I'm Engaged - Now What?

Your man has proposed and you're ecstatic. You've called your friends, your family. You've admired the ring. It's starting to sink in. You want to start planning. But what if you don't know where to start? Here are my first four tips to get you started.

1. Don't Exclude Your Groom 

Some men don't care at all about the wedding planning. They would just like to show up, look good, and get married. That's just some men. Before you go crazy planning, sit down with your man and find out what he'd like to have input on, and what he's okay with leaving up to you. If he wants a say in it, discuss with him the following: - Time of year - Wedding style: Indoor, outdoor etc. - Location - The number of people in the bridal party Once you settle on a few of those things, you can start making calls and locking down details and hopefully a date. If you plan far in advance, you'll probably get to pick whatever date you want, but if you have a year or less to plan, you might have to work your date around your vendors. 

2. Brainstorm Your Wedding Party 

Some may have their bridal party pre-chosen, other may have some choice to make or may be stuck choosing to cut a few people out (like me). On the night of my engagement, my finance spoke some of the smartest words to ever leave his mouth: "If you can't pick everyone, pick the friends/family who bring it up the most and seem the most excited about it.  That's how you know they want to be a part of it." Just reminder, the less people you have the less you have to worry about finding a flattering dress style to fit everyone, less appointments to coordinate, and less money to spend for all of you. 

3. Buy or Start a Wedding Planner 

There is too much detail that goes into a wedding to keep it all straight without getting everything organized. If it's in your budget, buy a wedding planner from a local stationary or bookstore (See Amazon.ca), or browse tons of handmade or print-it-yourself options online. (See: Wedding Planners on Etsy). I will get into more detail on wedding binders at a later date. 

4. Budget 

You can't get very far without first knowing your limits. (A helpful article is Wedding Budget 101 from TheKnot.com). First, find out who's contributing, and how much. Look at your own budget and find out the realistic amount you can afford to put away each month. Budgeting is very important if you want to come out of your wedding debt-free. 

 These are just a few small steps to get you started. There's still a lot more to consider but we'll get to that at a later date. In the meantime, relax, have a glass of wine and try not to get completely consumed by wedding planning.