So you’ve just got engaged? Congratulations! While it’s easy to get carried away with the fun wedding planning stuff like booking your honeymoon, ultimately you’ll need to get onto some things faster than others. If you’re newly engaged here’s the some of the things you should be looking at sooner rather than later. Sure, you’ll want to research the wedding receptions Melbourne has to offer and visit wedding cake makers to sample cake flavours, but ultimately it pays to take care of some things first – and fast.

Save the Date!

One of the most important parts of your wedding day will be having all the people you love in the same room. To ensure that your chosen people attend, send a ‘save the date’ notice really early on. While you may not be in the position to design pretty invites yet, a simple ‘save the date’ sent via email will ensure that your wedding day is already on everyone’s radar. Therefore they know not to book overseas travel or RSVP to another event on that day, because you’ve already locked them in. If you have your heart set on a particular wedding venue, Melbourne weddings are very popular in spring so ensure that you cross check with your preferred wedding venue to ensure that that your date is available – even if it’s more than a year away!

Hot Tip: steer clear of AFL Grand Final Day if you want all eyes on you – not smartphones.

Budget Time

When it comes to money, it’s always best to make no assumptions. Sitting down early on in the piece to nut out what you can realistically afford with your combined savings, wages and contributions from parents and guests is a good way to ensure that you don’t have budget blow outs or put a down payment on a dress you can’t afford. Mapping out your budget early on means that you can then be free to choose a venue or book a makeup artist, knowing that your selection is within your budget.
Hot Tip: If you want to avoid post-wedding stress, avoid using your credit card to pay for your wedding.

Dream Time

Once you’ve got a clear idea of your budget, you can start dreaming. The perils of doing this in reverse often mean that many couples end up in major debt after their wedding, because they have splurged on expensive dresses, rings and cars they can’t afford because they assumed their parents would contribute more. Having a budget nailed down in the very beginning will let you know whether you’ve got $5,000 or $50,000 to play with. Regardless of your budget, you can still spend time putting together a playbook of your dream wedding. From your favourite style of dress to the colour palette your bridesmaids will wear, ultimately you’re putting together a look book to guide your choices. Sure, you may not be able to afford the Vera Wang dress, but you can get one made in the same vain for a more affordable cost if you’re on a budget.
Hot Tip: If you’re not already on Pinterest, it’s a great resource for wedding inspiration.

Make your Proposals

Think there’s just one proposal that happens before a wedding? Nope! You’ll also have to ask your favourite people to be in your bridal party or contribute to the day in the form of a reading, speech or other duty. This is also best to get out of the way early on in the piece, because giving people more time to prepare is always a good thing. After you’ve locked down your bridesmaids, groomsmen, maid of honour and other important VIPs, ensure you let them know what is expected of them. If they are expected to buy their own dresses and shoes, this is something they may need to save for, so avoid nasty surprises and let them know early on to avoid confusion.
Hot Tip: A simple follow up email or conversation after they’ve accepted your proposal is a good way to let everyone know what their duties involve.

Book it or Lose it

Time and time again couples miss out on their favourite wedding venue, band, or photographer because they don’t book early enough. Once your date and budget is set, and you know what you want, it’s always best to book in early. It might seem far away, but often the best venues and suppliers book out incredibly early. This leaves indecisive couples in the lurch, because they’ve decided to waste time doing more research or looking for another option, when what they wanted was right in front of them (but booked out when they go back later on). So don’t dilly dally, hop to it early on and you’ll avoid disappointment later on.
Hot Tip: If you’re having trouble choosing get practical and draw up a pros and cons list to help your decision.

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Talk to the friendly, helpful team at Ascot House about your upcoming wedding.

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