You're Engaged, Now What? Six Steps to Take Right After Becoming Engaged

Congratulations on your engagement! This is such an exciting time in your life and you don't want to be stressed out, BUT you probably are. You've been waiting for him to propose and now that he has, everything is coming at you at high-speed. Many of my clients say that they had an idea of what they wanted their wedding to look like but once they got engaged, all of that went out the window. The engagement period really should be a time to celebrate this next step in your relationship, not a time to be consumed with planning and stress.

Here are six planning steps to take within the first month of your engagement that will help take away some of that stress:

1. Pick a date or two. Picking a date gives you direction in the beginning. You may have a venue in mind that you've always wanted to be married in but they may be booked on your date. If you're flexible you may find more success in booking a venue.

2. Sit down with your fiancé and put together a budget. You won't know exactly what things cost immediately but come up with a number that you are comfortable with spending. If the average cost of a wedding in your city is $55,000 but you can only spend $30,000, that's your number. Now is not the time to try to keep up with the Joneses.

3. Hire a wedding planner. It kills me when I hear people say that a friend of a friend or their aunt who "does events" is going to handle their wedding. There is so much more to planning a wedding than fluffing your dress right before you walk down the aisle. We're here to ensure that you make it TO the aisle! Figure out what the most important things are that you are looking for in a planner and while you're interviewing, keep those them in mind. Don't hire someone based solely on their Instagram account or their pricing alone. Ask for references and talk to their previous clients.

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