Saying yes to one of life’s most important questions is a thrill like no other. It is wonderful to get engaged and create a beautiful new path for the rest of your life–and begin wedding planning–with your person by your side.
The early days of an engagement are a romantic time, but can also be filled with lots of decisions. Once you’ve said yes to the biggest question, the next question becomes, now what?
There is much to enjoy, and much to learn. Our experienced event specialists at Meadow Brook Hall have pulled together their top 5 tips for newly engaged couples!
#1 Enjoy the Moment!
The early days of an engagement are some of the most exhilarating and special times in your life. Try not to stress or get too locked into wedding planning just yet. These moments when you and your new fiancé can enjoy each other and dream of your future together are wonderful. Try not to rush through them!
This is the moment to enjoy the moment by announcing your engagement! While it may be tempting to post everything to social media immediately, remember to take time to share with the important people in your life—and be considerate of those such as grandparents who may not have access to your Facebook or Instagram.
#2 Talk about the Big Picture
Wedding planning requires couples to make a lot of decisions—both together and with their new parents-in-law, who often have a lot of opinions and influence, and who may be helping to pay for the wedding. How you navigate these early days as a couple will help to set the tone for your future life together.
For most couples, the biggest decisions will come down to budget, guest list and timing.
While you don’t need to get down to every detail right away, the early days of an engagement are a good time to take each other’s temperature on important issues, such as who you’d like in the wedding party, religious considerations for the ceremony and when and where to get married. You may be surprised by which of these are important to you and to your fiancé, and it is a great opportunity for you to compromise and work together to plan something special.
Coming to an agreement on the big picture will help you narrow the search for wedding venues and dates.
#3 Find your Wedding Style
There are so many places to help newly engaged couples get inspired and excited, from wedding magazines to wedding planning websites such as The Knot and Wedding Wire, to the perennial favorite Pinterest and searching hashtags such as #weddinginspo on Instagram. This is the fun part, when you can explore the overall styles, trends and ideas that may be part of your big day!
Consider the kind of atmosphere do you want for your wedding. Are you focused on romantic vows? A lively dance floor? Do you and your soon-to-be-spouse have the same style or will you need to compromise? Discussing your style can help with choosing everything from wedding venue, to the size of the celebration, band vs. DJ, and your aesthetic choices, from classic or boho to trendy, glam, romantic or beyond.
#4 Create your Wedding Timeline
Some couples are ready to tie the knot right away, while others prefer a long engagement. One of the first questions that friends, family and even acquaintances will ask is always “when?”
Everyone is living busy lives, so it is important to take major holidays, work schedules and family obligations into account when creating your wedding planning timeline. Determining a general date and season helps you to back up every other decision and create a timeline for when you will want or need to make other choices by—including if you want to have an engagement party or engagement photo shoot.
Once you have narrowed down your season, size and budget, the wedding planning fun really begins!
#5 Begin to Plan Your Wedding!
With some of the broad decisions under your belt, it is time to actually start planning your wedding! This is the time to attend wedding open houses, visit venues and research great vendors such as photographers and florists. Ask for recommendations from friends and family who have recently been married and consider working with a wedding planner or event specialist who can help.
While planning a wedding can certainly be an exciting and even overwhelming experience at times, be sure to spend time enjoying your new fiancé and practice the art of compromise! Happy wedding planning!
Meadow Brook Hall hosts monthly free wedding open houses that give couples a chance to explore the estate and meet with our event specialists who can help you navigate the path to your dream wedding.
For more information about weddings at Meadow Brook Hall, contact mbhevent@oakland.edu or call (248) 364-6220.
