What to Do After Getting Engaged
Your honey has asked you to marry them and you are both over the moon. It’s been a couple weeks of celebrating and taking it in, but what to do after getting engaged? It’s time for you to get into the wedding planning! Here are some tips and where to start after getting engaged.
Considering Dates
Of course, you will have many people asking what your date is as soon as you get engaged. But with how busy wedding seasons are for everyone, you’ll have to check with your venue first. What you should do is think about what time of year you would like your wedding to happen. Are you going to have a summer wedding or do you want to have to awesome fall leaves as the backdrop to your day. Once you’ve decided on the season the next task you want to complete is figuring out if there are any conflicts like family reunions, vacations, etc. Remember, the average engagement lasts 15 months. Choose a few dates that work for you and your family and bring them along with you when you check out your venue.
Your Style
Next, you need to think about what kind of theme you want to go for. Are you going to have an intimate forest wedding, traditional church ceremony and banquet hall, a modern minimalist style? Indoor or outdoor ceremonies? You need to know this before you start looking into venues just so you have an idea about which ones could fit your look. You can look at wedding blogs like Junebug weddings, go to the bookstore and take a look through the magazines or dream up something that is completely yours. Once you’ve done that you will have a better idea about what location you will be having your wedding at.
Setting a Budget
Now for the kind of daunting task of figuring out how much you should budget for your big day. If you have family and friends that will be helping you out have a sit-down meeting and find out how much they will be contributing. As much as it might not be a fun thing to think or talk about the budget has a huge effect on your planning. You need to know your number because it helps you in making decisions and knowing where you can and can’t spend and how much. The average cost of a wedding in Ontario is $30,000.
Who’s Invited?
Before going off to your wedding venue you will have to know how many guests you plan on having. All venues have a minimum and maximum guest amount. This number will be another strong factor in choosing the right wedding venue. The guest list also has a huge impact on your budget, most venues charge a per person rate so more people invited, more expensive. You also have to think about your ceremony location. You can only fit so many people in your backyard or on that pier right?
Choose Your Wedding Party
Now it is time to choose who will be standing by your side when you get married. How many people will you limit yourself to or will you limit yourself at all? You’ll have to chat with your friends or family that you would like to be a part of your wedding party and let them know what will be expected of them and where they’ll have to spend their own money and time. It’s a good thing to be open about these topics as you don’t want any surprises that could upset anyone in your wedding party.
Will You Be Hiring a Wedding Planner?
Depending on if you and your partner live busy lives with demanding jobs or just don’t want to have to handle all the planning yourselves you may want a wedding planner. If you’re having a really hard time knowing what to do after getting engaged a wedding planner will take that all away. Another option that is becoming very common is day of wedding coordination. You put your wedding together over the 15 months you are engaged but to ensure no stressing on your day have a wedding planner there to make it run smoothly. If you’re looking for a day of planner in the Toronto area check out Vanessa West Events!
Pick A Venue
Now we’ve finally got to the part where you start setting plans in stone. It’s time to book your venues! When booking a venue think back to the idea you had in mind for your wedding. The reception venue is more than just a place to eat and party. Your wedding photographer will most likely be photographing this part of your day so make sure it creates a beautiful backdrop for photos. Visit all the venues on your list, check out their menus and any extra services they may offer. You can find local venues by going to wedding shows, on wedding vendor listing websites, and in local wedding magazines. Once you’ve booked your wedding venue guess what?! You’ve officially picked your date!
Hire Your Photographer
The second vendor that couples book (when not working with a planner) is their wedding photographer. Many wedding photographers are booked upwards of a year in advance so act quickly in hiring that photographer you love. Make sure your photographer is professional, insured and all the backup gear possible so that nothing can go wrong on your wedding day. A talented and experienced wedding photographer is another resource in letting you know what to do after getting engaged. Most provide client education materials which really helps you in planning your day with photography in mind. After you’ve booked your photographer you can go on to book other wedding vendors in the sequence of priority on your big day.
Dresses!
Probably one of the most exciting activities brides to be get to do! Scouring up and down for that perfect dress! Where to look for your wedding dress is highly related to the type of wedding that you’re going to have. Are you doing a super bohemian completely outdoor day? You’re best bet is probably online on sites like Etsy or Free People. If you’re going for that traditional princess celebration there will be many local wedding dress shops that will stock all the styles that you are looking for.
Good luck with all your wedding planning! I’m sure your day will be absolutely fantastic! 🙂
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