You’re engaged—congratulations! You’ve popped the champagne, called all your loved ones, and stared at your ring at least a dozen times. But what now? You can envision what the wedding of your dreams would look and feel like, but you have no idea what steps to take to make it happen.
As wedding planners, we always recommend hiring a professional to help you navigate the murky waters of the wedding industry. But before you do, there are several steps you can take on your own! Ultimately, clarifying your vision before speaking to prospective vendors will help you make the best choice. So, without further ado, here are the first five things you should do after getting engaged!
What To Do After Getting Engaged
Create a Guest List
Creating your guest list is the first crucial step to planning any event, especially a wedding! Once you know how many people you’d like to invite, you can narrow your venue options and create a detailed budget. We recommend making a list of all the loved ones you would invite in an ideal situation, then trimming it until you reach your desired number.
You can create ‘A’ and ‘B’ guest lists if you’d like! On your ‘A’ list, write the names of the closest loved ones you plan to invite. Then, place the remainder of your prospective guests on the ‘B’ list in order of priority. Once the RSVP stage rolls around, you can invite ‘B’ list guests as ‘A’ list guests decline.
Choose a Season
Maybe you and your partner have always envisioned an autumn wedding, or you’re open to anything! Either way, it’s a good idea to nail down what season you’ll host your wedding before hiring a planner and researching locations. For example, a venue with beautiful outdoor space but only so-so indoor accommodations would be ideal for a summer wedding. However, it may not be your cup of tea for a winter affair!
In addition, try to have an open mind about the specific date. You never know what days a venue will have available, so this will allow you more flexibility once it’s time to book.
Discuss Budget
Schedule a sitdown with your partner and your parents, if you are involving them, and discuss your wedding budget. To avoid overspending, come up with an overall amount first. From there, you can allocate your budget according to what is most important to you!
Remember not to include your outfit, your partner’s outfit, or any jewelry in the budget you present to your planner. Since that portion of planning won’t involve them, it could create confusion. Instead, include everything related to the event itself, such as a florals budget and rentals budget.
Choose a Location
You and your partner should also discuss whether you’d prefer a local or destination wedding. We love planning both! It’s all down to your preferences, so make a list of pros and cons if need be. Then, you can start looking for a planner based on the location you’re planning.
If you decide on a destination wedding, consider hosting a welcome event or morning-after brunch. Since most of your guests will be traveling from out of town, making a weekend of it will make their trip more worthwhile!
Get in Touch With a Planner
Once you’ve defined these first four elements, it’s time to hire a planner! We would love to work with you to plan your wedding here in Switzerland or abroad. For more information, contact us today!
If you’re looking for more information for your Switzerland wedding, we’ve put together the ultimate guide to getting married in Switzerland! It’s full of our best tips, and you can download it now.
