So You're Engaged—Here's How To Step Into Wedding Planning Stress-Free

Congratulations! Getting engaged is an exciting moment! But it can be daunting to determine what's next. A wedding is a HUGE undertaking and looking at all of the options and possibilities can be overwhelming. Taking your planning step-by-step will keep everything under control as you enter into this phase of your life.

Announce your engagement. This may sound simple but it’s important you share your news with all of your loved ones. Sharing a photo of the ring on social media isn’t enough—your closest friends and loved ones will want to hear the big news and specifics of the engagement from you as well. Announcing your engagement also includes taking engagement photos with your partner to save the moment. You don’t want to jump into the actual wedding planning before taking the time to enjoy the happiness of being engaged. At this time, you can also host an engagement party to share your newly-engaged bliss and celebrate what's to come. 

Determine your budget. You can’t start booking anything for your wedding until you’ve decided how much you’d like to spend on the big day. This will also help you determine the size of your wedding if you were uncertain if you wanted a large or small ceremony. If you’ve been looking into a destination wedding, this will be the time to determine if it’s viable in your budget and where you may be able to travel to. 

Find your venue. Once you’ve set your budget you can begin looking into venues based on the size and extravagance that you budgeted for. Now that you’ve picked the size of your wedding this will also be a factor in picking your venue. Many venues may offer additional services such as rentals and catering that you can explore once you’ve committed to your venue. You may have to make some sacrifices to get the venue you really want—you can save some money by choosing a date that's during the off-season and not a weekend!

Start collecting inspiration. We are here for this! Wedding shows, Pinterest, Instagram and advice from loved ones are all excellent sources of inspiration for planning the wedding. Knowing exactly what you’re looking for on your big day will help you to select everything from your wedding vendors to the perfect dress. 

Choose your bridal party. Wedding planning will be more satisfying as soon as you’ve asked your close friends and loved ones to join you on the big day. Having your party picked will help to alleviate some of the stress and you can delegate tasks or seek help from your crew. This also adds another celebratory step as your friends will be elated to know they are joining you at the altar on your wedding day. 

Relax. Wedding planning is an ongoing task that can be as stressful as you make it. Once you’ve made your important decisions, it’s vital to take some time to relax and enjoy the lead up to the big day. Planning your wedding should be something you enjoy. You and your partner should be able to look back to the wedding planning as something you did together, and a huge accomplishment as you will be throwing one of the most celebratory events in your life—savour every moment!