icaretoshare

As I find myself in the midst of planning for my nuptials in September, I’ve found the memory of getting engaged has somehow lodged itself in the back of my memory! I’ve been engaged for seven months now and so far it was the happiest day of my life. Remembering the excitement and then the overwhelming feeling of beginning the planning process has me thinking of the ways I simplified the beginnings of my new found identity. What do you do when you get that ring?

First of all, I made selecting the ring very easy on my fiance. I dropped hints on the style I’d like and also let him know I’d love to be able to choose it myself. The night he proposed, my fiance let me know he had made an appointment with a jeweller the next morning so we, together, could select the most precious piece of jewellery I will ever wear. I realize many people like surprises, but personally, if the ring was already purchased, I would have either found it in our small apartment beforehand or not liked it.

Telling family and friends was the easy part. Of course everyone was very excited for us and we had positive attention, gifts, and cards for weeks afterwards. What I didn’t realize was if we were planning on getting married in a year, we needed to jump on a date fast! Instead of enjoying being engaged, we were scouting reception halls a week later. Instead of being set on a date, we kept an open mind. Many people want to marry in the summer but by October there were no summer dates available. We found the venue of our dreams and luckily the only date left was September 27. Waiting to decide is not an option. You are bidding against other couples sometimes. I found we needed to come up with our wants and needs quickly.

I personally felt the need to figure out my bridal party quickly. I suppose I knew who I wanted to stand up for me, but I wish I asked with more tact. I sent emails and made phone calls, although I did ask my future sister in law in person and I’m very happy about that. If I had to do it again, I would ask everyone in person.

When shopping for vendors and venues, I made sure to do my research! I approached friends who were already married, I surfed the internet and joined chat forums. One forum I particulary enjoy is www.theweddingring.ca and www.theknot.com. Both are great sites with very valuable information. The Wedding Ring is local to me, so I have been able to connect with other brides who have used the services I’m going to use and who have been married in the same venue I have now selected.

Setting a budget was a very big part of the process for my fiance and I. We had been living together already but didn’t have a joint account. We finally opened a joint account, set our budget and are watching our savings grow. We are able to pay for most of our wedding however luckily our parents are able and willing to help us.

Because we got the ‘bigger’ stuff out of the way early on (venue, vendors, budget, wedding party), we are now focusing on our engagement and the fun things such as booking our honeymoon!

As my planning continues I’ll post additional advice. This is such a learning process for me and so far things are running quite smoothly. Now I have to knock on some wood!

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