After all the planning, finally you have proposed, and your other half said “yes”. The hard part is mostly definitely over…or so you thought.
Now comes the wedding preparation; an array of flowers, canapés and outfits to try and discard before finding the perfect combination for the biggest day of your lives. Yes, you may have thought the preparation before the engagement was tough, but now the wedding is upon you and so are the relatives.
There is no need to fear if you’re terrified of too much time with the fussing family. One side of you is grateful for the help (it’s a lot to deal with) but the other half would maybe like a clearer and less opinionated point of view. This is fair and there is a solution called the internet. Try out a free site called http://www.weddingsite.co.uk/ that has amazing tools including a budget planner, seating plan and suppliers list removing all the hard work for you. You will feel relaxed and organised in no time.
Everyone loves an excuse to celebrate and certain members of the family enjoy getting involved (much to your delight or horror) but there is a list of tasks to trawl through before you even think about guestlists and speeches.
As well as planning the big day, there is a simple post-engagement checklist for you to consider too…
Tell the parents
This seems like a surprisingly easy first task to your new life as an engaged couple however if you forget to tell the parents first or quick enough, you may be in for a world of pain.
There is no-one that loves you more than your parents so giving them the honour of telling them first will delight them. Also, in a slightly more selfish attitude, they will then tell most of the family saving you another task! Cheeky, but it works. Do remember to let everyone you want to tell personally soon though. Good news most certainly travels fast.
Get the tale perfected
Keep your engagement tale truthful, short and sweet. No-one likes a bumbling story and exaggerating the truth will only come out in the end. Not only this, but this is a story you will be repeating for some time; you need to make sure it reflects not only the beautiful way your other half proposed but the ecstatic feeling at the time too.
Beautify your hands
Your hands are going to be getting a lot of attention so a manicure is definitely in order. A beautiful ring needs a beautiful setting so also complement it with subtle rings and thin chain bracelets to highlight the sparkles. While you’re there, you might as well get a hand massage too…
Is the ring perfect?
Is the ring a little loose? Is it not exactly your style? These aren’t matters to lose your head over. The amount of choice out there and the sheer nervousness on the situation would send any partner into a cold sweat, so head to the jewellers together to get the ring just right before showing it around the office, family and friend.
If the ring is 100% perfect; great! However, there still might be a trip to the jewellers in store to insured your latest prized possession.
Have a vague wedding idea
You may not even be thinking of planning the Big Day just yet, but you are almost guaranteed to be asked. Having a vague idea, or a joint response prepared, avoids awkward silences and puzzled responses from relatives used to immediate wedding planning.
Start saving
Leading on from the vague wedding idea, it would be worth setting out a budget and starting to save regardless of whether you intend to get married within a year or longer. Your wedding will be one of the happiest days of your life, but remember post-wedding too. You might want to find that dream home or go on the honeymoon of a lifetime. Bring your organisational skills to good use, and use free online tools at your disposal too.
Get planning!
All that remains is to plan not only your wedding, but your engagement party too! This is also the calm before the storm; use it wisely and relax.
Planning a wedding can be a wild ride indeed. However, through the whirlwind of wedding planning and engagement happiness, everything will come together to make for a truly spectacular day, and an amazing future too. Next stop; honeymoon!