We all dream about the day we will become engaged. Will it be in a restaurant, maybe on a boat with fireworks everywhere, or at sunset on the beach in Mexico? Either way, it’s the day we decide on forever with our soul mate. We call our favorite people right away to tell them “We did it!, he proposed and I SAID YES!” Everyone says congratulations. You take a picture of your awesome new bling and post it to Instagram for everyone to see. Holy crap, did that post get 200 likes? Wow, this is amazing I cant wait to plan my…

Yeah, you’re going to actually be planning a wedding now. And not just any wedding, YOURS! Where do you even start? No worries my ambitious bride-to-be.

What to do the first three months after getting Engaged to my Soulmate

Guest List

Firstly after all of the celebrations, make sure you celebrate. You’ll want to sit down with your fiance and set out a guest list. Every single person you’d like to be there for your wedding. Make sure these are people important to you, this may take narrowing down and may take longer than one sitting. But you’ll want to have an idea of how many guests are attending prior to the next steps

Budget

You’ll want to figure out expenses. How much do we have saved, how much do we need to save? I recommend having at least a couple thousand saved for down payments for your vendors. No savings? Guess what, you just decided on FOREVER. Build the savings, prioritize the wedding, and save the stress. Trust me on this one, money is one of the main reasons we stress over wedding planning.

Also set out the amount you can afford each month. Maybe you will not need to finance any vendors for your wedding, but on the off chance that you do. Discuss the amount you are able to afford each month for other payments. Also, keep in mind there will be 5-7 vendors for your wedding. Venue, Photographer, Videographer, Florist, Make Up Artist, DJ, and Catering.

Wedding Email

Make a separate email for your wedding with just your first names to keep things simple.. jess&adam@gmail.com. It’s very easy to make an email these days! Websites such as The Knot, and Wedding Wire have easy platforms to make wedding websites and wedding emails as well! That way all information regarding your wedding is in one place. You won’t miss important emails from your vendors, and will be able to find anything you may need!

Style

What kind of wedding do you want? Rustic woods and fields, a Black Tie feel with champagne, a romantic mansion with gardens and candles? Either way, this is the fun part! Make a Pinterest board, get together with your best friend, and pick the colors and overall aesthetic of your wedding!

Venue and Date

Now that we know the number of guests we’d like to have attended, we have our wedding email to present to our first vendor, and we’ve narrowed down the aesthetic; it’s time to book the Venue!

There are endless Venues to choose from here in Tampa bay, we have the beach, the cities. You really can’t go wrong with most of them. Picking the style beforehand will allow you to be less overwhelmed, and more intentional with the venue that you choose. Now that you’ve already talked expenses with your soulmate, that conversation won’t be awkward when sitting at your dream venue and negotiating your wedding date!

With that being said there was a reason this is title Venue and Date. Unless a date has significant, emotional meaning to you, it is a lot easier to go to the Venue more open-minded with your date. Go into that consultation rather with an ideal season or month in mind!

Bridal Party Invitations

Your Bridal Party is the relief you will need during your wedding planning. You certainly would want this to be the part that’s more stressful. These are the lovely people who plan your Bridal Shower and Bachelorette Party. They are also right by your side your entire wedding day.

First things first, greet this group of people with gifts. Show them you are more than thankful to have them in your life and you would be honored for them to spend this time with you. Also, ASK THEM! Do not assume whoever you choose is supposed to do this with you. This is a large commitment, show them you are humbled by their decision to do this with you. It goes a long way.

Wedding Photographer

Have you found this information valuable? I sure hope you have!

Lucky for you I am a Tampa Wedding Photographer. I’ll make it easy for you click here to get a personalized wedding quote in a 15-minutes!