Wedding expert and creator of HookedWeddings.com, Denny Testa, shares his top tips on what to do when you first get engaged. This article was featured this week in The Two River Times.
1. Get Hooked
Want to become a wedding planning savant? Head over to HookedWeddings.com for a fun way to learn how to plan your wedding. Hooked weddings offers bite sized planning tips in 60 seconds. You can learn helpful wedding tips in less time than it takes to brush your teeth.
2. Make Whoopee
Relax, have fun, enjoy the ride, and celebrate. Remember – being engaged is all about fun and celebrating your future marriage. A wedding is not a competition, and you are free to plan any type of wedding you would like. You can make it nutty like a fruit cake or as simple as pie. It’s all up to YOU.
3. Circle of Trust
Guest lists are super important. Do you REALLY need to invite everyone you have come into contact with, or do you just want to celebrate with the people you actually like? There is a huge difference between a 100 person guest list and a 300 person guest list. Figuring out the number of people you want to host will help greatly with our next tip.
4. Louboutins Or Crocs?
Loosely set your budget. Are you willing to break the bank for a luxury wedding, or do you want to spend it on something that is a hair more reasonable? If you have your heart set on certain things for your wedding, you will want to explore their actual costs before choosing a budget. Be extremely wary of “average costs” that you find on national websites. These can be misleading. If you initially set your budget only based on these seemingly random statistics, you may find yourself eating only ramen noodles for the remainder of your engagement just to have your dream vendors.
5. Adult Nanny
Hire a wedding planner. Just like a nanny, they will be there to monitor your every move and keep your planning on track.
While wedding planners are an investment, a planner can actually save you money, time, and your sanity.
6. Hipster Or Yuppie?
Think about your personal style and where you imagine your wedding. Do you envision it in an elegant ballroom, an old factory, or a loft? A golf course, yacht club, or a rustic barn? Or perhaps you see yourself celebrating at your own home or spending a weekend glamping with your friends? Decide what season are you hoping for and what you want the overall theme to be. Remember – whatever you choose, be yourself. It is your wedding after all!
7. Capture Your Flag
Find the perfect venue and claim a date as your own. We are sure you are wondering why this is not #1. Simply stated, you don’t want to jump the gun and make this HUGE decision without having an idea of all the elements we listed above. If you have done your research, you will be confident that your flag is in solid ground.
8. Radio Silence
Take a deep breath. Go out and have some fun. Enjoy this romantic time in your life. Go out and be silly. Try something new together like dancing lessons.
9. Grab your Crew
Start researching, interviewing, and hiring your professionals. You will need to hire the entertainment, a photographer, and videographer right away. These vendors book out faster than others, so start that early – we suggest at least 12 months prior.
10. Spare Tire
If you want to look like you stepped out of the pages of Vogue or GQ on your wedding day, make sure you start your fitness plan shortly after setting your date. Set realistic goals and remember that it takes time to melt back fat, get in shape, or tone up.
Make sure to head over to HookedWeddings.com for more fun and informative wedding planning tips.
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Off BEET Productions is a boutique wedding event group located in the NJ/NY area and serving destination weddings worldwide. We specialize in natural, candid lifestyle photography; fun and playful music videos; unique wedding DJ entertainment; and a stylish, open air photo booth.
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Also check out our latest project – Hooked Weddings – for entertaining, innovative snack-sized wedding tips.
