YOU’RE ENGAGED?!!! Well first off, CONGRATS! This is so exciting! Pop some champagne, & do a little happy dance because you get to spend the rest of your life with your favorite person in the world! I’m sure you’re probably wondering, what happens next? In this blog, we will go over everything that typically happens after you get engaged & prepare to spend the rest of your life with your honey.
1. Create a Vision
First things first, you’re going to want to talk about what you both envision for your wedding day. Whether you’ve had it planned on Pinterest for years or have no idea what you want, look around for inspo & talk through what you would like your wedding day experience to be like. I highly recommend setting up a date night with your partner & creating a rough idea of what you want when it comes to the following topics: who, what, when, & where.
Who do you want to be there?
Do you have people that are non-negotiables when it comes to celebrating with? Do you have people who HAVE to be there for the ceremony? Remember these are based on your wants, not the expectations of friends or family members. This is YOUR wedding after all!
What do you want to do?
Have you daydreamed about having your wedding on top of a mountain in Alaska? Do you want to rent a cabin in the UP with a couple of family members & friends? Or maybe you want a big celebration but still want an intimate ceremony day. There are so many options which is why after you get engaged you want to be on the same page with your soon to be spouse on what you both want from the get-go.
When do you want to have your wedding?
For this one, make sure to think logistically & romantically. Do you want to have your wedding by the end of next month or by the end of next year? What season or time of year do you envision your wedding happening? Think about things like insurance, future planning, but also think about when you want to start the rest of your life together. There are so many factors & emotions that go into your wedding day planning that you’ll want to keep in mind & plan for. Talk openly with your partner about what you both expect, envision, & what is realistic for you & find the option that fits best.
Where do you want to have your wedding?
Last but not least you’ll want to talk about where the two of you see yourselves having your wedding. Consider your answers to the previous three questions as they’ll help you narrow down what location & style of venue you’ll need for your wedding. Find a few locations that you like that can accommodate the guests you plan to have, the activities you’re looking to do, & have availability when you’re looking. Remember with all these questions it’s important that you & your newly engaged partner talk through them together so that you both end up with the wedding day you want. One that you’ll both be able to enjoy & look back on & cherish forever.
2. Decide What Kind of Wedding Day is for You
Now that you’ve brainstormed what you want your wedding day to look like, it’s time to start narrowing things down. Family & friend expectations aside, what do YOU want to do for your wedding day? These days there are SO many options for your wedding, whether it’s an elopement custom to you & your honey, or the big traditional wedding OR, the best of both worlds! There are so many options for your wedding day.
When talking about this, make sure to prioritize you & your partner’s dreams. If you want to elope then elope at your favorite place on earth. If you’re wanting a few family or friends there, have an intimate wedding in a cool destination or if you’re wanting everyone there for a good time, do a traditional or semi-traditional wedding. Trust me, no matter what you decide your family & friends that care about you & your love will be happy for you no matter what.
3. Decide on a Budget
This one is super important to discuss after you get engaged as it will also set some guidelines on what kind of day you can have. Typically, the more people you have at your wedding, the more expensive your day is going to be. So once you have your budget you’ll be able to start looking at locations, checking out other vendors & forming a more concrete vision on what kind of day you plan to have.
4. When & Where You’d Like to Have your Wedding
It’s time to set a date! If you’re planning a traditional wedding, you’ll want to reach out to venues & find out their availability. In general, you’ll want to try to find your venue about 15 months out from your wedding day. If you’re eloping, it’s helpful to have a rough plan of where you would like to elope a couple of months out as you’ll have a little more flexibility.
Once you’ve found the location that has the date your looking for & is able to accommodate everything that you plan to have on your wedding day it’s time to book! A quick note, if you plan to elope somewhere like a national park or something similar you’ll need to apply for a permit. Make sure to do your research beforehand & if you already have a photographer picked out & booked don’t be afraid to ask for their input.
5. Celebrate & Enjoy Yourselves
Remember to enjoy the season of being engaged! This is an incredible time of your lives, it marks the first step in this new chapter that you both get to head into together. Take your time & enjoy being with one another. Set up a date night where you two can talk about your dreams that you have, both for your wedding & for your lives together post marriage. Depending on when & where you plan to have your wedding you may need to start making moves quickly in order to reserve the venue you want. It’s important though to not rush into something that you’re not sure about. Your decisions for your wedding should be sure & made with intent so that you & your partner both end up with the wedding of your dreams
After you get engaged things start to move quickly. Once you start your wedding planning it can feel like things fly by & before you know it you’re at your wedding day. It’s important to try & slow down & enjoy this time of your lives together as it’s truly such a special time. Spend time with your soon to be spouse, talk about & plan out what your dream wedding will look like & before you know it you’ll be there. For some wedding day inspiration, you can check out my Instagram here & if you like what you see & are still looking for a photographer for your wedding head over to my contact page!
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