NEWLY ENGAGED? HERE’S WHAT TO DO NEXT…
So you’re recently engaged? Congratulations! Being newly engaged is all very exciting but from experience it can also feel super overwhelming. If you’re not knowing where to start or what to do next, then have a scroll below to read some of my top tips for newly engaged couples.
1. INSURE YOUR RING! Might be an obvious one but if you haven’t already, please do. That baby needs protection!
2. ENJOY & RELAX. Take quality time together in your newly engaged bubble. Go on a few dates and have fun celebrating with friends and family. Then gradually start with some casual chats about planning to understand each others preferences. Leave the spreadsheets alone for now and firstly just get excited about envisioning your day together.
3. IGNORE PEER PRESSURE. Whether it’s coming from family or the wedding industry itself. Don’t rush into making decisions that you haven’t given considerable thought. Feel free to go at your own pace during the planning process. I’ll be totally honest, working in the industry I know how much wedding vendors push about booking early. It feels like you have to plan 2-3 years in advance to secure anything decent. But I will let you into a little secret, it’s not true. As a wedding photographer, I don’t like to open my books more than 18 months in advance and still leave a little room for last minute bookings once I have my personal diary sorted. You’ll probably find a lot of other vendors doing the same.
4. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. When it comes to advice on wedding planning, don’t rely on Google or wedding directories for advice on budget allocation. These usually aren’t accurate or up to speed with the current industry. They also usually only represent traditional style weddings, telling you what percentage to allocate to flowers or how much your three tier wedding cake should cost. Every couple will have different priorities, so my advice is to speak and enquire with individual vendors themselves and decide what suits you for your day and your budget.
5. BE OPEN MINDED. This is probably my biggest piece of advice, because you’ll enjoy the planning process so much more. Yes certain vendors can get booked way in advance but as long as you are flexible with plans, there will always be other options available to you and you’ll be less disappointed along the way. Don’t pigeon hole your ideas too early, wedding trends come and go so keep an open mind in the lead up to your wedding and you’ll find everything will just fall into place.
As a wedding photographer, I feel like there is so much more I could advise on but hopefully these little nuggets of wisdom help you in the start of your exciting new chapter.
Thinking about an engagement shoot? Feel free to pop me a message for more info, I would love to hear from you!