Just Got Engaged? Fantastic Advice From The Wedding Genie On What To Do Next!

I'm taking a break from my new Candy Stripe Range today and handing the blog over as usual on a Wednesday to a Guest Blogger. This time its to the lovely Julie Dawson aka The Wedding Genie ... a fantastic wedding planner who I've had the pleasure of working with recently, and who also offers fantastic workshops and advice for Brides to Be. Here she has advice for those of you who are recently engaged ....

We Are Engaged! Help What Do We Do Next?

Congratulations to everyone that is newly engaged! It really is the most fabulous feeling and you want to tell the whole world. My advice is to do jut that!! Take some time to enjoy being engaged before you throw yourself into your wedding planning. Once you start it can get pretty full on and having a few weeks to bask in the enjoyment with nothing to do is just lovely.

Planning a wedding is a great achievement especially when your guests come up to you and tell you how much fun they had and what an amazing day it was. It will end up this way if you spend some time thinking it through before you start to get bogged down in all the practical side of planning.

Having a clear picture of what you want will be useful to not only you, but your suppliers will thank you too. They will be able to offer you the service or product you need because you are clear on what you want from them. You budget will thank you because you know what to spend your cash on. If you are not careful you can run out as soon as you get engaged and start to buy lots of pretty things that you may not need once you have had chance to think some more. (More on budget next time.)

How do you do it? If you follow The Wedding Genie philosophy you do it your way and you choose activities and personal details that your friends and family can take part in and will understand.

There will be elements of your personality that really make your wedding stand out above others that your guests have been too.

Here are my ideas on how to organise your thoughts and come up with a wedding day vision that is clear, what you really want and shouts of YOU!

What Do You Really Want?

The first thing is to just take some quiet time and sit and think about how you imagine your perfect wedding day to be. Close your eyes and visualise what it looks like, what it feels like, even how it smells. Yes use all your senses and then write down what you thought of. It doesn't have to be detailed notes just ideas and feelings. You’ll be surprised at what you come up with. Irrespective of the venue you choose there will be a theme or style or feel that comes out of your brainstorming.

It should be all about You

What kind of person are you? Do you love quiet gatherings with fabulous food and great company? Are you a party animal who is the life and soul of a night out? Are you artistic with a love for the eco friendly. Whatever you are the best weddings reflect you both! One of my lovely brides I am working with now was deciding whether to have favours or not. She has come up with a brilliant idea that suits the situation she is in, reflects her new husband to be's job and completely involves her family who are extremely important to her. I can't tell you what it is but it will be perfect and her guests will be very moved by this small detail.

What time of year is your most favourite?

Do you love winter and the way you can dress up for the weather, real fires, smells of the winter, warming drinks and food with candle light? Are you a summer bird who loves the outdoors, the heat and anything bright? How about a time that means something to you? The time of year you first met maybe. Your first holiday, when or where you were proposed to.

winter wedding inspiration from Knots & Kisses

 

What are your favourite colours and interests?

This maybe dictated by the time of year you choose to get married but anything goes now and as long as you are careful you can have pretty much anything you like. For instance if you love the winter but also lean towards bright colours you can choose to use bright splashes of colour against a black and white background or autumnal colours with splashes of bright colours to lift the theme. If you don’t really have a favourite colour then how about a fabulous classic look, creams, and greens. Lush foliage with soft shades of cream gives a classy sophisticated feel to the day.

autumnal wedding inspiration from Knots & Kisses

For a theme for the wedding why not try and involve your hobbies or interests. You may be a film buff or a foodie or absolutely love flowers. Whatever this can be highlighted in your day.

Where Would You Like to Be Married?

If your absolute desire is to marry in a Tipi Tent in the middle of a field then why not do just that? I know I am a wedding planner and should know better that you have to marry legally in a building with walls and foundations and the relevant licence. Well how about getting married quietly in your local registry office and having a celebrant marry you "again" in your Tipi? Your ceremony can be exactly what you want it to be, involve as many friends and family as you like, say and do what suits your personalities. If you think outside of the box you can do whatever you like. This way you will be legally married and have the ceremony your really yearn for. What's more you get to do it twice!

Alternatively choose between a church and civil wedding ceremony. I think you have to decide what would be typical for you and your partner’s idea of a perfect ceremony. If the idea of a civil ceremony puts you off because they are not that personal dispel that thought immediately. I got married this way and we took the time to make up wedding vows that really meant something to us. I said a lovely poem to my husband that I was so moved by from a film would you believe. Our family thought the ceremony was the best part of the day. I guess what I am saying is when your wedding planning takes over go back to basics and really understand why you are getting married and make the ceremony mean something to both of you.

After thinking about these areas of your life you will have a good idea of what you want from you day. Now you have to workout what your budget will be and how you are going to plan. Next time on Nikki’s blog I will explain exactly what to do next. In the meantime do your homework and then you will be prepared for the next step.

Until next time, happy planning.