You’ve gotten engaged and are having a Liverpool wedding, now what?
First of all – HUGE congratulations! You are engaged! That’s freakin’ amazing!!!! This may have been something that you have been waiting for for quite some time, and now it’s finally happened! Or perhaps it was more of a surprise?!? However you’ve gotten engaged, it’s a wonderful feeling! I would LOVE to know all about it, who popped the question? Where? How? All of the juicy details… leave them in the comments below!
Now, you may be left wondering what the next stages are after your engagement and in what order. Before you start to stress, don’t worry you are in the right place and I am here to help!
Planning a wedding is a timely process –so you don’t need to start planning the moment you say “yes” to your significant other. Every couple’s timeline is different and you don’t need to compare how quickly or slowly you decide to begin the planning process. When it comes to the timings of everything, it can be confusing – Who do you tell? When should you plan the engagement party? What planning tasks do you need to tackle first? These are common questions that many engaged couples wonder; luckily I have the answers for you.
Here are my expert tips and advice on what to do now the proposal has happened…
Announce your news
One of the first steps after you’ve got engaged is to share your amazing news! Take a much, or as little time as you like. Some couples want to tell everyone as soon as possible and have the Instagram announcement posted before their partners had time to get up from their knees, while others may like to keep it a secret for a little longer. When you are ready to tell people make sure you’ve told immediate family and friends before posting to social media. Once your immediate family and closest friends are in on the news – you can go public on social media and get your relationship status changed on Facebook.
Enjoy being engaged
Once you have shared the news take as long as you can to just enjoy the experience with your fiancé. Relax, don’t jump straight into the planning and just enjoy being engaged for a little while. You may decide to have an engagement party or arrange an engagement shoot.
Of course, if you are planning a shorter engagement or you just want to get straight into the planning then you may not want to delay the planning for too long – do whatever feels right for the two of you.
It’s also worth mentioning that you may want to get your ring insured. It’s a pretty sentimental piece of jewellery after all.
Top Tip: If there is a supplier that you really love, book them ASAP because chances are they will be popular with other couples too! Book your wedding hair and makeup with me around 12 months before your wedding, my diary fills up pretty far in advance.
Get organised
When you are ready to get down to the wedding planning – I’d suggest getting an organiser file or a planner to keep everything in one place. There will be a lot to coordinate over the next few months. Get into the habit of keeping important information in a specific place – there’s nothing more frustrating than trying to hunt out a contract or RSVPs when you really need them.
Top Tip: Create an email account exclusively for your wedding planning. That way you can keep all communication with your suppliers and venue in one place.
Start to think about what kind of wedding you are wanting to have. A formal gathering? A relaxed outdoor wedding? Do you want a church? If you have no ideas where to start think about what kind of personalities you have as people, do you enjoy a good party or are you happier at smaller, more intimate gatherings? The Internet is a great help when it comes to planning a wedding. Pinterest and Instagram are great places to start. Create your own mood board and pin things that appeal to you. Save Instagram posts of suppliers that you’d like to work with. This will be useful when meeting with your suppliers to give them an idea on colours, atmosphere and vibe you want to create for your day.
Next, it’s time to think about what’s important to you as a couple. You may have always wanted a hog roast at your wedding or to arrive by horse and cart, if you have something that you have always had your heart on then you should have it – and if you have a budget, make savings elsewhere. Prioritising the aspects of your wedding that are most important to you will help you not overspend on the less important details. Don’t think you “should” have something if it isn’t really important to you both! It’s your day and you should have it your way!
Top Tip: Use a spreadsheet for your budgeting and planning! Click here to access my Glamorama Wedding Planner – an invaluable tool to help take the stress out of every aspect of your planning, including a budget, and also timelines, guest lists, and everything you need to stay organised!
Set aside some time to plan
Once you have chosen a wedding date, start a list of tasks that need planning. I would recommend setting aside some time with your significant other to go through those plans between now and the wedding. Planning is best done in stages so as not to get overwhelming. Don’t let wedding planning take over date night, as it’s still important to set time away from planning as a couple. By allotting time specifically to tackle your wedding to-dos you’ll accomplish so much more than just getting round to it whenever.
Make a list of what each of you is going to do and split the tasks so that you can both be involved. This will keep both of you involved, every step of the way. Keep communicating too so that you don’t end up contacting the caterer twice or booking two florists! Your partner may not want to be so involved in choosing the decorations for the tables and so that can go on your list and you may decide that you are happy for them to choose the evening entertainment and so that’ll go on theirs. Have some tasks that you’ll do together too and you’ll soon get into the swing of wedding planning.
Top Tip: When the planning gets tough, take a break from it all. It will wait. Spend the time to reconnect as a couple and get excited about the day ahead. Maybe take a “weekend off” and do something fun and not wedding related.
And there you have my expert advice of what to do now you are engaged! Welcome to wedding planning, you are going to love it. If you have any questions about planning your Liverpool Wedding, comment below and I will do my best to help!
