You're Engaged, Now What? 5 Tips to Start Planning Your Wedding Day

Congratulations if you are one of the millions of couples to have gotten engaged recently!  You've probably been enamored with excitement and are ready to get the planning started. Check out my tips below on how to get your planning off on the right track.


1.    Call Your Immediate Family and Friends
Make the announcement to your closest family and friends. You definitely want them to get the news directly from YOU.  While you're at it, call up your bridal party too. The earlier you ask your friends to be a part of your wedding the better.

2.    Think About Your Wedding Style
If you're like most brides you may already have an idea of the style of wedding you want. If not, start thinking about you and your fiance's individual and collective styles, so that your wedding will be a reflection of both of you. For instance, consider if your style is more traditional, modern, or maybe glamorous. If you choose traditional, maybe you would like to marry in a church. If you consider yourself to be a modern girl, maybe you would consider marrying in a park, or museum just to name a few.

3.    Set a Budget
You and your fiance should have a talk about your wedding budget BEFORE you make any wedding plans. Be sure to bring in all contributors: parents, grandparents and anyone else who is paying for your wedding. Set a figure that is realistic, within your means, and agreed upon by all parties.

 4.    Consider a Planner 
If you are considering hiring a wedding planner, be sure to engage him/her at the BEGINNING of the planning process. This can save you so much time and money, I promise :-). We know the right people and places to connect you to and since we have planned more weddings than you, we can educate you on how to do things the right way! And remember, most planners offer different levels of service, so at the very least hire a planner for day of coordination, so that you can relax on your wedding weekend and not worry about the details. 

5.    Hire the Pros
This will include selecting a ceremony and reception venue, photographer, entertainment, caterer and more. If you choose to work with a wedding planner, he or she will be able to refer you to reputable vendors in each of the categories above, that fit your style and budget. If not, just remember that wedding professionals can get booked very quickly, so contact them as soon as possible.

I hope my tips will be helpful for you.  If you're interested in hiring a wedding planner, email me at raven@ravenj.com to get the conversation started.  Visit the website at www.ravenj.com.

Happy Planning!

Raven J.