Hello bride-to-be! If you’re newly engaged, first off, CONGRATS!!! I seriously get SO EXCITED to meet newly engaged couples and hear allllll about their story because it’s such an exciting time of your life and that marriage is AWESOME! You’re going to absolutely love it!! :) You’re probably enjoying showing off that shiny new ring, and maybe your head is already spinning with wedding plans… I know exactly what that’s like, and I know it can be SUPER overwhelming.

To help you get started in the right direction, I’m sharing the three things you should do first after getting engaged:

1. Find & book a venue. This is one of the things that books the farthest out, so it’s really important to start your search first. This will help determine your wedding date and the overall theme of your wedding, where you’ll base a lot of your next decisions off of! :) Most book prime Saturday dates about 1-2 years out! Of course, this is typically also a HUGE decision factor on your wedding date! :) You can also opt for a Friday or Sunday date if you don’t want to plan that far out, they are SUPER popular and not uncommon anymore!! Your venue will also determine the look and vibe of your wedding day, so figuring out what style you’re going for is super important – then go VISIT some venues!!! Sometimes seeing it online is completely different than seeing it in person. It is a LOT easier to visualize when you visit and walk around!!
2. Find & book your dream photographer. Photographers are the next thing to be booked after venues, and being a photographer, nothing makes me more sad to get inquiry after inquiry from the sweetest brides for the same popular dates, over and over again. If you have a photographer in mind that you’ve been following and you would DIE to have at your wedding, work with them when choosing a date! I have had multiple couples in my business do this to make sure I can photograph their wedding, and I did this for my own wedding as well to have my dream photographer! Photographs are the one thing you’ll walk away with after your wedding (besides your new spouse), so this is such a good way to have the perfect photographer who will capture your day seamlessly. Not only that, you want a photographer you connect with well, serve you, and be EXCITED for you on your wedding day. Booking this as soon as possible will ensure you can find a photographer with open availability that will give you an incredible wedding experience! :) I know for me, I want to 100% connect with EVERY one of my couples to ensure they have an AMAZING wedding photography experience!! It’s seriously so important, you’ll spend more time with me than your soon-to-be-hubby on your wedding day… crazy, right?!? Here’s another blog post I wrote about how to decide on a wedding photographer!
3. Make spending time with your new fiance a priority. I think this is so important! During the months of planning for your big day, it can be really easy to get lost in the details of the day and not make time for the two of you. Making your relationship a priority above all else while you’re engaged is one of the best things you can do. Create times weekly that you spend together where you don’t talk about wedding details. Trust me, you’ll be SO grateful for it!! Your relationship is what you will have left after all the planning is over and you’ll be so grateful you grew in it during this season!

BONUS TIP: Hire a planner! SERIOUSLY, they will save you SOOO much time and stress. It’s one of the things I wish I did when planning my wedding, even though I already knew a lot about weddings from being a photographer… there is just SO much that goes into it!! Here are a few of my favorites in Ohio: Aisle & Co. | STR Events | The Finer Things Event Planning

I couldn’t be more EXCITED for you and that shiny new ring on your finger. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s any way I can serve you as you plan and prepare for your big day!! You’re going to love being married and enjoy this season of being engaged!! It is so sweet and special!

Contact Stephanie to learn more about the wedding photography experience here!