You’re engaged! Congratulations!

Now begins the wedding planning, right? Well…maybe. 

There are a lot of steps between getting the ring and saying “I do.” In this post, we’re going to break down the biggest steps to take right after you get engaged.

Here are 7 tips for planning the wedding:

1. Celebrate your engagement.
2. Share the good news!
3. Get organized.
4. Decide on your budget.
5. Set the season.
6. Decide on a theme.
7. Pick the venue.

1. Celebrate your engagement.

For many couples, an engagement means one thing: let the wedding planning begin!

But before the planning starts, pause just a moment and take it all in. Savor these precious moments and take the time to celebrate your engagement with your spouse-to-be and your friends and family.

Consider an engagement party or a small, simple celebration. Either way, don’t jump right to the wedding planning; that’ll come soon enough!

2. Share the good news!

What’s more fun than announcing the wonderful news that you (or your future husband or wife) said “yes”?!

Get creative with your announcement and showcase the special kind of love you and your fiance share.

3. Get organized.

Now that you got the engagement celebration out of the way, it’s time to get the planning underway. 

First up? Get organized. 

Whether you go with an ultimate guide, a full checklist, or a binder full of every detail for your wedding. Then, put everything you dream of, decide on, and contemplate in a single place. That can include a file on your computer or a physical binder.

4. Decide on your budget.

Logistically, the first step to take is to get your budget squared away.

Knowing how much you’re willing (and able) to spend will save you countless headaches and heartaches. Plus, every married couple will tell you it’s not worth going into debt over your wedding.

Work with any family who is willing to contribute, then sit down with your fiance and have an honest financial talk about what the budget is. 

Then, start breaking down your “must-haves,” knowing a majority of the budget will be allocated for these things.

5. Set the season.

You don’t have to set the specific date – yet, unless you have a very clear day you’d like to get married. Instead, have a clear vision of both the year and season you want to get married.

Being slightly open to different dates will give you more flexibility when talking with venues about available dates. However, it’s important to have a general idea of the season and year, so you can start to make other decisions too.

6. Decide the theme.

Take the season, your personalities as a couple, and the general location of the wedding in mind as you decide on the theme of your wedding day.

This is the tone you’ll set with every choice – from your wedding gown to the food to the invitations to the venue. 

The theme could be as simple as casual versus glamour. Or it can be as specific as a “Casablanca,” a whimsical garden, or a Hollywood red carpet. 

7. Pick the venue.

Perhaps one of the most important choices you’ll make in the wedding planning process is where it will be.

Lean on your ideal season, theme, and preferred location to help narrow down the search. Then, start contacting venues to get a sense of price ranges that fit into your budget.

From there, it’s simply time to tour! You and your fiance will get a sense of the venue by being on-site and imagining how the wedding of your dreams would look there.

Congratulations again! Follow these 7 tips for planning your big day after your engagement.

And for help with New England event rentals, give us a call at Sperry Tents Seacoast!