Engagement Train
Your significant other has “popped the question” and now you’ve got the bling! Hop on the Engagement Train, next stop?
Marriage!
Er—not quite.
The Engagement Train offers multiple routes, and not all of them are express. You’ve probably heard of the difficulties of planning and you know, from all the blogs, vlogs, and TikToks, this isn’t entirely stress-free. That doesn’t mean, however, that it needs to be hard to understand.
This post is going to be an overview of the first things to thing about and discuss with your fiancé(e) when planning a wedding.
Budget:
Whether it’s you and your fiancé(e), your parents, their parents, or Grandma Jane—someone is throwing this party and it’s going to come at a cost. Be proactive and discuss. Look at your current spending and address how much you can put towards savings and the wedding. Your wedding fund should always be a separate savings situation, in case of a rainy day. We’ll get into budget more in a later post, but a general understanding of what you’re willing to spend is appropriate early on.
Aesthetic and Time of Year:
What do you and your fiancé(e) want your wedding to look like? What time of year would be your perfect wedding? Keep in mind, seasonal weather. If you're in Florida, USA, hurricane season isn't going to necessarily give way to your dream day. Be flexible, though! Some dates are easier to get than others (and some are far less expensive!!)
Guest List
I’m a sucker for pen and paper, but Excel works well, too! Break your guest list down into A, B, and C lists. A lists are your non-negotiable guests—the people you have to invite no matter what. Your B-list is those you would like to absolutely include if possible. Visit my specific post on how to navigate guest lists for more information.
Location, Location, Location!
Shop venues! Your established guest list will make navigating this step much easier as you will have an idea of how big of a venue you need and just how large is too large.
Your “Main Three” and “Sometimes Y”:
Begin looking at photographers, videographers, and musicians/DJs. At this point in time, your photographer is the most important (for those who wish to do engagement shoots for their wedding website and, possibly, save the dates). Booking them early typically locks you into a set price, as well. Most of these vendors adjust prices upwards every year! Also, look into general catering expenses. You don’t need to set someone in stone necessarily—some vendors will only open booking so far in advance—but keeping in mind what the budget per plate looks like will also help to adjust your guest list down the road.
BONUS: Wedding Website:
If you’re going to use a wedding website, now is the time to start working on it! Doing everything for your wedding in bits and pieces will make it easier in the long run to navigate! Wedding website providers also often offer wedding timelines, which are of great use if you won’t be hiring a planner!
Be sure to check out my other helpful tips and tricks for wedding planning and, of course, congratulations on your engagement!
