So you are officially engaged darling! How amazing is that? You have met the love of your life, and are now ready to plan your dream destination wedding. We are so incredibly happy for you and know that you are just over the moon right now…beaming with excitement, love and joy, right?? 🙂
It’s such a special time, and one that we want you to cherish with every bit of you. We know that you are ready to dive right into the fun, contact all of your guests and book your wedding team! haha. But we want you to take a deep breath, take it all in, enjoy the moment and then when you know that you are really ready, to contact us and officially get started! 🙂
Here is our list of to do’s for you and your fiancé/ fiancee when you are ready to go!
SHARE THE GOOD NEWS
You can start with your nearest and dearest – family & friends 🙂 Your fiance would have most likely asked your father for his blessing prior to him popping the question, but still… there’s nothing like hearing it from you, the lovely bride-to-be! After this has been done, you can then move out to your siblings, close family and friends of course. If possible, deliver the good news in person or over the phone. If this isn’t ideal, then email may have to do for some and that’s fine too. Enjoy the moment and pop the champagne because you’re engaged love!
ORGANISATION IS KEY
Now if you are anything like our us, you would have already created your “Wedding Day” board on Pinterest the very moment that you became a member, (even if you weren’t engaged) and organised everything perfectly! No, you are not alone haha 🙂
And for others, you may have even started saving images from magazines, or purchased bridal books every now and again when you popped into the book store, just because…
Whatever your method, putting all the details together after you’ve said the big “Yes, I will marry you”, is essential.
If you are a bit of a techie like we are then you may be inclined to get attached to imagery on Pinterest, but try to start small. Pop over to our Blog and get some Real Wedding inspiration first. Remember that looking at things from abroad may entice you to want to recreate a concept, but focusing on your space, and its venues, etc. will be key in assessing what decisions to make.
After this, put together a little Wedding Day folder with your wish list and get to work! Research is everything, so contact our team now to get started! 🙂
START TO BUDGET
Though thought of before anything else by most grooms- to-be, budgeting for your big day is by far the most important aspect of any wedding.
It’s important to note that honing in on the “must have’s” instead of “want’s” will truly make everything so much easier, and smoothen out the process.
Even though you may not have any idea of what anything may cost, you can pretty much bet that some items may be a little more expensive than others. So ensure to work with your wedding planner and select the details that matter the most to you and your partner.
Focus on your wish list and have fun. Try not to worry too much about all of the details and instead imagine what you would love the day to look at and how you would love for your guests to feel. The experience is everything and you would only want for it to be memorable, right?
Every month you can put some money aside into a joint account and budget to suit your wish list. Things may end up surprising you as you move along in the process and if you see yourself going over budget, then prioritise things to ensure that you still choose items or experiences that will bring the most joy.
DREAM BIG!
Dreaming big is something that we firmly believe in. It is actually one of our motto’s at the office, and so we constantly preach this to our brides and couples who we interact with.
Getting married is such a special part of your life, one that you will never forget, so dream as much as you want about what you would like for both you and your guests to experience; how the decor will look; what designer dress you will be adorned in; and how handsome your fiance will look, and make it a reality!
Make the day as unique as possible and completely about you and your partner, so that the moment that your guests step into the ceremony, they feel your personal touch in all of the nitty gritty details that we all love so much.
PICK A NUMBER
Now, if you have decided to have your wedding in the next two years or so, then thinking about the exact number of guests may not be one of the top priorities just yet, but thinking about it in the early stages is something that is often overlooked.
Through conversation with your family and fiance, you will be able to decide on the type of wedding you would like to have, whether destination or local, and hone in on the number of guests that you would truly love for your special wedding weekend.
Always remember though, that the guest count impacts the total cost considerably, so choose carefully and select people who mean the most to you, your partner and your families.
DECIDE ON THE WHEN
Deciding on a theme, flowers, decor or other aspects may be a breeze for some couples, but choosing a date may not be!
For me (Elisa), I always knew that our date would have had to have been within the Christmas period since my husband’s sister was studying in New York at the time, and thus only got vacation at certain periods throughout the year. As such, we based everything around January since most of our family and friends from abroad would have most likely been in Trinidad anyway to visit their families for the holiday season, and we were right. It worked out perfectly!
Knowledge like this early on is so great, because it makes the venue searching process easier as well, as you know for sure what time period you are working with. If however your situation is a bit different, then just take some time and choose a month full of meaning for you both. An anniversary, the month you two met or even a month where the weather is amazing in your preferred destination, could be perfect.
It may be a bit of a back and forth between you two, but soon enough, the perfect month will be chosen and the exact day will come soon after.
WHO IS A PRIORITY
Simply put, (after doing a bit of research) you WILL know who your must have wedding vendors will be!
Before confirming your dream date, ensure that you have sealed with deal with the wedding planner, photographer, decorator and venue, for example. If they aren’t free for your chosen day, then you may have to decide if you are willing to give up your dream photographer for your wedding month choice or vice versa. It will be a tough decision, but that’s ok. Just take your time, discuss it with your loved ones and figure out if this wedding professional and their services are essential to your overall vision.
HAVE FUN!
With all the little to do’s that will be made a priority before the big day, don’t forget to take a moment and have some fun with your partner.
In all of the discussions that we have had with our couples, if it’s one thing that each of them had to note at the end of it all, was to “have fun”, and remember to include your partner in all of the important decisions. The day goes by so quickly, so don’t forget to take a moment during the excitement to sit back and take it all in. You won’t regret it, trust us. Your wedding planning journey has just begun darling, so grab your glass of wine and get ready because you are in for a crazy, fun ride!
If you would love to host your destination wedding in paradise, then do not hesitate to give us a call or email us at info@adrianaweddings.com. Please also feel free to schedule a meeting with us HERE. We cannot wait to meet you sweetheart!
