You’re ENGAGED!
Well, a big congratulations on your engagement to the person of your dreams.
Now you can have everything you have ever wanted. Everything that you have tagged on Pinterest, everything that you have ever dreamed of, that perfect 5-tiered diamond encrusted cake, the Vera Wang dress Carrie wore in Sex and the City, the world tour honeymoon, the 200+ guests that all walk through the floral archway into your reception…
Okay, let me stop you there!
Put Pinterest on the back burner, put down your phone, don’t buy the plane ticket just yet!
With the average UK weddings costing in excess of £30,000 it might be time to take a look at your budget before you start spending willy-nilly!
Currently of course weddings and parties are slightly on the back burner with covid-19 BUT you can still plan, research, imagine and be prepared!
Our top 3 things to do before you say yes to anything is as follows:
1. Shout about it!
So, of course maybe the more traditional engagement parties cannot currently go head but you can still shout from the roof tops! It is still a fabulous and unforgettable moment of your life and you deserve to tell people about it!
Post it on social media and tell the world!
Have an engagement shoot! This is a perfect opportunity to getting to grips with our photographer and how they work and will get them acquainted with what you want as well. Plus, you can use these as your save the date or engagement announcement pictures to send out to friends and family.
2. Budget – What is YOUR wedding budget?
After you have got over the initial shock and excitement you need to look at budget. If you and your partner are paying for it or even if your parents are paying for it – you need to know where you stand. If you realise that you only have £10,000 then your dreams of having 200 people for a 5-course meal may well have gone out of the window.
Your budget DOES NOT reflect on how fabulous and enjoyable your wedding will be. £500 for 15 people to pop to the local registry then head out to get fish and chips and a champers sound pretty good to me. £20,000 to have your dream hotel wedding with 100+ guests sounds good too! You might have to wait for the latter due to current restrictions but it will still happen!
3. Research
Once you’ve got the budget you need to start researching.
Researching everything! From the shoes you wear to the place you have your reception. Look into more than 1 option for each, different venues, photographers, food options, dresses, outfits, planners, guests options, every single little detail that goes into that one magical day.
When researching its always good to be on the same page with each other so that you can give the venues and suppliers you are talking to some sort of idea about what you want. For example colours for flowers, food options, photography styles etc
Our last important point is a secret that many people don’t know! BE OPEN TO OTHER OPTIONS! Do not feel disheartened to find a smaller budget. You may well be surprised how much you like the idea of a smaller party. You may be surprised when you see an array of different flowers and suddenly pick something cheaper or something that suits your day better so be open to speak to the experts on this!
One final thought…CONGRATULATIONS on your engagement and happy planning!
