Engaged… So What Now?

So it happened, he finally got down on one knee and popped the question. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time and what do you think the first words out of my mouth were? “Is this a joke?” Good one Julie! Though you have to understand my fiancée can be a bit of a joker, so one can never be sure.

Anyway I finally pulled myself together and said YES and after many minutes crying, hugging and telling the world I was getting married, it was down to business. So what is this so called business? Good question. At that point I was so drunk on sparkly diamond choices my brain forgot that there is a lot of planning involved with a wedding.

Since I was a little girl I had envisioned several wedding scenarios: myself walking down the aisle in a huge church, in a big over the top wedding dress about to marry the man of my dreams…David Duchovny. Though as I have got older my tastes have changed and, well, David Duchovny is already taken. Basically you will discover that what you wanted way back then is different to what you want now, and that was true for me.

First things first, choosing a wedding date. Now we all must remember that we can’t please everyone though that is easier said than done. The way we came to a date was really only factoring in the needs of immediate family and their ability to travel to our wedding (for those abroad). It was as easy as sending out a group email and waiting for suggestions. Luckily in the end it all worked out and an April wedding it is.

Wedding date, check! Now after further discussions with my graduated brides, they bestowed a wealth of wisdom. First the importance of booking the reception and ceremony venue, because there are some wonderfully organised brides out there who book their venues well in advance and well out of our reach.

Actually the importance of booking the reception should be second, BUDGET is definitely first. Yes it’s a word that screams out to me and reminds me that I’m a student, who works part-time and spent the last year travelling without a care in the world and a credit card bill to prove it. So the best thing I can do is first slap myself, I cannot afford that Vera Wang stunner I have been staring at online.  I have to be realistic and come to an amount that my fiancée and I can achieve (hopefully with a little bit of help). Goodbye Vera.

Now I have a number, I need a theme, an inspiration, behold Europe. Well that’s not my theme, though travelling around Europe admiring old buildings, streets and beautiful gardens has lead me to a theme full of romance and vintage aesthetics.

With all that sorted the venue search is on and I can’t wait…

Where did you start when you set out to plan your wedding?