Yes, Yes, Yes I'll Marry You...Now What?

You just said YES, YES, YES.
Of course I’ll marry you….

Now What?

There’s so much to do – and you don’t even know what comes next.

If you’re like me, you stopped dreaming about your big day right about the same time you turned 30. You came to the realization that as you get older, the old dream of a frilly, pink wedding would no longer look “right” anyway. You recognized that at some point, you in a frilly white dress, would look like a lemon meringue pie trotting down the aisle, and that all the really pretty wedding dresses being made by the biggest names in fashion were being made for Teenagers, and Twinkies and Waifs, oh my.

SET THE DATE

So the answer to what’s next is: Take a deep breath, open up a calendar to next year sometime and do that spinning thing with your fingers to pick a date! OR, if there’s a date that is special to the two of you – choose that one. One thing I’d warn you to avoid doing would be choosing a long weekend (most guests would be not very happy at losing one of the few cottage weekends we’re able to get in each year) in high season for weddings (late May through mid September) and choosing the one day each year that every other bride in the world will choose. Let your day be special and unique from the get go. Don’t follow other bride’s trends. Be yourself, and above all else, once you’ve gone through the steps of figuring out what your wedding will be, everything will be the most beautiful, and the most memorable day you and your guests will have. And if you're a certified planner, help your client to find the date that's perfect for them!

Tricks of the trade – pick a date that gives you enough time to figure out what your day will look like, and that will give you enough time to budget and stay on budget. There will undoubtedly be pieces of this puzzle that will hang nonprofessionals up…no matter how organized they are, or how good their maid of honour is at research... Managing the project of your wedding, is undoubtedly like being pregnant and planning for the arrival of your new child, or like hosting a house guest that’s planning to stay till they kick the bucket. The planning period is stressful, if for no other reason than because it’s a time of limbo, where you still have your full time job, and you’re learning the new responsibilities of taking on a husband or partner, AND you’re working that full time job of pulling off the biggest project in your personal history as a couple. There will be lots to divert your attentions during the period while you are planning your wedding. In football terms, it’s critical to have your end zone defined and continually in sight. Without the end zone, planning makes no sense and will get no traction. You can do this…one step at a time. And above all else, this is the beginning of the most exciting journey you’ll have had yet in your lifetime. No matter how quickly it came about, or how long you have both waited. If you're a professional, you have learned the ways to make this non-stressful, smooth, focused and efficient.

Now you need the best damn wedding preparation checklist you can find. There are hundreds of them out there, so be methodical about selecting the one that you feel will fit your personality the best. Then find yourself the best damn professional coordinator you could hope for.

Want to know more? Register for classes with Excellence in Event Education at http://www.eeeweddingplanning.com to become a professional and to obtain your own copy of Life Size Bride.