The proposal was fun, romantic and a night to remember. The sparkly is on your left hand so what’s next? After a couple is officially engaged, there are so many “to do’s” that should be completed before the big day. Here are the important first four “must do’s” for engaged couples.
1. Inform your parents and immediate family – Give each person the courtesy of a telephone call. Don’t let the special people in your life find out about your engagement via email or social media. Ahhh…the trusted world of social media. I know it’s exciting to see your Facebook status change from “single” to “engaged” but don’t change this status until you have notified (remember by phone) your family.
2. Pick a date – It’s always a good idea to keep your date a good distance from any upcoming work and family commitments. If you plan to marry in a city that is known for serious bad winter weather, you may want to consider a fall or spring date. Afterall, you want your family and friends to be in attendance.
3. Develop a budget – A few items to keep in mind when developing a budget are the number of invited guests, wedding theme, ideal venue and vendor fees.
4. Hire a wedding planner – It sounds fun to plan your own wedding but hiring a professional planner gives you an edge. Because of established relationships, planners can recommend the best vendor for you based on personality, budget and design needs. Wedding planners offer so much more! Stay tuned for another post about hiring a planner.
There are more important “to do” items that will have to be checked off before the big day but these four will get you started on your planning journey. Are you recently engaged? Which of the four items have you not completed?
Great to-do list. Could not agree more with you regarding hiring a wedding planner. A great planner can save you a great deal of time researching all of the different vendors and get you in touch with the best one for your needs. Not to mention having the right connections to get certain off-season items with out off-season pricing among many other things. But best of all allowing the bride and groom to enjoy their Big Day!
Lisa, so true!
I love the tip on telling the newly engaged couple to notify special family and friends in their lives first BEFORE posting on Social Media. I LOVE THAT! Great article!
Good information for brides, I know the after the engagement, it is hard to know where to start. This will give them a good road map.
Love the advice, especially the one about hiring a wedding planner of course.