I'm engaged!! Now what?

Congratulations! You're officially engaged! You've found the person whose soul intertwines with yours. You've done the hard part. Now you're ready to take the next step and commit to that person and start a life together as one. So now what? Here are 4 tips to get you started: 1. Prioritize. Choose what is most important to you. Some couple pick their favorite venue and choose the date based on availability. Some have a special day and are more flexible with venue. Some couple must have specific people they must invite to the wedding and need to find somewhere to accommodate. Think of all the factors involved and prioritize them to help decision making easier throughout the wedding planning process. 3. Create a budget and determine who is financing the wedding. Who is paying for the wedding and what is their budget? This should be set out clearly prior to planning in order to avoid any financial messes later. Ensure that anyone helping to finance the wedding is on board and available for consultation if needed. Also determine how much involvement these individuals will have in the planning process. 2. Create your guest list. The number of people you choose to have at your wedding will be at the center of most of your planning. It's important to get this done in the early stages to avoid any major issues later on. You will need this number to finalize a caterer and venue in addition to any other potential vendors. You will also need it to ensure you stay within budget. Not creating a tenative guest list can end up costing you a lot of money in the long run. 3. Choose your ambiance. What type of wedding do you want? Elegant? Casual? Classic? Modern? These are all questions you should be asking yourself (and your soon to be spouse!). It's okay to be open to ideas, but having a general idea in mind to help narrow down vendors once you start looking. 4. Hire a planner. This doesn't mean give up the reins. Many brides become frazzled once they realize how much detail goes into planning a wedding. We understand you stay busy. Hiring a planner helps take the load off you. Planners can suggest ideas, vendors, and negotiate contracts. They make sure you cover all your bases. Most wedding planners will also be there on the day of your wedding to coordinate and ensure everything runs smoothly. Brides and grooms like to plan their own wedding these days. That's great! Hire a Day-Of Coordinator to take care of the wedding day and last minute details.

The moment you start to plan your wedding, you are creating the memories that will last a lifetime. The time you spend planning is only going to enhance the joy you're going to feel on the big day! Have a great time from start to finish and don't stress!