Wedding Planning Survival Guide: You're Engaged... Now What?

Wedding Planning Survival Guide: You're Engaged... Now What?

Just engaged? Congratulations! We’ll bet you’re experiencing a whirlwind of emotions—from pure joy to nervous anticipation. Planning a wedding can be a lot of work, but a systematic approach makes it all 10 times easier. Here’s what all engaged couples need to know before embarking on their wedding planning journey.

1. Take a Moment to Celebrate

Don’t jump into wedding planning too quickly! Take time to bask in the magic of your engagement. Hold off a few days before you share your joyful news with your nearest and dearest. Once all of your closest friends and family have been clued in, feel free to post a clever announcement on social media. If you’d like, go ahead and get out for an engagement photoshoot before sharing your news with the masses (photos that can later be used for Save-the-Dates and invitations)

Planning a long engagement? Consider hosting an intimate engagement celebration. This allows you to honor this milestone while saving for your perfect wedding day.

Pro tip: Some venues, including Spruce Mountain Ranch, offer special perks for couples who share their unique proposal stories.

2. Protect Your Investment: Ring Care Essentials

Does your ring feel like it’s just slightly the wrong size? Head to your local jeweler to get your ring adjusted. You also may want to consider ring insurance to protect your pricey new accessory. Don’t forget to talk with the jeweler about proper care and cleaning.

3. Define Your Wedding Budget

Successful wedding planning starts with a solid financial foundation. Begin by discussing your wedding priorities as a couple, then collaborate with contributing family members to establish a realistic budget. The key to sticking to your wedding budget? Be flexible. Be creative. And choose your guest list wisely.

Pro tip: Dedicate a specific credit card for wedding expenses to streamline budget tracking and management.

4. Secure Your Dream Venue & Date

Our best advice? When selecting your wedding date, maintain flexibility. Rather than fixating on a specific day, consider a target month or season. This approach allows you to focus on finding your perfect venue first, then choosing from available dates that align with your vision.

5. Consider Finding a Wedding Planner

For busy couples or those seeking professional guidance, hiring a wedding planner early can provide invaluable expertise and stress relief. They can offer strategic insights before you make major decisions about other aspects of your celebration.

If you're considering Spruce Mountain Ranch as your venue, check in with your Spruce Mountain representative. They’ll be able to recommend experienced Colorado wedding planners familiar with the property.

6. Wedding Planning Timeline: Your Month-by-Month Guide

Now that you have the venue and date, you have the foundational details you need to move forward with other wedding planning tasks. We recommend taking a phased approach, tackling tasks little by little in order of priority.

9-12+ Months Out

• Create your guest list: This is one of the very first things you should do after booking the venue. Your guest count will impact many of your other to-dos. Plus, it may take a while to track down all the addresses.
• Send out Save-the-Dates: With a finalized guest list, date, and location all squared away, go ahead and notify your friends and family so they can plan travel arrangements if need be.
• Choose your wedding party: If you wait too long, there’s no guarantee that all of your top picks will be available to stand by your side on the big day.
• Find the dress: Wedding dresses can take up to 10 months to arrive once ordered. You may even need to budget in some alteration time.
• Select other key wedding vendors: Now’s the time to book high-demand vendors like your catering company, photographer, videographer, band or DJ, florist, hair stylist, and makeup artist.
• Pick your honeymoon destination: The earlier you get started on honeymoon planning, the more likely you’ll be to have the getaway of your dreams.

6-9 Months Out

• Select your theme & decorations: With some of the more time-sensitive tasks out of the way, you can move on to finer details, working with your florist and décor rental companies to capture your unique vision.
• Order your wedding bands: If you haven’t already, go ahead and order your wedding bands (especially if you’re requesting any personalization).
• Choose your officiant: Whether it’s your church pastor or a close friend or relative, this person plays one of the biggest roles in your wedding ceremony.
• Build a wedding website: Before you send out invitations, consider using a platform like Zola or The Knot to set up a simple website outlining the wedding timeline, dress code specifications, venue details, and your story as a couple.
• Plan your wedding weekend timeline: Start organizing everything from your rehearsal dinner/brunch to your after-party.
• Book a hotel room block: It’s always better to book more rooms than you need and cancel later down the line than to leave your guests without overnight accommodations after a long trip.
• Reserve necessary transportation: If transportation to and from the venue is needed, now’s the time to make arrangements with a local shuttle company.
• Order bridesmaid & mother-of-the-bride dresses: While bridal party dresses don’t typically take a full 10 months to arrive, you should still order them well ahead of time to ensure everything fits correctly.

3-6 Months Out

• Taste & place your wedding cake order: While selecting your cake isn’t as time-sensitive as picking your dress or other vendors, you should still try to get your order in around 6 months prior.
• Create your wedding reception menu: Work with your caterer to select delicious cuisine to match your unique wedding theme and style.
• Send out your invitations: Use some of those lovely engagement photos you captured to craft stunning invitations. And do NOT forget to include an “RSVP by” date.
• Find the groom’s suit or tux: If you’re renting, you may be able to get away with securing the groom's attire just a couple of months before the big day. However, you’ll want to plan a little further ahead if you plan to purchase a custom-tailored suit or tuxedo.
• Make any necessary dress alterations: Ideally, your wedding dress should come in around this time. If you need to make any adjustments, connect with a talented seamstress as soon as possible.

1-3 Months Out

• Get your marriage license: In Colorado (similar to most states) your ceremony must take place within 35 days of picking up your license.
• Provide the final guest count to your venue & vendors: Gather up all those RSVPs, and let your venue and vendors know how many people will be attending.
• Iron out any last-minute details: Pick up any bridal accessories or final decorative elements.

How to Maintain Your Sanity Through it All

If you take nothing else from this article, remember to do these five things:

• Set clear boundaries with family and friends who give unsolicited advice.
• Maintain a structured planning schedule to keep yourself on track.
• Dedicate time for self-care and date nights.
• Spend time preparing for the marriage that will follow the celebration.
• Take things one step at a time!

Book Your Dreamy Colorado Mountain Wedding at Spruce Mountain Ranch

Still on the hunt for the perfect wedding venue? Explore Spruce Mountain Ranch's award-winning wedding venue in Larkspur, Colorado. Our stunning mountain setting and comprehensive wedding portfolio showcase endless possibilities for your special day.

Read more:

• 11 Tips for a Stunning Small Wedding in the Colorado Mountains
• What is a Micro Wedding? And How to Plan One
• 10 Tips for Streamlining Your Wedding Planning
• Why Larkspur, CO is the Perfect Laid-Back Wedding Spot