Engaged, now what?
Congratulations on your engagement! November- January is peak engagement season and I know a lot of you have recently become engaged! With all of the news and excitement, I know you’re also being inundated with advice from friends and family, cute photos on IG, and weird ads on facebook. I bet you’re wondering what to do first, and where to start? So I thought I’d share three things to do after you get engaged that I’ve learned as a Seattle Wedding Photographer!
Step I
The answer is, CELEBRATE! Take this time to enjoy each other and focus on why you’ve decided to commit to one another and enter this new stage in your lives. The engagement period isn’t all about wedding planning.
Next…CELEBRATE with an engagement session!
Did you know you can book an engagement session with me without a wedding photo collection? That’s right! I offer sessions first, and if you want to come back later and book me for your wedding, I give you a special gift (savings ) wink. Celebrating with engagement photos is a great way to make annoucements, get prints made for your home, and to use for your save the dates later on.
Step II : Plan a budget
Before you jump into planning and start developing a Pinterest board, and reaching out to vendors, I suggest you do this MAJOR step first:
Plan a BUDGET!
I know. I know. It’s no fun. Honestly, it’s a word I cringe. So let’s replace that term with something more elegant… let’s call it a “financial framework” for now. Before you start shopping for dresses, and vendors…get together with your partner and decide how much you plan to spend on your wedding or elopement.
You wouldn’t go to a car dealership without a plan in mind, right?
Then spread those funds to the most important investments. Of course, as a photographer, I say photography and video should be at the top of the list. Why? Because after the wedding is complete, a long with your love for each other…they’re the one thing you’ll have left.
Step III: Select a wedding date
Now that you’ve taken some time to enjoy your engagement with your partner, talked about your vision together, and built a financial framework, you’re ready to select a date! Here are some things to consider when selecting wedding date!
- Significance: If you can, think of a date that has some special meaning to you as a couple! First date? Another first? A special anniversary?
- Wedding size: Did you decide on an elopement, intimate wedding, or large wedding? Consider the overall attendance and availability of your guests. We are still in a pandemic! So travel, safety, and venue availability definitely need to be a priority when selecting a date!
- Booking in advance: Again, we’re still in a pandemic, and not only are a lot of vendors just not available, we’re in the middle of a surge. So try to book a date at LEAST 6-18 months in advance! A lot of vendors are still recovering from covid reschedules and don’t have availability. Additionally, with the spread of variants, you’ll want to allow some time for things to hopefully calm down a bit.
- Book early: I can’t stress this enough! A lot of vendors like me hate to turn couples away! Contact us early while you’re still thinking about dates and we may be able to offer date options so that you secure all of your dream vendors!
Bonus Step – Hire your wedding photographer!
Ok, I know it may seem premature. But here’s the thing, when you initially get engaged you’ll want to send out announcements! What better way to do that than with engagement photos? Looking for a wedding photographer to shoot your engagement photos is one of the best ways to start the wedding photography search and lock in a key vendor early. As a Seattle Wedding Photographer, I always encourage my couples to build a relationship with me, starting with the engagement session so that they can build trust and a great vibe before the wedding day!
So, did you just engaged? I’d love to help you celebrate your engagement with a sweet photo session! Guess what, if you book your engagement session with me, you get a sweet discount when it’s time to secure your wedding date with me!
