Newly Engaged?

Here are the top things you should do first!

1- Enjoy being engaged, share the news with friends and family, stare at your ring and of course go buy all the wedding magazines - THEN start thinking about a time line. What season or month do you want to be married?

2- Envision the style. Talk to your fiance and decide if you like a hotel ballroom look, outside gardens feel. Envision in your head the final event what sort of feeling do you get, what colors and style do you see?

3- Talk Budget. This is the most stress full thing about a wedding mostly because couples don't know how much things actually cost. Remember the average wedding in the Philly or DC area is about $29,000-34,000. Of course this depends on the guest list, formality and time of day.

4- Which brings me to #4 - Think about who you want to invite and make a preliminary guest list. When you go to look at sites you will need to know if it is too big or too small.

5- Consider hiring a wedding planner, consultant, coordinator and/or designer. They can help you find a location, give you a time line, keep you on track, save you money and just make the whole process a little easier. They will also make sure your wedding day goes off the way you want it to. Definitely a good investment.

6- Choose your attendants. Honor your closest friends and get them to start helping you plan. Search my blog for unique ways to ask them.

7- Start looking at reception sites and narrow down a date.

8- The fun part - start looking at bridal gowns. There are many area trunks hows in the Winter and early Spring. You might just get a great deal.