Congratulations! You’re about to embark on one of life’s greatest adventures together. It can be an exhilarating and overwhelming experience. Time for a big….
PAUSE
As a planner, my number one suggestion post-engagement is to PAUSE - take a few days together to enjoy the excitement exclusively alone with one another. Turn off the phones, hold off on celebratory get togethers. This gives you time to let the excitement sink in and center yourselves to prepare for the wild ride ahead. These remaining 3 tips will help you do just that:
DAYDREAM
Before becoming overwhelmed by the minutia of the planning process, allow yourselves time to let your minds wander. Discuss your dream wedding, what it would look like, how it would feel, what you would wear, what would wow your guests. Imagine that budget were no issue. Discuss what inspires you and what is important to you.
Although you may not be able to recreate everything you discuss, it gives you both an idea of your ideal wedding day. It’s important that your wedding be a reflection of you both. It may be possible to incorporate key elements of some of the most grandiose ideas you have, later on, on a smaller, more subtle scale.
Your planner can help with that. We can pull key aspects from your dreamy ideas and help you create a vision that incorporates your dreams while working within your budget. While it may be out of the budget for Ed Sheeran to serenade you during your first dance, it may be well within budget to suggest a local performer known for nailing Ed’s greatest hits. Maybe your dream sesh included treating your guests to a romantic evening on an African Safari. Your planner may suggest touring event spaces at local Zoo’s, Rescues or Non-Profits that allow guests photo ops with Elephants, Giraffes or Monkeys. You really can have everything your heart desires with a little imagination!
DETERMINE YOUR MOTIVATIONS
Ask yourselves, what type of wedding do you want and why? Do you want a big wedding, a small wedding, do you want to elope? Determine what truly motivates you to have that particular wedding style. What is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it for the excitement of a big party, the joy of sharing an intimate occasion with your nearest and dearest, or is it a ceremonious affair based on religious values?
Having a solid idea of your motivations will help you make important decisions and reign you in throughout the planning process.
CREATE A VISION BOARD
This is where you will take all those big dreams and start to narrow the focus. Decide what aesthetic each of your personalities represent. Are you calm, cool, collected and casual or a magazine worthy fashionista? Do you prefer traditional customs or modern trends? Find ways to incorporate elements of each.
Take inspiration from your daydream discussions. Make sure to include expectations you each have, approximate budget, aesthetics, must-haves, theme, color scheme, wedding size, season, geographical location, your ideal venue… Jot these ideas down, create a Pinterest board to share or a vision board you can look at each day. Share it with your planner. These visual representations will help you fine tune the details and eventually lead to creating the perfect day for you both.
Now its time to CELEBRATE!
Doing these 4 things before you share the big news, or get together to celebrate with friends and family, ensures that you and your partner are on the same page. You will have a clear view of what your wedding means to you both and what your collective vision will be. This is really helpful to prepare you for the many excited questions and bombardment of unsolicited advice and opinions you will most certainly receive. It will also set the stage to help you manage the rest of the planning process with ease.
