Happy 2019!!

 We are excited to see what the new year brings! So many people got engaged over the holidays but now you are thinking...Holy Cow, what do I do now!

It seems like all of the sudden everyone is asking you things like

• "When is the Wedding" 
• "What is Your Theme"  
• "Who is in the Wedding"  
• "Can I Bring a Date"
• "I Have a Friend who is a ______ (Photographer, baker, officiant, florist, etc)"  
• "I Have 15 Dietary Restrictions...that won't be a problem will it"

So the first thing to do is take a deep breath...this will all be ok.  Here are some reminders and Top 10 things to do 

• Enjoy the Moments - Being engaged is special, take the time to stare at your ring for hours, flip through wedding magazines, and dare I say it, spend time on Pinterest (just don't get sucked into the Pinterest vortex!)
• Decide on things you like and don't like - find your style.  

Don't forget Date Nights and Exercise!

And most important of all...

Remember why you are doing all of this...to celebrate your love and commitment to each other!

Here are our Top 10 things to do now that you are engaged.

1.  Decide what kind of wedding you want - Destination Wedding, Formal Wedding, Casual Wedding at the Beach, Something Rustic, Something Classic

2.  If you don't live near your families, decide where you will hold the wedding.

3.  Have an open, honest conversation with both families about any money they be contributing to the wedding, what costs you are expected to cover, how you are to use funds contributed by your families.  This one is hard and stressful...but better to get it out in the open and avoid conflict later on down the line.

4.  Start you guest list - Be realistic - if you haven't spoken with, emailed or seen these people in over a year - seriously think about whether they need to be invited - this includes distant family. And remember the size of the venue you select will impact the size of the guest list.

5.  Decide what time of year you want to get married - know the busy times of year in your area, check for popular dates, dates that are important to your family (birthdays, milestones, etc), holidays, festival dates (in West Palm - Sunfest, BoatShow, Tree Lighting, etc).

6.  Choose your wedding party - and no, you don't have to have the same number of bridesmaids and groomsmen and yes, you can have bridesmen and groomsladies.

7.  Select your venue.  But don't visit more than 2-3 venues in one day.  It's overwhelming, confusing and tiring.

8.  Get your engagement ring appraised and insured.  This one isn't fun but it is necessary!

9.  Start refining your budget by category.

10.  HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER!!! No matter what level of planning you hire (full planning, partial planning, month of coordination) you have just hired someone to give you Peace of Mind and you can't put a pricetag on that item!