You’re Engaged! ..Now What?
“Yes!”
You just got engaged, congratulations!
Then, you called your friends and family to share the good news and they gave you the “When’s the wedding!” as if you started securing your vendors between your happy tears and dialling the phone.
It’s too late to plan a wedding for this coming Summer, right? Who do I need to book first? Do I need a wedding planner or just a day of coordinator? Renting those white tents costs WHAT?
Take a breath. You haven’t even had a chance to get the ring sized yet.
I’m going to tell you something I try to remind all my couples in the beginning of their wedding planning. The planning portion lasts a lot longer than the wedding day itself, try to enjoy every part you can! (If you haven’t started your planning yet you’re probably nodding along in agreement, and if you have started your planning already you are very potentially cursing me in your head - and I totally understand both sentiments.) But in all seriousness, your wedding day is going to go by in an absolute blur. The lead up to it has the potential to be a lot of fun, enjoy it all!
Easier said than done, I hear you. So let’s talk about how to help make this whole process as stress-free as possible. Before you start trying to look into dates, venues, caterers, contracts and deposits, I want you to do something first.
Set your budget. Understand this may change.
Then, sit down together as a couple and make a list of wedding-related priorities.
Before you start trying to allocate portions of your budget to certain things, figure out what is most important to you and where you can be flexible. This will be a huge help when making your inquiries and choosing between different vendors. Is food your number one non-negotiable? Great, find the caterer and food truck of your dreams! Not really worried about florals? Buy wholesale and DIY it! No matter what aspects are or aren’t a huge deal, whether you make a numbered list from most to least important or just flexible and inflexible, already knowing your priorities will help you when it comes time to book.
Happy planning!!
Allison Taylor is a multi-published destination wedding photographer based in Vancouver BC. Learn more or inquire here.