{Advice} 10 Things to do when freshly engaged

I realized today that I’ve never really talked about what to do when first engaged on this blog. I just kind of swung into things, no looking back. (Partially, it’s because that’s the kind of girl I am.)

So, here’s my top ten:

1. Define your goals, priorities, and wedding mantra. (For more on wedding mantras, check this post.)
2. Buy a binder from Target, Paper Source, or some other super cute store. Start ripping pictures from magazines (which, although you’re on a budget, you will inevitably buy), printing from blogs, etc. Keep it all in the binder. Skip the whole pre-made wedding planning book, and instead create your own fashioned after something like this.
3. Stop. Find your partner. Sneak up on him (or her), grab hands, look into eyes. Fall in love all over again. Resume wedding planning.
4. Make a list of vendors and/or services that are included in most weddings. Consider which ones you’ll hire and which you’ll DIY.
5. Imagine your wedding. Start thinking about what you want it to look like, what you want it to feel like, who will be where when, etc. This will help you with #4.
6. Set a no-budge budget. There are a couple of ways to do this:
• First, you can figure out what you (and anyone else who is planning to contribute) can afford, and make this your budget.
• Alternately (if you’re the kind of person who will dig the money up from the tombs in Egypt), you can start by researching local costs. Come up with an estimate of what everything will reasonably cost, then make that your budget. (I did the latter, came up with $6000, which went up to $7000 when I realized I had forgotten things. Make sure not to forget things.)
• I don’t recommend using an online budget calculator, as they aren’t very easy to use for budget weddings.
7. Familiarize yourself with options. Before buying or booking anything or anyone, research! Check out websites like etsy, Craigslist, and eBay to find great deals. Remember to be careful, though.
8. Create a timeline of planning. You can loosely base this on one of the many online wedding timelines, but make sure to customize it to an outline that fits you and your wedding.
9. Email, email, email. Send messages to any and every vendor who looks promising. Find out basic information via email to save time (i.e. Will they work with your budget? Are they available on your date?).
10. Interview, interview, interview. Ask lots of questions. Make sure you’re getting quality as well as budget-friendliness. And make sure you’re getting professionalism. This is big when you’re on a budget. (Stay tuned for our vendor directory, which will have pre-screened vendors who will meet all three!)

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