Shopping!
- Many brides are surprised to learn how how long it takes to order a dress from a salon and complete alterations. You should plan on buying your wedding dress at least 9 months before your wedding date. Especially of you plan on having bridal portraits made.
To help you get started I found some awesome wedding planner books and binders. It’s the first step that will really help you get organized.
The first one is The Ultimate Wedding Planner & Organizer by Elizabeth Lluch, and Alex Lluch.
I found it really helpful, filled with etiquette, folders (very important to hold all your info) and the book is separated into sections that includes you stationery, ceremony, reception, photographer, etc. It’s a greatway to keep all your contracts in order. And it helps you with timelines and also the most important “day of” timeline”. Plus you can add a pretty picture in the front of the cover, super cute!
The next favorite is the ever popular Martha Stewart’s Keepsake Wedding Planner [Book] by Martha Stewart.
It’s a real staple and is overflowing with useful features to help you plan and organize the perfect wedding—in addition, you can preserve those memories for a lifetime.
If you are planning most of your wedding online and want to keep with you the ultimate wedding site to go get The Knot Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World: The Ultimate Source of Ideas, Advice, and Relief for the Bride and Groom and Those Who Love Them. It has all their famous wedding timelines in this essential wedding planner book.
Now for those offbeat brides who want their wedding “their way” I’m talking to you riding in a harley into their wedding or want their wedding to be super unique and most importantly to reflect them. Then go for The Anti-Bride Wedding Planner: Hip Tools and Tips for Getting Hitched by Carolyn Gerin. Tie the knot outside the box armed with this companion volume to the wildly popular Anti-Bride Guide. Featuring sassy and savvy ideas, useful questionnaires, handy pockets, and space for notes and doodles, the Anti-Bride Wedding Planner provides creative inspiration for brides-to-be who want to kick the conventional wedding to the curb.
This is the first step to planning ladies! Now go have fun and send this link to your everybody! LOL!
Xo
Tammy Odom