Newly engaged? Here are 3 things you need to do ASAP!

I recently caught up with Carmen, lead creative director and planner of Devoted to You - Luxury Wedding Planners and she shared some great tips on what to do when you are newly engaged. Here is what she has to say. 

So you are now engaged and the pressure is on. Everyone is congratulating you and offering you wedding planning tips, so it can be very overwhelming when you don’t know where to start. Here are three surefire tips to help you kick-start your wedding plans:

1. Set your wedding priorities and timeline

As a couple, openly discuss what you think are the most important elements that you want in your wedding and stick to these. Splurge a little on the items that are most important to you or most noticeable by guests attending and save on things that are you don’t care much about. Also determine when would be the best time for you and both families to host the celebration. Once you have a few ideal dates, start building a schedule backwards from the day of the wedding to the present date. If you don't know where to start, it's always a good idea to consult with a wedding planner.

2. Gather your Guest list

Start building the list of must invites, maybes and not inviting. Your guest list is a big variable cost to your overall wedding budget. Food and beverage will likely cost around 50% of your overall wedding budget. Other variable costs to consider which are ultimately dependent on the number of guests who will attend: Wedding favors, Wedding invitations/stationery, Decorations (such as centerpieces, chair rentals, tableware and table linens, and Wedding cake, etc.)

3. Choose the right venue for your wedding

The venue sets the tone of your wedding. It is the canvas where every detail of your plan comes together. Don't forget about venue capacity if your guest list is likely to grow and you want to accommodate everyone in your list. If you are on a tighter budget, the key is to choose a venue that is polished and stands beautifully on its own with little decoration needed. Venues tend to be the first item booked for many couples, so getting a head start in securing your location is essential to properly scheduling the rest of your planning priorities.

Carmen Luk

Carmen is the lead creative director and planner for Devoted to You Inc. She’s planned weddings, events, and managed destination weddings in exotic locations such as Italy, Indonesia and Thailand. Her work has been featured on Style Me Pretty, Wedluxe, Weddingbells, Elegant Weddings and blogTO as 10 top wedding planners in Toronto.