Relax!
We understand if even the headline of this article may stir up feelings of stress. It’s natural to feel a bit antsy about wedding planning. After all, we all want our wedding days to be the stuff forever dreams are made of! That kind of “special” takes planning!
To help you out, we would like to offer you a list of the first five things you should do as soon as someone has said “yes!” (Already past some of these steps, good for you! Cross them off your list and move to the next step.)
Step 1. Tell everybody!
You may think your engagement is a private and personal event. Truly, you are correct! However, there are plenty of people around you both — family and friends — who can’t wait to hear the news! So, spend a bit of time celebrating each other and then find creative ways to tell others about your upcoming nuptials!
Of course, there’s social media to consider! Go ahead and post and snap photos of the ring and your smiling faces! Be sure to change your status to “engaged!” Call your friends and family near and far! Hey, this is exciting stuff; shout it from the rooftops if you want. Enjoy every last moment of announcing your engagement because this special time only happens (hopefully!) once in a lifetime.
Step 2. Enjoy being engaged.
There will be plenty of time to get stressed out about money and venue and flowers and cake. Take a bit of time to celebrate the two of you. We know money may get tight as you start planning but you may want to head out on a weekend away to really bask in the glow of becoming engaged.
You can also spend less and enjoy the alone time by taking walks, making a special dinner together, and making time for some extra smooching. If there was ever a time for romance, this is your time! Don’t let it go by without making a few memories that will hold you when wedding planning gets the better of you. (By the way, when you tell restaurants you are newly engaged you may get a free glass of champagne or dessert! Take advantage!)
Step 3. If you can dream it…
What if you could have anything your hearts’ desire on your wedding day? What if you could go anywhere for your honeymoon? What if you could build a mansion in the sky or buy an RV and live on the road? Ah… so many dreams to share. Now is the time to discuss all those big ideas.
Tell each other what you would love to experience on your wedding day. Dream like you have all the time and money in the world. Enjoy the “what ifs.” You have to have a good idea of what the ultimate might be before you can get more serious about a wedding budget. Figure out what might be really worth the splurge during a good old fashioned dream session or two.
This is a good time to also find out that your ideal “I do” venue may not be your betrothed’s. Enter …. Compromise!
Step 4. What’s it gonna cost?
Setting a wedding budget is very important — unless money is no object for the two of you. For most people, there is a wedding budget to consider and much consideration must come into play when it comes to what will be worth the spend. Do you want to focus on the food? The music? The overall venue? Lots of questions and they all require discussion so you can set a budget.
Discuss who is going to pay for the wedding (is it the two of you or will you have family/friend contributions?) Once you have had the money conversations you will be in a better position to begin connecting the dots between those big dreams and price tags. Check out our blog on tips for establishing a wedding budget.
Step 5: Get out your calendar.
Some couples have an idea of when they would like to get married. Maybe you want to hold your wedding during the winter holidays or even on New Year’s Eve to create a big blow out celebration everyone will remember! Or, perhaps you love the idea of a warm, sandy beach which narrows your options seasonally on Long Island.
Once you have some ideas about budget and desires in mind, you can check out a calendar and narrow down your options for month or season of the year.
Remember, if you are flexible, the best venues may offer deals on “open” dates or weeknight celebrations. At the Bellport Country Club, ask about 2019 availability and special pricing!
At the Bellport Country Club, we have one job to do and no one does it better. We are focused on helping you create the wedding of your dreams. With several “locales” throughout our beautiful venue — beach, golf course, stately mansion and more — you are sure to find something that allows you to dream big! Call us today to schedule a tour: (631) 286 4227.