What to do when recently engaged

OMG, CONGRATS!

Wondering how to start wedding planning?

Most engagements last around a year to a year in advance, so don’t stress, you don’t have to plan the whole wedding straight away! Take some time before doing ANY wedding planning to enjoy the moment. Here are just some ideas, that can be done in any order, to get your mind over this next chapter of your lives.

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NEWLY ENGAGED

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CELEBRATE

Spend time together.  Just the two of you, letting all the feels sink in and just enjoy being engaged before even thinking about anything wedding related. 

SPREAD THE LOVE

Tell your nearest & dearest – in person if possible! Celebrate over family dinner

Tell the Online world – if you wish 

Take a selfie! I can’t actually believe i’m adding this in months after posting this but even after I refused to take a photo after our engagement, I really like having that squinty eyed iPhone shot to remember the moment by. 

If you’re so inclined, go treat yo’self to a manicure and you get that ring shot for Insta, or book a photographer in for an hour to get some engagement shots right away while you’re still in the buzz. 

GET THAT BLING INSURED

Asap. Especially if you’re traveling and your insurance won’t cover the whole ring. Andrew sorted this out cause I didn’t want to know how much he spent – and a gift shouldn’t come with expenses right, hah!

GET IT TOGETHER

Start a wedding diary, Instagram folder and Pinterest page – even if you haven’t been planning your wedding since you were 5, these will come in super handy to stay in control and make decisions faster!

Work out a ROUGH budget – I say rough because (unlike my husband thought) it is unrealistic to just pick a number from his butt. Work out together how much you are able to spend on the whole wedding without going into too much debt.  Debt sucks and it really is just one day, even though it will be one of the best.

Work out an overall rough figure including and families contributions (if any) and make sure you are both comfortable parting with that amount. I am all for spending money where it is needed but I’m also keen on saving wherever possible and very much against going into unnecessary debt. Money can build a wall so make sure you are open and honest with each other – I find it super hard to talk about money!

BREATHE

Try not to fight with your Fiancé about budget and Guestlist (guilty as charged) 

START PINNING

Start pinning Inso pics from my Pinterest board, then from boards like Hello May, Nouba and The Lane.

Start following wedding vendors on Instagram and saving anything you like to a ‘Wedding’ Board on Instagram – give it a cooler name than that. Start creating an overall mood board before trying to lock in anything or decide on specific things.

Your ideas will most likely change!

Once you have saved lots of pictures you will have a better idea as to what you like in a few months down the track when you need to make decisions. This will also help when it comes to picking the right vendors for you.

Same with Photographer, look through their websites and Instagram, get a feel for the different styles and what you keep coming back to, what you like and will like for years to come then also read through bio’s and meet with a couple to make sure you get along.

Start pinning wedding dresses but try refrain from falling in love with and impulse purchasing the first one you try on!! If you have something specific in mind and want to get something made start contacting local dressmakers like Maevana, my studio buddy in Leederville. 

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12-16 MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING

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SET A WEDDING DATE

Do you want a Summer or Winter wedding? Outdoor or indoor venue? Cocktail or reception style venue? Local or abroad?

DECIDE ON NUMBERS

I say this now only because you will need a rough idea of numbers before finding a suitable and awesome wedding venue.

Pop them straight into a spreadsheet to save time. This spreadsheet will be used over and over for addresses/ numbers for the engagement party, save the dates, rsvp, dietary requirements, gifts, thank you cards etc. Don’t forget plus ones and that your wedding is most likely a year away so will they still be a solid plus one then. Don’t feel like you HAVE TO invite anyone.  Consider if a small elopement with your closet family and friends is more you

CHOOSE YOUR TRIBE

Because we all know they will be dying to find out

GET HELP

I would mainly recommend a planner if you are doing 2 venues or if a perfectly styled venue is your thing, otherwise even someone you know to coordinate everything on the day, but whatever you do don’t make it close friends or family – let them relax and enjoy the day!

BOOK YOUR VENUE YO’

Try find a venue where you can have both the ceremony and reception in the one place to save on travelling time to maximise time taking photos and chilling with guests.

You can view a list of the best wedding venues in Perth or QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand. 

Cocktail style weddings are so good, they allow guest to mingle and be more social meeting new people, dancing anytime they want and being free.

BOOK YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER

Brownie points if it’s me

To help you save hours of Googling and Instagram stalking I give all my clients a free comprehnsive list of all my favourite wedding vendors – win, win!

PICK YOUR CELEBRANT

Choose someone that is fun, fresh and will make guest WANT to listen during the ceremony (along with your personalised vows). 

THROW A FREAKIN’ PARTY

Have an engagement Party! If you have a backyard; a cocktail party in summer is fun otherwise if you’re after ease, try booking a venue that will do everything for you. Use the engagement guestlist and contact details for the wedding too. 

RELAX!

Now that the main things are done, you can sit back and relax for a bit before reading the next post on what to do 12 months before the big day.