It’s in my nature to plan and organise everything. I jump to things straight away because I get excited and inspired by new challenges. My engagement is no exception, much to Chris’ annoyance at my hasty research into venues, that’s just who I am. Being organised can be a blessing and a curse, because it does come across slightly desperate. In my mind it’s all because I love to plan and I also love keeping busy, so being engaged is a dream.
Some of you reading this may not be naturally the organised type, and that’s why I am writing this. Getting engaged can be really daunting and you may be thinking ‘where do I start’?! I felt exactly the same, so after researching blog posts, vlogs and magazines (as well as experience in event management) I have a pretty good idea on first steps to getting organised for Wedding Planning.
Just breath and take it slowly:
Planning a wedding is a big task and not an easy one. Everything doesn’t need to be done at once so take it slowly. Write lists, take each bit at a time and don’t get overwhelmed by the overall process. It will be a much easier process if you just tackle one thing at a time.
Dedicate time with your fiancé:
Now you are engaged don’t forget to dedicate time to your relationship. I have heard horror stories of wedding planning taking over relationships and when the wedding is over you feel lost. Taking time away from thinking about it to just enjoy each others company is so important. Don’t let the proposal and wedding day make you lose sight of everyday love, care and importance of one another’s happiness.
Wedding Stationary:
Lucky for me I have amazing friends, of which love stationary as much as I do. My chum, Kirsti sent me a lovely post it note book to start jotting down my ideas. When you begin your research make sure you have everything to keep you organised. I highly recommend plastic folders for filing your documents and keeping important paper work safe. This can be things like receipts, booking details, certificates etc etc, you never know what you may need.
Also search Pinterest as there are loads of free prinatables to get you started to pop in your new folder.
Guest List:
This is probably the hardest thing to knuckle down on. Numbers sadly mean money and the more people you have the more budget you’ll need. Assessing early the people you will invite will help drastically towards venue research and budget allowance. A lot of venues prefer to know the party size when you enquire, so get this out of the way so you can plan other things.
Numbers for day and evening guests can always be changed at a later date when you distribute invites. As long as you have a rough estimate of who you want to come and numbers then thats a great start.
Asses the budget (ie the bank of dad):
Once you have a clear idea of numbers you can start thinking of budget. This may mean a delicate conversation with family members or looking into savings accounts to help you on your way (preferably not a credit card)!
Research:
The internet is going to become a close friend during your planning process. Research from the start and create a Google Doc to note down ideas, venue choices and other things you have looked at. You can even do what I do and colour code each area like venue, food, guest list, budget etc (if you want to be overly organised like me)!
Ride the Engagement Train of Happiness:
Lastly, enjoy being engaged!! Hopefully it is something that only happens the once in your life, so enjoy it. Take every opportunity to celebrate with friends and one another and relish in the bubble of happiness you get from it. It’s a wonderful thing and deserves to have it’s own time.
I hope this helped you on your way to planning your big day. Pop any other tips and advice in the comments, I would love to see.
xxx