Newly engaged? Congratulations! This is such an exciting time for you! But I totally understand if there is a little part of you deep deep down that has suddenly gone “holy crap! How do I even BEGIN to start planning a wedding!?”

I get it. It can feel totally overwhelming. There seems to be an unspoken pressure that surrounds being newly engaged and how you need to jump into the deep end and get your venue booked, and work out how many guests you are going to invite, and how can I tell my friends not to bring their children… and already feeling like you want to hyperventilate.

It doesn’t have to be like this?

I’m going to tell you how simple it can be.

So let’s start!


ENJOY THE MOMENT!

We can totally get swept up in the moment and think “wow! The ring is on the finger now! I’m newly engaged! Quick! Let me jump on wedding blogs, go to wedding fayres, look at wedding venues, write a list of who I want to invite!” But hold fire for a moment. Take time out to really enjoy being engaged. It is such an exciting time! Take time out with your partner to celebrate!

WHEN?

What time of year you would like to get married ? Do you have a favorite season? Personally, I love spring and it’s was when Mike and I got married. Summer months are most popular for weddings as you have longer days and more chance for nice weather. Winter is also popular for Christmas weddings with log fires and candles. Do you want to be outside for most of the day or in? Do you want most of your wedding in day light or do you also want darkness so you can do things like fire pits or sparklers or even fireworks.

You will also need to think about the time in which you would like to get married. If you are getting married in winter, you will want your wedding ceremony early so you still have plenty of daylight for photos.

WHAT STYLE?

When you are chatting together, talk about whether you have any ideas about your wedding theme. A wedding theme doesn’t need to be something like “I’m going to have a LEGO wedding theme!” (though that would be AMAZING!).

It can be as simple as a colour choice. It can celebrate a hobby or interest you have, a part of your personality, a place you love.

WHERE?

Once you have an idea of when you would like to get married, this may help you decide what kind of venue would suit your theme. If you love nature and want to be outside, look for venues that have gorgeous grounds. Have a rough idea of how many people you would like to invite as this will be another key point when it comes to searching for a venue as you will want to make sure your wedding venue can hold the number of guests you would like.

HOW?

When you talk about your wedding, you will need to come up with a budget and stick to it. Now this can be pretty tricky as you may not know how much things cost in the wedding industry. Think about where most of your budget would like to be spent and what is most important for you when it comes to your wedding day. This will differ for everyone. Do you want to have a big part of your budget spent on wedding photography so you are putting more value into the memories that will be captured for you on your day? Or do you want the most amazing wedding dress/outfit so you feel like a million dollars?. A good idea would be to write down a list of what you want for your wedding and numbering them in order of importance for you both. Once you’ve done this allocate a budget to each based on your research.

BE YOU?

For me when I meet couples this is always the piece of advice I give them. You will probably be swamped with advice and tips from family and friends, wedding magazines and blogs, social media once you are newly engaged. All telling you how is best to plan your wedding. But just do what feels right for you. Follow your instincts. This is all about the two of you. Do what is best for you both on your day and be true to yourselves.

WEDDING WEBSITES/BLOGS

Have a search through wedding blogs that can give you ideas and inspiration. These are some of my favourites:

Whimsical Wonderland Weddings for eclectic wedding inspiration

Rock N Roll Bride for alternative wedding inspiration

Love My Dress for glamour and elegant wedding inspiration

Brides up North

Yorkshire Rose weddings