Congrats, You're Engaged! Now What?
Congratulations! You’re engaged! You might be thinking, “I've updated my Facebook status, what do I do now!?” Don’t worry, many people experience a bit of a post engagement freeze and can get overwhelmed with all that is needing to be planned and figured out. Take all the time you need to enjoy this time and let it sink in, that you’re marrying the love of your life! Once it has settled in, let the planning begin! Here are the next steps to planning your dream wedding:
Spread the Word!
You've probably already done this, but just in case, start by calling your parents, your siblings, your friends... because you're engaged! Get everyone you care about most up to date with how, when, and where it happened and all the little details in between. Keep this news as public or private as you'd like. When you're ready, get to posting pictures on social media to share the wonderful news will all your extended family and friends!
Get Your Ring Insured
Talk to an insurance agent to add your ring to your policy, find out if there are any conditions and what exactly is covered in case it needs to be repaired or replaced (which hopefully will not be the case.) It is best to be safe. See how long the claim process take if you were to have to follow through in the future. Find out whether you are covered if the ring is lost, stolen, or damaged, what stipulations there are, if any, and how long the claims process takes. If you are unable to add the ring set up a new policy.
Brainstorm
When it comes to weddings, there are a lot of areas that need to be covered and planned out. Food, beverages, theme, decor, clothing, florals, and more! Pinterest is a great platform to start collecting inspiration. Get inspired through photos and grow your ideas! Once you hire a wedding coordinator, you will have an array of concepts you would like to incorporate into your special day to present to them and they will be able to help you make it happen!
Set The Date
Deciding on the perfect date for your special day might take a bit of time and thinking. Take into consideration the time of year and weather, and major holidays. You want to get a good price, have all family and friends invited be able to attend, and have the date unique to the two of you. Find out if any family members or close friends have any conflicts so you can make ensure they will be there. Setting a date in advance is particularly important if you have a specific venue in mind. Reserving your dream venue far in advance ensures you will be able to get exactly what you want. The sooner you can get your “Save the Date” cards mailed out, the better!
Form your Guest List
First things first, figure out what your budget is for the event. Once your budget is set, start getting
together a list of who you are going to invite to your wedding. If you are questioning inviting someone, think of it in a sense of going to dinner with them, if you don’t want to go to dinner with them one-on-one, you might not want to have them at your special day. Also consider that you are paying "per head," meaning that your meals and other items are paid for based off your guest count. After the budget and guest count is set in stone, you will be able to hire a coordinator. Our team here at San Diego Life Events will be able to work with your budget and help you find great vendors who fall into your set price point and cater to the number of guests you will have at your event.
Form Your Bridal Party
You may have been thinking about this for your a while now: who your bridesmaids will be! Who will be standing up in front right next to you as you say “I Do." The size of your bridal party is entirely up to you! If you want the number to be even or are alright with it being odd, this is something that needs to be decided upfront. Figure out who you want as your Maid of honor (or "Matron" if she is married,) Best Man, Bridesmaids, Groomsman, or even Bridesmen and Groomsladies. Once you have decided who you want to ask to fill what roll, it is time to ask them! Check out our blog on unique and fun ways to ask people to be in your bridal party here!
Hire a Coordinator
Hiring a coordinator is one of the first things you should do once you are ready to start planning your wedding. Our team here at San Diego Life Events can provide you with a checklist and be available to answer all of your planning questions from start to finish. A coordinator will help you figure out who to book for your venue, food, decor, music, and fun extras! Coordinators are experienced in the industry and have built great relationships with vendors all over the area, and can get you a great deal on all the services you need. Need more convincing? Check out our blog post on 10 Reasons Why you need a Coordinator!
Blog post by Danielle Hendricks, edited by Rachel Weinshanker, exclusively for San Diego Life Events.
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