This one I meant to post at my own 12 month mark... in July! But never got around to it, but November is better than never!
Remember - if these things are for you, awesome. If you need to add or remove things to suit you, do so :).
1. Engagement Party
This wasn't something high on my list of things to do (Mack & I took engagement photos instead, and then my maid of honour arranged a girl's day for me to celebrate being engaged - Hen Party #1 haha), but you should do this fairly early on if it's on your list. Remember you're now saving for a wedding, so don't go too crazy spending lots on the engagement.
2. Set that budget & start saving
We will get to my budget spreadsheet in another blog, but get organised and start keeping track of what you have to spend and what you will spend it on. The small things add up too, so don't forget to add these into your costs (not just the big stuff).
3. Research, research, research
Actually take your time looking at options. Pintrest is great (I'll cover this separately too), but it is so easy to get carried away with ideas you might not be able to afford. It took me 4 months of really thinking about everything to lock in a venue, and a further 3 or 4 months to start deciding on the decor and other small details. Unless you are on a tight deadline, don't rush. Think about it. Be really sure before you start spending money.
4. Choose a venue
Good venues fill up really fast, so definitely prioritise this! Be sure to have a rough guest list before you start getting quotes, and get at least 3 or 4 quotes before you make a decision. Have an idea in your head on the type of wedding you want (plated, buffet, cocktail, share platters etc.), and if you are looking for a DIY venue, or an all inclusive (another topic for another day!). Also refer back to your 3 main priorities and be sure your venue can accommodate those things.
For example - finding a venue that allowed fire pits and allowed us to spin fire was the number 1 priority, so raising the topic of fire was the first thing we did. FYI finding a venue that will allow fire in Australia is quite a challenge (which is partially why we are having a winter wedding haha).
5. Set a date
If you have a special date, then obviously this part comes before choosing a venue. For us, we picked the venue and worked around the dates they had available for 2019.
Sending out save the dates doesn't need to happen now, although if you have people travelling internationally like we do, it is at least nice to let them know ASAP so they can start making plans.
6. Choose your bridal party
I will cover this topic in more detail in a couple of weeks, but this should be one of the first things you do. Choose carefully!
7. Find a photographer and videographer
The good suppliers here in Australia book out so far in advance, definitely start looking at portfolios now and locking one in ASAP. If you are looking for both photo & video, it might be more cost effective to find a supplier who does both. Mack & I are going for photography only, despite so many people telling me we will regret it later. I will let you know on that after the wedding, but I don't think we will. We booked our photographer ages ago (he took our engagement photos and I just love them) - I will post soon some of the Australian photographer portfolios I absolutely love, but did not go with.
8. Attend a wedding expo
I have attended a few of these, and, to be honest, a lot of them a just overwhelming and not that helpful. The best one was Blue Mountains Love, which has lots of local suppliers exhibiting - I found my celebrant here. And there were lots of suppliers there that my venue uses regularly as well, which is really great. I have seen smaller local expos in different areas, and I think they would be much more valuable than the large generic ones. When attending an expo, go with something in mind that you are looking for, like hair & makeup, or a photographer, or wedding cars, so you can just ignore everything else and not get bombarded with information.
9. Start dress shopping
Another topic where a whole blog post on its own is coming soon, but definitely start this early! You can buy off the rack, or get lucky with a sale, but generally, if you are shopping for a dress that you need to order in, it will take anywhere from 3 to 6 months to come in, so be sure to leave yourself enough time! Start early! And be open minded - it'll make the whole experience a lot more enjoyable (more on this soon!).
10. Choose our wedding theme, colours etc.
Whilst you might have themes & colours in mind, lock it in only after you have confirmed your venue. You really don't want to have a hot pink colour scheme if your venue has an orange carpet (or something equally hideous haha). Or choose this before you choose your venue, and keep it in mind when you do site visits to make sure the venue matches your dream theme.
Pin this list for future reference - or contact me for the PDF version.
Join me next week for a conversation about choosing your bridal party.
Hx
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