Engagment Queston?

Question

So, I just got engaged..=)

I was wondering. what comes next after that?

Like, when do should you take engagement photos, the bachelor/batchlorlette party, stuff like that?

Thanks everyone =)

Answer 1

Set a date. Book the Church- book the reception hall, all the big items need to be booked at least 8 months to 1 year in advance. If you need to save money, do that first. Congrats!

Answer 2

Well you have to decide on a date first then find a church or place where you want the ceremony held and book that then you have to book a hall or a place you want the reception at. You should start your dress shopping within the first year. Photographer should come next, they book fast then Dj or wedding singer. After all that you can start picking out flowers, food, bridesmaid dresses, flower girl dress (if you have one), tuxes and food (some halls offer this for an additional fee). The photographer you hire will do your engagement pictures for additional fee and they usually take place three-four months before you get married. The bachelor/batchlorette party should be planned by your maid of honor/best man and they typically happen anywhere within the month of your marriage.
Congrats!

Answer 3

Congratulations! The next several months are going to be exciting and horrible. Planning a wedding can be really really stressful. Just make sure you keep the focus on why you two are getting married and remember that once you're married the whole wedding process will be over!
I don't know how much time you have, but don't listen to the person who said you need a year to get ready. I think that partly depends on how elaborate you want things to be. I was engaged for four months and everything still turned out lovely.
Look online or buy a bridal magazine with a bridal calendar. Even if you don't follow the schedule exactly, it's a good starting point to help you remember everything that you need to do (bridesmaids, flowers, music, food, invitations, etc.). And then you can take the schedule and alter it as necessary to fit your time limit. Like, if the schedule is for a year and you're getting married in six months, then do everything for months 11 and 12 in month six, etc.
I think the first things you need to do are set a date, book the church and hall, set a budget (figure out who's going to pay for what and how much), think about the wedding party, and start looking for a dress. You want to make sure that you get the dress enough ahead of time that they'll be time to make alterations (so you need to have picked out about a month before you take bridal photos). And trust me, you'll need alterations. But you also don't want to pick it out too soon before the wedding in case you lose/gain weight. I still think you should start looking now, though, so you can get an idea of what style you'd like, price range, and whether you want to buy it or have it made.
Hope this helps! Good luck!

Answer 4

First thing is to get a reliable etiquette book, written by an authority, like Miss Manners' Guide to Weddings, or Peggy Post, or Letitia Baldridge. Get your etiquette straight first so you don't goof up anything later with a major faux pas. (and there is SOOOO much bad advice floating around out there, on the Internet and in magazines etc, even in books written by idiots that i cannot believe made it to print!). People tell tales about rude brides and grooms for generations, so your etiquette in how you treat others throughout this process should be first and foremost.

Second big tip is to keep your plans under your hat most of the time. If you discuss wedding plans too much at work, that coworker you don't like is going to think you want her to be a bridesmaid. If you tell your extended family all about your engagement plans and then later decide you want an intimate ceremony with parents only, everyone will feel snubbed. Let information out in a careful and controlled manner.

Engagement photos can be done whenever-- they are optional. Bachelor parties are thrown by others, in your honor, so that's not even your worry.

Answer 5

First things first, set a budget! Only then can you start making plans. Your budget will dictate almost every choice you make, from where it's held (parents home? huge reception hall?) to the style of dresses, number in your wedding party, flower and music choices..etc..etc. After your budget is determined, then I would pick the site for the reception. People aren't lying to you when they say many places book a year or more in advance, especially if you want a June, Sept. or other "high season" wedding. The same goes for photographers and bands/d.j.'s. I got engaged last december (the wedding is July/07) and I thought I had plenty of time. When I decided on my reception hall in April, I was quite shocked to find that a lot of the next years summer dates were already taken. Allow yourself plenty of time, be discerning, do your research, get recommendations, and enjoy it all. It really is a lot of fun if you don't stress out over every little thing. Congrats to you!

Answer 6

Choose your date first, as photographers, churches and reception sites, caterers, etc. can get booked up to a year in advance! Book your photographer right away - most have package deals for engagement and wedding photos. You can take the engagement photos as soon as you want! The bachelor/bachelorette party are usually closer to the wedding (like the week before) and usually your friends will plan that for you. Have fun! And congrats!

Answer 7

Congratulations.

First things first. Choose a date. Then the rest can follow.

If you want an engagement party, that comes after picking a date.

Then, plan the rest--when you want engagement pictures, where you want the wedding, choosing the party.

The bachelor/ette parties are usually within the week before the wedding.

Try this site: www.theknot.com for more information
www.weddingchannel.com has a good amount of info, too!

Good luck! Planning a wedding is hard...but don't let that stop you!

Answer 8

I agree once you set the date and get the venue in line then you can make an announcement in the newspaper of your engagement. You do not have to worry about the bachelor/bachlorette party until near the time of the wedding. The big stuff should be out of the way first...plus your girlfriends/women relatives will have to plan your wedding shower..
Congrats on your engagement! Do not forget the process and do not get too stressed...if you get too stressed you will not be able to enjoy your special day!

Answer 9

If you would like have an engagement party first, to announce your engagement! Secondly, I think this is important, Hire a wedding planner! The wedding planner, can help you pick the perfect date, colors, theme, the people you want in your wedding party, etc.

Answer 10

Congrats!!
First things first... be happy that you're engaged. Jump around saying it over and over to yourself. That is part of the fun of being engaged, the happy feeling and anticipation of one of the biggest days of your life.

Tell your parents essp. if you're close to them right away. Share it with everyone whom you want to be included.

Then set a date and start booking church and reception site. I would recommend getting a wedding planner, b/c you sound like me when I first got engaged... I didn't have much of a clue. A planner will help you figure out when you need to make decsions. It will also give you helpful hints.

Bachelor parties are usually set up by maids of honor and best men. It'd be a good idea to figure out who you want to do what.

Good luck and enjoy the process of getting married. This is one of those transitional things you don't want to just skip over.

Answer 11

Congrats!!!

1) Set down with your parents and his parents to discuss a budget and who pays for what.
2) Nail out a guest list, figure out who will be in the wedding party
3) Scout out venders--remember that the cheapest days will be week days, followed by Sundays then by Fridays. Interview like crazy.
4) Think about hiring a wedding coordinator to handle the day-of coordination.
5) Do you have a lot of out of town guests? Is you wedding near a holiday or in the summer? Send out invitations 6 months prior to the wedding. Your guests will thank you.

Your bridal shower will be hosted by your maid of honor and/or family. The bachlor/ette parties are held the night before the wedding. Engagement pictures are fun, but I would take them probably 2 months before the wedding. However, I wouldn't spend a lot of money on them. You're going to want to have pictures of your wedding around the house, not of your engagment pictures. Try asking a friend to go with you two to a local park and zoo and take some pictures. Just as fine quality.