Engaged? What next?
Yay! Many congratulations! So you’ve got a sparkly ring on your finger, you’ve started doing everything with your left hand (who knew pointing could be so much fun!) and you receive a flurry of congratulatory messages and cards from friends and family.
Almost immediately, the questions start: How did the proposal go? / where are you getting married? / have you set a date yet? / Are kids also invited? and so on. It can be overwhelming at first because all you’ve done is announce that you’re engaged.
You may not have even started to think about any wedding planning as yet, and that’s ok. But…it does pay to think ahead and it’s almost a case of the earlier the better, especially in post-covid times when many wedding suppliers and still experiencing a high demand from couples who delayed their happy day until they could be sure that the days of lockdowns were long gone.
So here are my sparkly suggestions for the first 3 steps to take when you’ve just got engaged:
Step one : Set the date
Decide on your wedding date pretty soon after you’ve got engaged. Take into account major events, bank holidays, family events (exams, holidays..) when you set your date, and run it past the key family members who will be attending, before letting other people know.
Also think about your honeymoon when choosing the time of year you want to get married. Your ideal honeymoon destination may lend itself better to certain seasons, eg you probably won’t want to visit the Caribbean in October/ November as it’s hurricane season. Of course, you don’t have to go on honeymoon straight after your wedding but if you wish to do so it makes sense to check out the best times to travel to your dream destination.
Step two: Choose your ceremony style
Decide on the type of wedding you would like and the sort of ceremony that would suit you both. For example if you are religious you may choose to have your wedding ceremony in a church or alternative place of worship. However, if you are both from different religions / cultures, you may find it difficult to be married in a church, as many have restrictions and rules around second-time around marriages and also inter faith marriages.
Other options are available to you, however. An independent celebrant like myself can marry couples of different religious denominations and cultures in a blended faith ceremony that is created especially for you, with elements of both faiths combined. A celebrant can also create and perform a non-religious ceremony for you that is completely personalised and tells your unique love story, with absolutely no rules or restrictions.
A council registrar will conduct a legally binding ceremony at a register office or in a licenced venue. This is a non-personalised functional service, you cannot choose your officiant and there are restrictions in terms of what can and can’t be included. See you local council website for information.
Step 3: Book your ceremony
Once you have decided on the type of ceremony that suits you both you need to book it in your diary, asap. Many wedding suppliers are very busy and take bookings at least a couple of years ahead. If you decide to have a celebrant-led ceremony (and hopefully you will!) you will be able to chat with your celebrant on video call or on the phone, to talk through what you are looking for and ask them questions. There is normally a booking fee required to confirm your date in the diary, and then you have made the first step towards an amazing, sparkle-filled wedding day!
If you’ve just got engaged and want to chat about having a bespoke wedding ceremony with a touch of sparkle, just get in touch.
