If you’re reading this blog post, YAY! That means that you are engaged or planning on being engaged soon. This is such a fun and special time in your life. It also can be a bit overwhelming to all of a sudden have an entire wedding to plan! That’s why I wanted to create this blog for you. I am going to break down the top 3 things to do once you are engaged. Because you should be able to enjoy being engaged without stressing about what to do next. 

1. Pick Your Wedding Date* 

This is one of the first things that you will want to do once you are engaged. You won’t be able to get much planning done without having a date picked out! This is also one of the top questions! You will probably be asked once you announce to people that you are engaged. Having a date will help you know how long you have to save money for your wedding. This will enable you to book vendors. Then you can let family know when to start planning to take time off. Many people plan for at least a year out but you can do shorter or longer. It totally depends on what time is best for you and your fiance! 

*Note: If you are open to date flexibility you can actually start with my third tip. Which is to make sure you secure your most important vendors!

2. Pick Your Bridal Party 

This is a fun step! You probably already have an idea of who you guys want to ask to be bridesmaids and groomsmen. Now is the time to do it! They are the people who are going to be standing by your side on your wedding day. So you want to make sure they know your date and are able to plan to be at your wedding. You and your fiance can sit down together and decide how big or small you want your bridal party to be. If you want an even or mismatched number of bridesmaids/groomsmen, if you will have personal attendants and ushers, and if you will have flower girls or ring bearers. Once you have selected your bridal party you can have fun asking them to be a part of your day! 

3. Pick Your Top Wedding Vendors 

Ok, you have your date and you’ve let your closest friends and family know when you’re getting married. Now comes this super important step; picking vendors! Wedding vendors often book up to a year or more in advance. You and your fiance should decide on what vendors are your top choices and contact them. If having a specific photographer or venue is at the top of your list of vendor priorities, you should contact them as soon as possible. If you already have your date selected, you can ask if they are available. Also, find out what you need to do to secure them as your vendor. This often includes a retainer being paid and a contract to be signed. If you are flexible with your date you can give your top vendors a date range you are looking at. Then pick a date that they are available! 

You can honestly mix these steps around based on your priority. If you have a specific date in mind that you want to get married on, and it’s important to you, that should be your first step. If having a specific venue location or photographer is your priority, you can contact them to find out what dates they have available and pick a date from there. There is no right or wrong answer. These are definitely the 3 priority steps I would give to any engaged couple! 

If you are newly engaged and looking for a photographer, contact me to discuss my availability. I would love to talk with you about photographing your wedding!