So, You're Engaged...Now What?



Posted: Tuesday, April 07, 2009

by
Natalie Bradley Events

Before you do ANYTHING else, you absolutely must first get real about your budget and your guest list. These are two vital aspects to properly planning your fabulous wedding. Most brides start spinning soon after their engagement simply because they have no idea what to do FIRST! Well...this is it...GET CLEAR!  
 
Find out how much money is there for your wedding. This doesn't mean taking a stab in the dark. Get serious about figuring out what your dollar figure is and get real with the "fam" and your fiancé. It's not just about the finances though. There are usually a lot of underlying factors with this that you must discuss, or you'll be miserable. People can be really weird about money, but if you don't get this taken care of, you will be a horrible ball of stress. 
 
You absolutely must realize that there's NEVER enough money ... whether you have $2O,OOO or $2,OOO,OOO, you always 'need' more. Detail out a budget planner that works for you instead of what you think is right to use for your wedding planning. A spreadsheet is useless after all if you don't know how to use it.   

Get more "Bang for Your Budget" no matter what with areas like your Bar, Venue, Décor, Food and Beverage Selection, Entertainment choices, Other Vendors, and in creating your Guest List.   

You MUST have a realistic guest list to have a working budget! No one likes compiling their guest list, so do this right once and you're done! There are ways to reduce your guest list to get what you want. Most people think that they have to invite everyone you know, but you don't and this will drastically lower your budget.  Most people bank on the idea that a certain number of guests will not attend, but that is a recipe for disaster.  Take a conservative look at your list and guest-imating your attendance.  
 
Your Fab Bride Assignment:     
 
Create a detailed budget planner that includes every thing you want down to the postage on your envelopes and false eyelashes for your beauty accessories. Look to the resources around you to come up with the figures to plug in (not just in wedding magazines). Then, go ahead and compile that guest list and start cutting back now. If you don't do this before you get planning, it will simply spiral out of control from this point forward ... trust me! : )     

© 2008 Soirée! Ltd./Natalie Bradley Events  

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? No problem! But here's what you MUST include:

Wedding and Event Planner Natalie Bradley publishes the "Fabulous Planning" weekly e-zine. If you're ready to take your wedding from Mediocre to Fabulous, get your F*REE report and tips now at www.NatalieBradley.com.

For years, Natalie Bradley has planned and designed hundreds of weddings and other social events. After rapidly creating a 6-figure wedding planning company and having a full wedding planning practice, Natalie developed a proven, step-by-step system to teach others the keys to being a truly successful wedding professional. As the CEO and Bride Attraction Expert for Soirée!, Ltd., Natalie helps wedding professional entrepreneurs create not only a profitable business, but one that creates wealth, abundance and joy in their lives.  Natalie believes that success and freedom must go hand-in-hand! 

Natalie Bradley has been featured throughout the media, including Inside Weddings, Modern Bride Atlanta, The Knot Georgia, Lake Oconee Living, Weddings with Style, Brides.com Blog, Southern Distinction, Georgia Living TV and Holiday Home.

At www.BrideAttraction.com, Natalie shares free resources, articles and strategies for wedding professionals to propel their businesses and lives to true success. 

This Article has been viewed 31 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.