Engagement Season – Getting Started!

Congratulations – you just engaged and now everyone is asking “when and where will the wedding will be?”. If you’re anything like me, I just wanted to get over the shock, excitement, and happiness (and off cloud nine) before I could even think of when, where, and how!!!

The first thing I did was join the knot.com, which if you haven’t yet I recommend doing so. It helped with ideas, and the community boards are a great place to bounce ideas off of and chat with other brides to be.

A few weeks into my Knot adventures, I clicked on the checklist; you know, the dreaded timeline for when things should be done by. The panic began to sink in, and I had no idea how I was going to get all of this done.

I know it looks like a lot and even though they try and help you by breaking it down by months, it still can be so overwhelming. I was a college student, full time worker, and trying to plan a wedding in less than a year. Trying to sleep at night was becoming impossible because the to do lists where running through my brain! I was dreaming about weddings (good and bad) – like will I fall while walking down the aisle?

To help you out we have decided to go through the planning checklist. The knot.com starts making suggestions 12 months out, so lets begin planning our October 2012 wedding!

1- Start on an organizational binder where you can keep ideas and stay organized. You need something where you can keep everything contracts, pictures, magazine clippings, and it will be good to have everything right there at your finger tips.

2- Start thinking about your wedding style, colors and themes. Do you want a formal wedding, or are you thinking that you would like a more casual wedding?

3- Decide on a wedding budget, everything adds up, especially all the little details.

4- Let everyone know you’re engaged by having a party, creating a cute greeting card, a newspaper announcement, or invite people to look at a wedding website you have created.

5- Pick a wedding date.

6- Interview a wedding coordinator; check out TwoFoot Creative! (Ana steps in and adds that this should be done between steps 1 and 2 if you want help throughout the planning!)

7- Start looking at wedding dresses, see what your style is and what it isn’t. That way when you go to try on dresses you can show them from your wedding binder (or Pinterest account) the style of dresses you like or don’t like.

8- The last thing on the 12 months + list is getting in shape. For those of that don’t have to lose any weight, lucky you!! But for the rest of us… if you think you want to lose some weight start now. That way you don’t have to try to lose 20 lbs in 2 months!

Finally, try to enjoy this time. I know thinking your wedding is a year or more away may seem like such a far away date. But it will go by fast and make sure you cherish every moment with your fiancé. Have fun calling him or her your fiancé!!! I know I sure did… Congratulations on your engagement!! And come back for more planning tips as the months get closer. We will help you tackle those monthly to do lists.

Written by Melanie King, TwoFoot Creative – Ann Arbor