PC: Katzie & Ben
Celebrate!!! You're engaged!
Whoop whoop, it is official! You are now engaged and you have a fiancé. Take a moment for that to sink in. Don't forget to offer a quick prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of your vocation to marriage and your amazing fiancé!
As you share the news with your special people (so many phone calls and FaceTimes and texts to send!), get that Instagram announcement ready, and gaze at your beautiful ring, the reality sets in that you have a wedding to plan! And most likely, you haven't planned a wedding before. With your upcoming date on the horizon, you might be overwhelmed with the ever growing list of to do items. Here are the first 3 wedding planning items you should tackle right after you get engaged!
1. Look at wedding dates & determine location.
It's the question everyone wants to know as soon as you start wearing a ring around your finger! Take some time to sit down and talk with your fiancé and family about potential date options. Is there a feast day that is important to you? Are you aiming for a short engagement? Do you want a Friday or Saturday? Do you want to plan around a holiday weekend? Do you have a favorite season? Do you have a specific timeframe ? Write down a couple dates that you prefer. When talking with the Church and venues, you might need a couple options if they have your ideal date already booked.
Also, talk about your desired wedding location. Will you get married at your hometown Church? Is there a Church that you both attend now that is meaningful? What city or state hold the most meaning for you? Do you want to get married near family? Choosing your wedding location will allow you to continue with vendor selections and other local events.
Your guest list and budget go hand in hand. As you start listing out your special people, this will help you determine a venue size, catering costs, and additional food and beverage needs. A wedding budget for 180 guests looks wildly different than 350 guests. As you finalize those guest numbers, you will get a more realistic budget number. Your guest count impacts many areas of the budget, including save the date, invitation, programs, and favor costs!
When discussing budget and going through each line item, it is a good idea to have a conversation with parents or other family members who have offered to help with wedding costs. Sitting down as early as possible to talk about expectations will help your whole process as decisions are made and contracts are signed.
3. Connect with your Church and/or priest regarding wedding dates and ask about marriage preparation or any requirements from the Church.
The most important item to nail down is the Church and priest for your wedding ceremony! Call your parish (or desired Church) office to inquire about your desired dates. Ask about deposits, agreements, or other requirements that the Church has in place. This is also a great time to ask your priest about the marriage preparation programs and meetings that will be necessary before your wedding day. It's never to early to get those items on your calendar!
Bonus: Ask for a special engagement blessing from a priest friend or the priest at your parish!
And, let me be the 25th or 100th or 376th person to say ..... Congratulations!
xoxo, E
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