What To Do During The First 3 Months of Your Engagement

Even if you’ve already heard it said more times than you can count: CONGRATS on your engagements! For most couples, after the resounding “YES, I’ll marry you!”, comes a to-do list a mile long. If you’re planning to have a wedding celebration that extends beyond just the two of you, or the two of you and your immediate family, there are SO many logistics that need addressing in order to have the “day of your dreams.’

Not every couple has imagined their wedding day for years and years. In fact, many couples don’t solidify the kind of wedding they want to have until they meet each other and begin expressing their visions to one another. That is when you see where your ideas align, and where there may be some compromise. Because of this, I’m not going to give you some of the more traditional advice about planning a wedding.

Instead, I’d love to share with you a few ideas for what to do during the early stages of your engagement.

First, as cliche as it may sound, ENJOY this time.

Let your head stay in the clouds for a little bit. Once the planning starts, it’s hard to roll things back. Of course, if you want to dive in, DO IT! But also don’t feel like you have to rush into the planning process right away. Give yourselves time to discuss what the day could feel like and look like. Start to write down some of the priorities (check out this blog post if you aren’t sure) and really talk to each other about what is important to each of you. Do this before you set a budget, decide who is going to be in the wedding or where you want to get married. Those will happen soon enough. But knowing your vision and priorities is going to help you mold the rest of the planning process. Staying strong and true to this makes the process less stressful in the long run.

Second, make a guest list.

Do this independently from one another. Also ask both sets of your parents (if applicable) to provide you with their lists. You’re likely going to have to work as a team to streamline this list, but if you can get the “worst case” scenario on the table from the get-go, it will be easier to determine a feasible budget. The “quickest” way to shave down your budget is usually to reduce the guest list. Know what you’re working with from the beginning so you can make some of the tougher decisions regarding venue, food, rentals, florals and invitations (all times that are affected by your guest count).

Third, hire a wedding planner.

I know, I know. You’re like, well, duh, of course, you’re going to say that because you’re a wedding planner. True. But if it were up to me, EVERY couple would have a planner, even if it ISN’T me. I’m not THE planner for everyone, but I am an advocate for a planner for everyone! Wedding planners are extremely hard working and at the core, we’re more than just incredibly organized people. We have huge hearts for our couples- we really do want you to have a stress-free, magical day that is “perfect” for you. This is probably your first time planning a wedding. But even if it was/is your second or third, it’s still exponentially less than an experienced planner. Do you want to student fresh out of med school performing surgery on you, or a seasoned surgeon who has done a specific procedure hundreds of times? I know which option I’m going for… and you likely feel the same way. Planning a wedding is a BIG ordeal that requires hundreds of man hours that you may not have. And even if you did, you’re know supposed to know the “right” answer to all of the questions and decisions you’ll be faced with. It is too much for one or two people to do alone (and WAY too much when you consider the multitude of options that your friends and family will have). A wedding planner is here to work WITH you to make your wedding the once-in-a-lifetime experience it deserves to be. 

Ready to chat about the process and get started checking off the to-dos on your wedding planning list? Contact me!