Guest post from Blue Nile:
Congratulations! So you just said “yes” to your partner in life. Now what? You must be thinking about all the preparation that will go into your dream wedding, but here are some things to consider before you begin!
Celebrate
Before you even start stressing about planning, you should celebrate! Even if you might be itching to begin the planning process, you should take some time for the two of you to acknowledge this amazing commitment to one another. Call your family or see them in person to tell them about the news. You’ll be obsessing over wedding plans for months to come so see your family and friends to celebrate!
Budget
This might be one of the biggest parts of wedding planning. Having a budget is super important to take into consideration because there are so many things that go into a wedding so it’s easy to lose track! Consider having a budget for the whole wedding and then also get some estimates on how much each part will cost so there are no surprises. For example, the average cost for flowers at a wedding is $1,400 while the average cost for invitations is $225. Take these prices into consideration, but of course, make sure you only spend what you’re comfortable with!
Choose Your Wedding Party
It might be a good idea to ask your friends as soon as you have the date picked out. Being in a wedding party can be a huge time and money commitment so it’s good to let everyone know as soon as possible that they will play a special role in your big day. Get creative with how you ask and “propose” to them with personalized gifts and a cute invitation. The more personalized each gift is for the bridesmaids and groomsmen, the more important being in the wedding party will be to them!
Get The Rings
The weddings rings, of course! A couple of things to consider when shopping for your wedding rings is the style and color of your engagement ring and if you’d like your wedding bands to match one another. The engagement ring setting can affect how the band fits next to the ring. To save yourself some time, you can skip this step by getting a bridal set which includes both a perfectly matched engagement ring and wedding band. Online jewelers such as, Blue Nile, offer many beautiful bridal sets and wedding bands that will be sure to have your friends and family oohing and ahhing as they look down at your hand. Coordinated wedding bands can symbolize the bond between you and your partner. But don’t forget about your own individual styles!
Build a Registry or Website
It might seem very soon to start a wedding registry, but it’s not too soon for a website! This will give you a way to organize the wedding planning process and communicate with your guests. As soon as you know information like the menu, gift registry or venue, you can put it up on the website. This website will also be a handy way to collect reservations. You won’t have to be afraid of losing things in the mail and your guests can let you know immediately if they’ll be attending!
What did you do right after you got engaged?
Thanks to Sarah Botta Photography and Stewart Photography for the use of their imagery in this post.
