Ring In the New

Happy New Year! And welcome to our exciting new, updated site filled with even more news, photos and fabulous features to help you with all your planning needs.

And, if you, along with celebs Reese Witherspoon, Lee Ann Rimes and Ginnifer Goodwin, recently got engaged over the busy holiday season, then my heartfelt congratulations! You must be euphoric and maybe a little bit anxious about all the planning details. Relax! As long as you stay organized and focus on a few key things at the start (and ask your fiancé to pitch in when needed!), you’ll be fine. Here are my top five tips for the newly engaged:

Set Your Style: Talk with your fiancé to determine how you both envision the wedding. Do you want a huge affair or would you prefer something more intimate? Do you picture yourselves marrying on a beach, in a garden or in a ballroom-type setting?
Set a Budget: Be realistic about how much money you can afford to spend. Do you have enough in the bank or will you need to save more? Will your parents be able to help out? Do some research as to how much things cost and factor in another 10% for unexpected expenses.
The Guest List: Your budget will pretty much determine how many guests you can invite. The more guests, the more expensive the reception costs will be. Come up with a feasible number of guests and let your parents know as well.
Determine the Place and Date: Popular reception sites get booked early. So if you have your heart set on a particular venue, decide what month is best to marry and set the date early on.
Start Your Research: Once you know the place and date, then it’s time to think about booking your other pros. Check out our countdown calendar for a timeline of what to do when, and don’t forget to have fun! Remember, this is one of the happiest times of your life and you can hold stress at bay with careful planning and a little help from your family and friends.

And if there’s anything on your mind please let me know. I’m here to help as well!