So, he popped the question and you said yet? Getting married is an undeniably memorable, life-changing experience that symbolizes the union of two families. But planning a wedding isn’t an easy task, nor is it fast, which is why it’s important to get the ball rolling soon after your engagement.
Tell Your Parents
The very first thing you should do after getting engaged is tell both your parents and your fiance’s parents. According to the popular wedding website TheKnot, it’s best to share the good news with them in person. But if this isn’t an option, you can always call your parents and soon-to-be in-laws to announce your engagement.
Let Everyone Else Know
After sharing the good news with your parents and future in-laws, you should announce your engagement publicly. Some couples may purchase a placement in the local newspaper, while others prefer make the announcement on social media. When choosing the latter, a fun way to announce your engagement is to change your Facebook status to “engaged” while posting a photo of your engagement ring. Even without any additional words, this will let the world know that you are officially engaged.
Set a Budget
Now that you’ve got the announcements out of the way, it’s time to begin planning your wedding. Sit down and discuss with your fiance exactly how much you intend to spend on your wedding. We talked about this in a previous blog post, but it’s worth mentioning again that traditional etiquette states that the bride’s parents pay for most wedding-related expenses, while the groom’s parents pay for the rehearsal dinner. Once you have a budget in mind, you can proactively shop for wedding-related services, decorations, accessories and more.
Choose a Date
On what date do you hope to get married? The late fall through early spring months are generally considered the off-season for weddings, meaning services cost less. A good rule of thumb, however, is to give yourself a minimum of six months to plan the wedding from the date of your engagement.
Search for a Venue
With a wedding date in mind, you and your fiancé can search for the perfect wedding venue. Hopefully, you’ve given yourself enough time to scout multiple venues so you can compare their amenities and features. Does the venue have a covered facility in case of bad weather? How many guests can the venue accommodate? Is it available on your chosen wedding date? What type of parking and transportation does the venue offer? These are just a few of the many questions that you should try and answer when choosing a wedding venue.