Romantic sunset.
Candlelight dinner for two.
The Beach.
At the Park.



Any place that harbors that deep meaning, that only the two of you know of.
For a purpose.
It is Romantic.
It is Mysterious.

He arranged the setting.

Then,  He Pops THE QUESTION.

You Said Yes.

Now, you are Officially Engaged.

You're over the moon.
You're elated.
You've been waiting for this day to come.
Or not.

You've been in the relationship with Him for years.
It's time.

You've just gotten into the relationship.
It's too soon.

Whichever it is, the key is, He Asked.
You Answered.

It's a YES.
(If you answered No, that would be a different article)


Then CONGRATULATIONS, my girl.

You're now OFFICIALLY ENGAGED.


You call your parents, your best girl friends and you share the news.
You giggled and screamed over the phone.
You can do that little jig in your room.
You can show off your engagement ring (or any engagement token you have, people are creative these days. It's not always the ring) on your social media accounts, or just well, swoon over the sight of it.

You are on Cloud Nine.

You're Getting Married.

You're officially Off the Market.
You're about to strike off that Single category.

Your dreams came true.

You are getting Married.
You have dreamt of your Wedding Day since you were a little girl.
You know you have.

Now you are going to see your own wedding day.
You are going to BE IN IT.

You have all these ideas.

There are just so many of them.

You know the Next thing is to Plan your Big Day.

But, the Big Question is, Where to Start?


Move over all that squeals of happiness and secret smiles, you are now faced with the Reality of Planning your Wedding.

This is the Big Day; and is known as the Most Important Day in a Girl's Life.
(After her Birthday, that is. Unless you're not huge on Birthdays. Well, at least, I am)


This is something you have got to do.
You have got to do this Right.
It is that Once in A Lifetime.
Some men call it crap, but most men sees it equally as important to them.

You know you want it to be perfect.
It is after all, Your Day, where you are crowned the Queen for the day.

Unless you are planning to elope, there is no avoiding the planning of the Big Day.

Sure, you can hire a wedding planner and throw everything to him/her/the team.

Still, you will need to be involved.

It is Your Wedding Day.
You need to have an idea of how You and your husband-to-be want it to be.

This is the Reality, and it happens right after the engagement.

Every bride goes through it.


What should you do first?

**I am not an expert, but I am just sharing some tips and basics, to shed some light on that whole process.


First of all, take a Deep Breath and Relax.

You can take a quick moment to celebrate with your fiancé (yes, call him that now, you've said yes to his proposal and that makes you officially engaged).


Of course, you will need to inform your family; your parents and your closest immediate family members, and your closest friends.
(Don't rush to inform the whole world just yet, but if you want to, go ahead. You've got the guest list to work on later).

Then, it is time to look through and make that list.

A list of things to help you have that overview of the entire process.
Just the process, first of all.




1. List down your dreams, wants and needs.
    It is okay, just list them all out on a blank piece of paper, or just draw them out in some kind of    diagram. Whichever way works for you.
Do this separately.

2. Sit down with your fiancé and share both of your lists.
   Usually the guys are simple, they will just refer to yours.
 
3. Work out a Budget.
    Yes, this is the most important part of the planning, I can't emphasize on this enough.
    No matter how rich or how much cash you could afford to throw into the sea or burn, you NEED a BUDGET Plan.
   This will help to set the framework for everything and maintains the reality of your planning.
   You need a structure; an outline or you will end up building castles in the air.

4. Set your priorities
    Are you setting your funds for other things? A New Home after the wedding? A New Car?
    Further Education?
    Whatever it is, you will need to decide where you want to Splurge and how it will affect the other
    things you have in plan.


5. Start Surveying Ideas for Weddings and Checking out the Prices for your wedding requirements



   It is much easier when you have that budget because you will know how to negotiate your way and
    also know when to walk away from a deal that you know is just not realistic.
    You are not depriving yourself of anything.
    You are merely being realistic.
    You need to survey, and do your research.
    Don't just depend on hearsay.
    The Wedding business is a niche market, and things change quickly, in matter of months, or even
    weeks, sometimes.
    Don't take advices or recommendations from years ago. Check it up, and confirm the facts.
    You need to EXPLORE the options.
    Some of the vendors may not even be in the business anymore, and there are much more
    innovative ones out there currently.
    Research, Survey, Explore as much as you can.




6. Set the Date (and the timeline)



   This is just as important as the Budget.
    You need to decide on the Date, as soon as possible, because nothing could move forward without
    THE DATE.
    Every vendor you talk to will want to know the date.
    Discuss with both parents on their requirements, even if you already have your preferred date in
    mind. Some customs may require certain traditions to be followed.
   You don't have to adhere if you don't want to, but make sure this is amicably discussed and agreed
    upon with both the elders and your fiancé.


 
These are just the basic and the early steps in the planning stage.
It is just a guideline, you don't necessarily need to follow, or even agree with me.

Everyone has their own expectations and requirements, not to mention visions of their ideal setting.

I am just sharing based on the collection of experiences (and also from my own).
I was not perfect too, and I have been through the bumps too.
I learnt through my mistakes (I've made many mistakes too).
No one is Perfect.

You can always dream of the Perfect Wedding, but stay realistic.


Most of all, DON'T be SWAMPED up by the entirety of the process of planning.
DON'T STRESS yourself too much.

I would know, because I am a worry wart and I often stress myself over every little thing.

I don't want others to go through the same experience.

I'm not going to lie, or sugar coat to say that this is a bed of roses, but like everything else in life, there is always bound to be the good and the bad.
This is just part of the process.


There are just so many things which will be coming up after this stage of engagement.
This is just the beginning.

So Chill, and just take it as a vacation.

Yes, just take it that you're planning for a vacation.



It will be a whole lot LESS stressful.
Vacations are always Fun, aren't they?
Remember how happy and excited you are whenever you are planning to go somewhere? 

To Travel or just to unwind and relax?
Keep it there, in your mind.
Stick to that feeling.

If that does not take the load off, well, just remember that Stress does not benefit the Skin that much.

So, if you are looking for that perfect Bridal glow, and just looking your BEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL on your BIG DAY, Stress is not the answer.
Stress is not your best friend.
Stress is your enemy.

You will need to maintain that light heart and keep that positive attitude.

Your skin and body will thank you for it.

Trust me, it will SHOW on the BIG DAY.


Above all, just remember to have a few trustworthy people to refer to should you run into any problems or need clarification.
Also, have your best friends or that company whom you could rely on to vent or to just lean on their shoulders when you just need to.
(Bless you if you have sisters, a plus point).


You Dreamt of the Beautiful BIG DAY.

Now, make that a beautiful dream and not a nightmare.

Enjoy the process!



*This is a series for Wedding Planning that I will be sharing, intermittently through the posts on my blog.
There will be MORE Posts on Wedding Planning :-)
It is just for thoughts, and to share experiences, mostly, to spread the happiness to all brides to be.

Specifically, I am also dedicating this to two very special people in my life who are about to be married. I love them both very much, and I would love to share as much as I can, since I am often away. I will be at the wedding though, definitely.

This is for Both of You, you know who you are.