1. Celebrate!
Take time to toast this occasion by booking a night out together at your favorite restaurant or go all out by throwing an engagement party for close friends and family!
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2. Announce Your Engagement
Share your engagement by announcing it on social media with a photo of the two of you and your gorgeous new ring. Don’t forget to call your bestie and Mom and Dad!
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3. Insure Your Ring
Your engagement ring is a valuable heirloom now and deserves to be protected like one. Make sure it’s insured by adding it to your insurance policy.
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4. Save The Date!
With friends and family planning their summers/holidays a year in advance, it’s important that you choose your wedding date as soon as possible to make sure everyone you want to invite can come.
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5. Budgeting
Once you have a date locked in, come up with a realistic budget with your partner that will assist you in planning the wedding of your dreams without breaking the bank. Prioritize key aspects of the day such as venue, photographer, planner, DJ, etc, and then build a budget around them to make sure the foundation of your wedding is solid and meets your needs.
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6. Hire A Wedding Planner
They are an indispensable vendor that you absolutely must have. They have the ability to transform your vision into a magical reality, sparing you the stress of doing it all on your own. The difference between merely having a wedding and truly relishing your special day often lies in the presence of an exceptional planner. Unsure where to find one? I, your favorite photographer, can happily suggest a few outstanding planners, like the brilliant Valley & Co above!
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7. Book Your Photographer
Another must-have is your wedding photographer. After the wedding is over, the dress put into storage and the cake eaten, the photographs endure as timeless memories. Wedding photographers typically schedule bookings well in advance—sometimes a year or two! sS if you have that dream photographer that you’ve been dying to work with (hello, it’s me again!), reach out to them as soon as possible to book your big day and your engagement photos for your save the dates & invitations.
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8. The Guest List
Create a guest list that fits YOU both. Ignore the pressure from family to include long-lost relatives that you haven’t seen since the ‘90s. This is your wedding day, not a family reunion. Choose the people closest to your heart that will simply be over the moon to tear up the dance floor to celebrate your wedding!
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9. Book Your Vendors
Reach out to all additional vendors that you have your eye on, such as a florist, stationer, and DJ. Early is key if you have certain vendors in mind as they too book out in advance. If you have a wedding planner (which you should), they are more than happy to help source the best in the business that they know and trust.
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10. Celebrate again & Take Time Off of Wedding Planning
Savor the journey & make time to relax. Wedding planning is notorious for being stressful and can take a lot of time and energy so it’s important to take a step back from all things wedding-related from time to time to enjoy each other’s company. Fun ideas to take a break are visiting your local museum, a day trip to visit the beach/frolicking in flower fields/spelunking in caves, or enjoying a staycation where you cook your favorite dishes or order Doordash and strongarm your partner into watching Pride & Prejudice for the 7th time this month, wine in hand.
