You've got a ring on your finger, congrats! By now you've got a manicure, posted a photo, maybe even had a party. But sooner than later you find yourself overwhelmed. You're not alone. In fact I can give you names (though I won't) of multiple brides I'm friends with on Facebook that have just gotten engaged and have voiced their stress.

So when the excitement wears off, and you realize "Holy S***" I need to plan a wedding, calm down. I'm not going to lie, facing all the details of planning your wedding (or even just figuring our your vendors) is scary. Here's a few ways to keep your cool, and how to get through the first three months of your engagement.

1. Figure Out Your Style - Pick a season! Get some clue of what you love or hate. Yes, Pinterest is good for this, though it shouldn't be a place of comparison. You can find some more ideas by looking at our many galleries! Figuring out your style will help you get an idea of what you want. This also means color schemes which can revolve around the seasons, which will help you narrow down a date.

2. Start A Budget - Prioritize Your Vendors. Now this is where it gets a little scary - but it doesn't have to! Some couples already have an idea of how much things will cost, and that's great. Most of you don't, and that's where prioritizing your vendors comes in. Do you have a favorite caterer in mind? Don't be afraid to contact them to get a price point. With a priority list, you'll be able to see where you don't mind spending a little more money. From there, you can start a budget given what you now know.

Love this incredible spread of food by The Epicurean Delight!

3. Contact Vendors. Depending on how important your budget is, some people even contact their favorite vendors before figuring out money things. But by now it's definitely important to be contacting that beautiful venue you've been dreaming about. By figuring out your venue/date first this will help you as you contact your other vendors. Contact vendors according to your priority list!

4. Hire a Wedding Planner? By now you clearly know if you can do this, or it's just too much. If you're doing alright, awesome! You must have some organization bone in your body. But, this means you still need to think about a Day Of Coordinator to pull in all the details you've planned. Still overwhelmed? Take a breath. Shoot me an email and I'll gladly take you out for coffee/tea, set up a Skype date or just read through your ramble of an email. From there we can talk what you need the most help with, and what we can do for you!

5. Create a guest list, book vendors, schedule payments, sign up for a monthly checklist and take a break. Yes, get that guest list done and over with. It's a huge stress, and everyone knows it (no really, your friends might be tired of you talking about it). From there, book your major vendors (and even get in touch with your non-important ones, like linens, or florals, depending on your priority list!). After weeks of emails, it will feel so nice to make a decision to book. Also, see if they can schedule multiple payments so it doesn't hurt your bank account! And finally, sign up for a checklist (just google wedding checklist) so you know you're not missing anything. Hooray, you deserve a break. Celebrate all your decisions by a hot date, another manicure, or just a good dinner and a movie in!

Sooner than later you'll realize "wow, this wedding planning thing isn't so bad." And it's true, once your major vendors are booked, depending on how long your engagement is you might be able to take a break. If you're planning a more DIY wedding, a break isn't usually in your vocabulary. But you've survived the first three months, and you will survive the rest. At some point though, you really should give me a call. Just because you can plan an entire wedding (which so many awesome couples do), doesn't mean you should be fretting about all those details on your wedding day.

So there you have it friends. Newly Engaged? Overwhelmed? You shouldn't be. Give us a holler today.
Thanks for reading!
Candice Mock
Wedding and Event Planner
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5 Ways to Get You Through the First 3 Months of Your Engagement!