You're Engaged, What Comes Next?

If like my friend, Rachael, you’ve recently got engaged then congratulations! There is a lot to do now before you marry the man or woman of your dreams. You might not be in a rush to tie the knot just yet, though. Engagements can last for years. I was engaged for almost three years before I married my husband. Still, the day will come when you are ready to enjoy a beautiful wedding day. Between now and then there is so much to organise. You might actually need a couple of years to plan it! I miss it all now so my advice to you - enjoy every single moment!

Choosing your venue can be tricky because they are all booked up months or even years in advance! Our wedding venue was booked almost two years in advance and they even had bookings for the year after ours! Also, they can be quite expensive. You need the extra time to save up. Often, the availability of your venue is what determines your wedding date. Visit a few places before you set your heart on one. We narrowed our list down to three venues and went to all three and met with the wedding coordinator. Once we heard what was included in the package and saw the place in 'real life' we knew it was the right venue for us. You might prefer to marry somewhere else, and then come back for the reception. This often happens if you choose to have a religious wedding.

Once the date is set, it’s time to make sure everyone knows you are engaged. You might pop an announcement in your local newspaper. We sent out Save The Dates as it was during August and I know a lot of people book holidays around this time. The more notice you can give people, the better. We gave a full year and we still had some people with prior commitments! Talk to your preferred wedding photographer about taking some engagement photos. You might set this up in a studio or choose something more natural at an engagement party. Most photographers actually include this in their package and you could even use those images on your Save The Dates. You can see some Save The Date Ideas I had here.

Next you need to decide who to invite. Modern wedding invites are really easy to order online. There are so many gorgeous wedding stationery designers out there. I worked with ours to design my dream invitation. You can see some Wedding Invitation Ideas I had here. You just need to finalise your guest list - which is the hard bit! Double check the venue's address, date and times are correct! Once the RSVPs start coming in, you can book the catering and get your final cost per head. Some couples like to sample a couple of menus before deciding on the meal. If you have a buffet, see if you can get the caterer to send over some samples.

Now the pace will start to increase as you approach your wedding date. One of the first things you’ll be keen to do is find that perfect wedding dress. There are lots of different styles in the boutiques to choose from. Some brides prefer to have a dress bespoke designed. This can be expensive if you don’t personally know the dressmaker. It is often the best way to get the dress of your dreams, though. I really struggled to find 'the dress' or even a dress I loved as I had an image in my head of my dream dress. I worked with a dressmaker to make my dreams into reality.

Choosing the flowers for your wedding can be tricky. Most florists have a portfolio of bouquets they are happy to make up for you. Not all florists will bespoke design the bouquet for you. I was really lucky to have a local florist that made beautiful bouquets and table arrangements exactly how I wanted them. I printed off loads of pictures and made a mood board and described what I would love and on the day, I couldn't have been happier. If you’re keen to have it your way, consider artificial flowers. They last longer and are less likely to become damaged on the day. It means you have time to get the design absolutely right too.

One of the last things to do is to choose your vows. Most celebrants can offer you a list of readings, poems and words that will do. But if you have a special message for your husband, you can choose to write your own vows. You will still need to say the legally binding wording, but you can say a few words of your own. As we got married in a church we had to include certain things but we could choose our own music, hymns and readings. The church had suggestions for appropriate music, hymns and readings but if you have something else in mind, just ask. It's your day after all.

Getting married takes a lot of time and preparation. Of course, if you’re in a hurry, you can always have a small ceremony at the Registry Office! But who would want to miss out on the beauty and glamour of a big wedding? I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of planning our wedding. Yes it was stressful and at times I wished I could have afforded a wedding planner but I'm so glad I did it all myself as it was so much more personal. Enjoy the planning process and enjoy your special day.

If you want to have a nosey at our special day, you can do here. If you have any questions, ask away. You can comment below or you will find my twitter or email address in the sidebar.

Rachel x