YOU JUST GOT ENGAGED.. NOW WHAT??
Seeing as it is the holiday season at time moment, we thought it would be a good idea to give some hearty advice to those of you who recently got engaged.
Firstly, congratulations! Now is the time to pop some champagne, and drink to the awesome times that lie ahead. Being engaged is an amazing feeling, one of overflowing love and excitement.
But alas, as soon as the holidays pass, you will have to start planning for that wedding. And although it’s extremely exhilarating, it can be daunting and scary as well.
That’s why we’ve made a short list with things to get you started towards having your dream wedding! Let’s start with…
Set the date & venue!
Place and time are the two most essential things when planning your wedding. You can’t start arranging anything with other service providers, bridal party or guests if this is not done yet. Once these two items are verified, you can rest assured things are going to start falling into place!
Book the photographer
Next up, you should contact your favourite wedding photographer. If you don’t have a preferred one yet, start researching and find someone who’s style and portfolio suit your personality & vision. Also remember, our calendars fill up quickly, so find out whether your date is still available asap!
From past experience, we’ve found that booking your photographer about a year in advance always helps to prevent disappointment, ESPECIALLY if you are getting married in the holiday season! Popular dates, such as the second weekend in December and long weekends, are booked out super fast. Most photographers work on a first deposit, first serve basis. So if someone beats you & books your date, there’s nothing the photographer can do to accommodate you. We’ve had clients move their wedding date, just to have us shoot their wedding! *Blush*
Even if it’s two weeks to your wedding, still give them a call. They might just still have your date open!
Reward yourself!
After the two biggest items are booked and finalized, it’s time to reward yourself with another bottle of champagne! Setting the date & venue, and booking the photographer, are two huge items in all weddings, and you’ve just completed them. Well done!
Finalize the guest list
After your well deserved class of champagne, it’s time to figure out who’s coming to the wedding. This is a tricky subject, so we’d suggest the two of you sit together one night, and go through a list of who you simply must have at the wedding. That best friend, your favorite uncle, etc. Thereafter only, we’d recommend sending the list to close family to get their input.
Find your “crew”
Your “crew” will be essential to your mental well-being during the planning and execution of your wedding. But, selecting bridesmaids and groomsmen isn’t as easy as it would seem to most. Make sure you talk to your better half before informing your chosen few of their selection, as this might cause problems and awkward conversations down the line.
Find a wedding planner (if you’re too stressed)
Doing the decor can be an easy job, if you simplify things or have a knack for it. For most weddings, the decor will be an interesting and unique affair. We’ve seen a couple of weddings where the crew, along with the bride and groom’s family, work together to achieve the perfect look for the wedding. But, if you’d like to outsource this job, we’d recommend doing proper research and finding someone who will be able to follow your style.
Don’t be shy to ask your venue or photographer for recommendations – they know the people in the industry and who would be able to look after you best.
Choose your color scheme
Choosing this early on will help you design your wedding according to the image in your head. Also, your decor supplier will be able to provide you with a couple of decoration options before you finalise everything.
It also helps if you find the bridal party’s clothing first. For our own wedding, we wanted marsala floral dresses and couldn’t find the right material anywhere. This resulted in us having to settle for a bit of a different colour scheme.
It’s never too late to change your mind, but it makes everything easier if you have a colour & style vision to fall back on during the planning.
Start shopping!
Now it’s time to do some retail therapy! Nothing beats back those anxious thoughts than a good old trip to the mall along with your crew.
The wedding dress, groom’s suit and tie, bridal party accessories, and gifts for your guests are just a few things you will have to find. Thankfully, we’re working on a one-stop solution to most of these items.
It’s called Nifty Shop, and it’s an online store for all things wedding-related. Cake toppers, bridal gowns, bow-ties and suspenders.. There’s a whole bunch of interesting stuff for sale, and it’s all online. Nifty Shop ships all over Namibia, so you don’t even have to go to the mall if you don’t want to.
Reward yourself (again!)
You’ve come really far, and are almost done with most of the planning! Now it’s time to pop another bottle of champagne, and think back on everything you’ve done so far. Well done once again!
We could go on with this list for quite some time, talking about the honeymoon, guest accommodation, catering, DJ, and much more. But, each wedding is unique, and now that you’re in the groove of things, it’ll come easily.
If however, you are really lost at what to do next, please give us a call. We have a ton of wedding experience, and would love to share everything we know with you. We are advocates of stress-reduction, and would love to jump at the opportunity to make your lives easier!
Thank you so much for reading through this post, we hope you have a wonderful time leading up to the wedding!
Happy Holidays!
Nadine & SP
