Last night, we rang in 2018.
And he proposed.
Or maybe it was during this last week under the Brooklyn Bridge.
Maybe it was Christmas Eve under the snow in the mountains.
It’s that magical time of year when things just seem a little more magical and it seems to feel like the right time. So, whether you’re reading this on New Year’s Day or come from the future because you said yes in the middle of June, I have some advice for you.
Commit to Wedding-Free Dates
After the glow of being freshly engaged gives way to the reality of planning a wedding, it may consume you. That’s OK. It IS a big deal. And it’s so much fun and so much stress.
Give yourselves a night a week with no wedding talk.
There will be weeks when that’s easy as pie – no pressing decisions to make. No difficult family to maneuver.
But there will also be nights where the stress of planning the biggest event of your life may seem overwhelming. This is when you press into each other. Spend time asking him questions about what life was like for his eight-year-old self. Ask her what she’s always dreamed to do but never shared with anyone because she thought it was too silly (write it down and make it happen before your first anniversary you’ll be a hero).
Give yourselves time to focus on one another, not the wedding. It’ll be there tomorrow.
Hire the right planner and then let them do what they do best.
The right planner has to match your aesthetic style and your personality style.
The first one might be more straightforward. If you’re more industrial chic, don’t hire a planner whose entire portfolio is thoroughly Provençal. Between a planner’s portfolio and her published weddings, you’ll be able to tell if the style is a fit.
The second requires knowing yourself and asking the right questions.
But the main thing is trust. Find a planner you can trust and do it!
He will be worth his weight in gold in helping you navigate decisions and vendor contracts and timelines and logistics and, and, and….
It’s literally a planner’s job to consider the things you didn’t even think of. Hiring the best you can and respecting her process will make planning so much easier.
I’d start with the wonderful lists Harpers Bazaar, Vogue, and Martha Stewart have curated. They represent the best wedding planners in the world.
Consider your guests at every turn
This is a party to celebrate your love. Make it meaningful and memorable by giving your guests an experience they could never forget.
I believe the key to a memorable event is in framing every decision around how your guests will experience it. When they pack up feeling as though you’ve thought of everything (and you don’t have to – your planner will), they’ll feel loved and remember your big day long after.
As a stationer, I get to be the bookends of that entire experience. From the Save-the-Date to the Thank You Card – stationery is the first and last impression you leave of your big day. And the timeline for sending those out is very important, especially the Thank You cards.
You’ve got this.
There’s a lot of work ahead of you, but now is a time for celebrating and enjoying the newness of your engagement. Take a few minutes to breathe and just be.
Then find yourself a planner and get to work.
Be Remembered
Let us help you create your stationery story that won’t be forgotten.