So it was in 2014 that I met my now husband Michael. We met in April of 2014 and that same month his crazy butt asked me to marry him! I obviously told him no for MONTHS because who does that?! But he was cute and a great guy and a good dad but after we moved in together I knew it would happen. He proposed in February of 2015 and we were married in October of the same year! After we got engaged a FLOOD of things went through my mind. I'd never been engaged before and I was JUST 26, I had ZERO idea what I was doing. Recently (or not so recently) my sister in law got engaged! Shout out Mel! (check out her ring at the bottom of this post!). SO with engagement on my mind and how I miss wedding planning, here are some things to keep in mind for when you get engaged! (Note: this is a sponsored post with affiliate links)
1. Take pictures of your engagement!
Seriously. All the pictures you can, of the ring, of your man, of you two together! I picked out my engagement ring and Michael bought it for me. He told me it was delayed in shipping so I wouldn't have it for MONTHS. Which in my mind meant no proposal! I know were not conventional. Anyway, when I got home that night he had ROSE PEDALS going all the way up the stairs! When I got up there, there he was down on one knee, my ring in his hand! Hits ya in the feels right? He also had candles, wine and snacks! So take the pictures of the scene, you'll want those forever. And your ring will probably never be that clean again LOL.
2. Call your family!
With the millennial generation upon us, make sure you CALL YOUR FAMILY. He should have asked for your dads permission (Mike did!) but call and tell them! Call his parents, your parents, grandparents, your friends. After everyone has been properly informed, THEN post to social media.
3. Now go post!
Go post all your pictures to social media! I've attached some of mine from when we got engaged which seems like FOREVER ago. But they really mean a lot to me!
4. Pick a date
This seems ridiculous but you need to know WHEN you want to get married, what season, what weather. I wanted an October wedding and didn't want to wait until 2016 so my wonderful parents gave me whatever I wanted, including my date! That was 8 months and boy did they bust their butts. Picking a season is easier than a date, we could only pick our date based on when the venue was available. And that's how we got October 18th!
5. Book your venue
This could not be any more important. FIND YOUR VENUE! We got booked at A touch of class in Delran New Jersey. They were so fantastic, we went in and toured it all and smelled their awesome food. My father sat in the corner with his black card waiting for his prompt to hand over the payment LOL! Seriously, find a place that you're going to love. This will be your party!
6. Find your Photographer/Videographer
We used Jill Lynn Photography. She did our engagement and wedding photos. You have to find someone you like otherwise you'll be super disappointed. We used Film Photo Studios (which I happen to be the marketing director of, so enjoy that link) and again they did a FANTASTIC job. You have to find these guys quickly because the good ones always book up FAST.
7. Pick your wedding party!
I had a small wedding party which was totally cool with me since I don't enjoy people that often. But you have to get these guys early because wedding season will be upon you! You need time to go out and get their dresses and shoes and accessories! Believe it or not that takes a while, I went with my girls separately so I could pay attention to them individually. I had one girl in silver and one in purple (My wedding colors) and they were BEAUTIFUL. It does take time and they do have to pencil you into their schedules with the planning! I got these bridesmaids cards from Etsy. Super cute and easy!
8. Go pick your wedding dress!
I went to the Curvy Bride in Manalapan (say that ten times fast) and they were INCREDIBLE. I absolutely loved them. They were so attentive to me and my wants and needs. At that time I was a little bigger (about 100 pounds bigger) than I am now and they were so gracious to me. I tried on six dresses, my mother cried each time until I found the ONE. I said yes to the dress! Once you find the dress, get ready for fittings every month! I added sleeves to mine so I was constantly there with fittings and things. I was very picky (and expensive!) with my dress. Thanks daddy!
9. Don't forget your wedding colors
Every wedding has a theme right? Mine was DEFINITELY a princess theme, and boy did I fill that role WELL! I wanted a fall theme but not completely fall. I also wanted purple and silver incorporated. My poor wedding party and mother, I specifically remember asking my mother for cotton candy for the candy bar. That's the only time she told me no LOL! I've attached some pictures of what I did for my wedding if you want ideas!
10. Last but not least ... The details!
There ARE SO MANY FRIGGIN DETAILS in a wedding and someone is constantly asking you about them. HOLY CRAP. I needed to find hair and makeup. I ended up doing my makeup by myself. I used This maybelline foundation and it worked like a CHARM. I also bought this NYX matte lip color for a nice soft look. they both stayed put all day and didn't have to reapply. You get your nails done, you buy your shoes, the whole bit. I ended up wearing flats similar to these for most of the day but also had heels for need be. You need your garter, your toss bouquet, your real bouquet. It's not a joke!
I hope these help any of you engaged girls! Let me know what your ideas were for after you got engaged! Also here's a picture of my GORGEOUS sister in laws ring! Jelly! love you Mel!
Note: This post contains Affiliate links and I will receive a compensation for the links although I do not post anything that I don't stand behind completely.
No comments:
Post a Comment