Engagement: the Next Steps!
P.C. ChristieQPhotography
You're engaged, congratulations! Now What? Le Jardin offers advice on what to do once you find yourself engaged. The engagement process is exciting and new, so here are some tips to help you navigate this thrilling process.
Following your engagement: Set a Date
Now that you've said yes, it's time to set a date! The first question you'll be asked once your engagement is announced, is "When is the wedding?". Even if you're unable to pin down an exact date, expressing a time-frame is acceptable, such as "early next year", or "we're thinking sometime in the fall", either response is appropriate.
Get the Word Out:
Now that you've said yes, its time to call your relatives and let them know about your engagement. You may be tempted to get the word out via a quick status update, but no matter how tempting it is to quickly post your status, avoid it at all cost. Pick up the phone and call your family members and close friends. No one wants to be the last to know or to find out via mass e-mail, Twitter or Facebook. Set aside a few hours and plow through your contacts.
Start planning:
P.C. ChristieQPhotography
A date or time-frame for your wedding day has been set. You're engagement has been announced. Now it's time to get into the nitty-gritty part of the wedding planning process! Get online or gather a bunch of wedding magazines and start collecting ideas that inspire you and get a feel for what you like and what you want and don't want in your wedding.
Wedding Planner:
Not necessarily a physical wedding planner who will coordinate all your wedding details, at least don't hire a a wedding planner yet, rather, get the wedding apps. After your engagement is announced, it's important to set dates and timelines. There are many wedding planning apps out there that can help you stay organized, give you ideas of plans you need to make and calendars to help you keep track of your timelines. A calendar dedicated just to your wedding will help you stay on track.
Wedding Coordinator:
Go over your wedding details and think of all the planning that is going to go into your big day such as hiring the caterers, finding a venue, decorations, etc. Do you want a professionals help or would you prefer to go it alone? Consider the stress reduction that you would find by having someone take on these tasks for you or with you. If that sounds nice and appealing perhaps a wedding coordinator is the way to go. If you'd prefer to save the money and you feel these are details you can tackle alone, then go for it!
Consider a Wedding Savings Account:
Remember that even a simple and small wedding costs money and usually more money than you budget. A wedding savings account is an easy way to keep track of how much you have to spend and possibly how much more money you need. Etrade.com and Ally.com offer higher-interest basic savings accounts. Based on the budget you and your fiance set, determine an amount that needs to go into your new account each paycheck to pay for wedding-relating expenses.
P.C. ChristieQPhotography