apple orchard engagement shoot008 Ana and Luke Travelling Hearts Engagement Shoot

1. Tell Your Inner Circle

While your first instinct could be to update Facebook, do make sure close family (including siblings!) are told first. Nobody likes that odd feeling of seeing a major life event unfold on a website. Plus there is something special about ringing your favourite auntie and hearing her squeak down the phone!

2. Don’t Talk Weddings

Sound harsh? It probably is! There will never be a time when you are freshly engaged and enjoying that incredible out of body buzz again so soak it in, deflect the “when’s the date?” questions and revel in being engaged to your beloved without the pressure, stress and mind crunching that is to come.

3, Insure your ring

Not a fun thing really, but I’m a paranoid person and I’d rather have the knowledge that if anything happens I am covered. So do make sure your beautiful ring (if you have one that is!) gets insured as soon as possible!

apple orchard engagement shoot016 Ana and Luke Travelling Hearts Engagement Shoot

4. Throw a party!

Whether it’s an afternoon BBQ, a black tie extravaganza or a catch up at your local bar, a fun celebration, or a toast to celebrate this moment in your life is so much fun and definitely on my list of things to do. Check out my list of engagement party tips here.

5.  Talk About The Kind Of Wedding You Want

Head somewhere quiet, just the two of you and talk about the kind of wedding you envisage. Big or small? Destination or at home? Country or city? Winter or spring? What is important to you both? What do you want guests to walk away feeling? What do you want to remember? Do you love the idea of a formal wedding? Or are you more casual?

6. Dream A Little Dream

Once you’ve nutted out a basic plan it’s time to start dreaming! Head to blogs and websites. Start a scrapbook, a folder on your computer, a Lover.ly or Pinterest account and start collecting images and ideas that you adore.

apple orchard engagement shoot009 Ana and Luke Travelling Hearts Engagement Shoot

7. Money Talk

Money talk still makes me cringe, but unfortunately it’s an essential part of wedding plans. How much do you have to spend? Are your parents contributing? Figuring out what you have to play with will allow you to move forward.

8. Set A Tentative Date

Even if it isn’t “the” date, choosing a date in the season and month you marry will allow you to have something to work with when you start.

9. Look for vendors you love

After you’ve started working out your wedding plans, you can start to find wedding vendors in your budget that you love the work of. (Or if outside your budget but you deem a’ must have’, find out so you can move your budget around or save). Scour blogs and magazines to find vendors who do work that inspires you. A handy tip to note for Spring & Summer brides is that popular wedding dates can book out 18 months to a year in advance for services like photographers and venues so booking quick smart can help you along!

Tip ten? I’m leaving that one to you guys! What is your number #1 tip for someone who is newly engaged?

 

Styling and Floral by Aleksandra  Photography by Tealily Photography  See the full set of images here