First of all, we would like to congratulate you on your recent engagement!

We often hear about couples who get engaged and then find that they have to jump right into planning their wedding without a breather to enjoy and celebrate the engagement!  We wanted to help you out and let you know of a few things that you should plan right away and a few that you simply don’t need to worry about right off the bat.

TO DO:

1. Plan your budget – This is really to most important factor which dictates where you will allocate your wedding funds.

2. Hire a wedding coordinator – You can’t do the planning alone!  If you cannot hire a planner to guide you through the process, hire a day-of coordinator at the very least!

3. Plan your guest list – Depending on your budget, you might need to narrow down your list to your closest friends and family.

4. Choose your venue and reserve the date (view estates available for weddings here!) – The venue and date will be important for your Save the Date cards and ensuring that your guests have enough time reserve it on their calendar.

5. Book photographer and florist - Photographers will often offer packages for engagement and wedding photos, which will be the ultimate keepsakes from you wedding. Book your favorite right away!  Find your florist early on, but don’t worry about nailing down the exact design and type of flowers right away.

WAIT:

1. Buying your Wedding Dress/Bridesmaid dresses – By all means, shop around and browse online, but your budget and venue will play a big role as to what dress is most appropriate, so make sure you have time to work that out before rushing out to buy one!

2. Choosing you color scheme or type of florals – Once you choose your venue, you may find that certain color combinations and flowers will work best to compliment the venue.  View inspiration boards and plenty of wedding blogs to get your ideas pumping!

3. Décor details and party favors – Once again, view several wedding blogs, magazines, and inspiration boards to help you get started.  Start your own Pintrest account to keep track of everything you like.  Get a firm idea of what you like before you buy/rent.

4. Reception music and overall day of scheduling – No need to plan your first dance song immediately.  Your DJ won’t need that until right before the wedding, so don’t stress about these details.  Let your day of coordinator schedule your day, after all that is why you hired them in the first place and they know weddings best!

5. Plan your honeymoon - A lot of couples wait to honeymoon instead of leaving right after the wedding.  It will give you more time to thoroughly plan it, instead of it being just an afterthought.

Photo courtesy of “weheartit.com”