I Said "I do", Now What?

Congratulations on your engagement! You must be so excited! I'm excited for you and I know you can't wait to start planning!

The first thing you need to do is take a deep breath, relax and think about choosing your big date! You can't move forward with any of your planning until you do. Besides, as soon as you tell the first person, (Your mom and best friend right? Not necessarily it that order) the first thing that they will probably ask is, what is the date?

Not only is choosing the date important for that reason, but of course you can't reserve your venue, caterer, photographer or any other vendor, without setting your date first. On top of that, you will need to know just how much time you have to plan.

When you think about setting that special day, there are few things you need to keep in mind.

Remember, you will be celebrating this same date forever right? So you definitely want to think long and hard about the time of the year you choose.

I'm going to give you a few tips of things to consider when choosing "The Big Date!"

Tip 1-Consider the Holidays

Picture how beautiful and fun it could be to have a wedding on your favorite holiday like Christmas, Valentine's Day or the 4th of July even. You could use those colors and concept for the entire look of the wedding., finding inspiration from Pinterest, bridal magazines and that best friend that already has her own visions of what that day will look like. Plus, if you're planning for after the holiday, you can find so many great items at a discounted, after the holiday, up to 80% off sale!!! But wait! Hold on! Think about it! Keep in mind that celebrating around holidays and holiday weekends, could be a little hectic and could potentially take away from the special intimate time that you will soon share with your new husband when you're celebrating your anniversary. Think about all the shopping, cooking, gift wrapping, etc. Also, your guest may have already made plans for their holiday and/or extended weekend. On top of all that, prices for venues and vendors get sky high! There is a pro to this, believe it or not. If you choose a holiday date, that may be one less day you and some of your guest will have to take off from work and your guest may enjoy celebrating with you on a long weekend.

Tip 2- Consider the Season

Do you want to get married in the spring when the weather is nice and warm and the spring flowers are popping with bright and beautiful colors? Do you want that winter wonderland themed wedding when it's nice and cold outside and the trees are all covered in snow? Or do you want a summer wedding where the idea of getting married on a beach covered in sand just feels you with so much excitement and complete bliss? No matter what season you choose, there are pros and cons. Consider the flower season and their cost. Are your must have flowers in season? If your favorites are freesia, lilies or pink roses (roses are one of my favorites), then spring could be the season for you (well, at least you know that could be one way to cut cost in the budget), or if your favorites are hydrangeas, baby's breath or carnations, summer may be the way to go. Just maybe your thought is that you don't even want real flowers at your wedding ad you would rather have silk ones. Well, that's is perfectly fine, just know that silk doesn't necessarily mean cheaper. Also, consider the weather knowing that spring could mean a great deal of rainy days (did somebody just say rain) and winter, could bring about snow and ice.

Tip 3- Consider the Budget

The first two tips comes full circle with this final tip of considering your budget. Not only could you cut the budget with flowers and after the holiday sales (whoop whoop), but you can also save on your budget by getting married on a Sunday or during the weekday. Venues offer discounts during this particular time as well as early morning weddings; this could save hundreds. Finally, know that it's way more expensive to get married in June than in October.

With that being said, your day is going to be so special no matter what date you decide to go with however, planning makes perfect (almost)!

Be sure to contact TekaBella's for any and all of your wedding needs.

Tenika Mebane