Sunday, January 3, 2010

You're Engaged...Now What?

This is one of the most popular times of the year to get engaged- and now that the holidays are officially over, you or one of your friends may be wondering, "What do I do now that I'm engaged?"

Shortly after I proposed to my wife, we organized a dinner with our parents. I think this is an important step to see how much or how little they want to contribute with their time and money. It also helped us get a better feeling for our guest list, as our parents gave us a good idea of the number of their friends they wanted to invite to the wedding.

It's important to have an idea for your wedding budget before you get too into the planning process. One of your first decisions should be where your reception will take place. This is going to be your biggest expense of your wedding day.

Choosing your ceremony and reception location(s) should be top on your list. The rest of your vendors will want to know what your date is- so they can make sure they have availability.

Choosing the rest of the vendors is up to you. However, I would suggest finding a few areas of the wedding that are most important to you- and what you and your fiancee want to make a priority. Find the best company for these areas and don't skimp! If having the best flowers is what you value most, don't settle! Find a vendor that will deliver exactly what you want- even if they are not the "cheapest".

Here's a list of wedding vendors to help you get started.
  • Cakes/Desserts
  • Catering
  • Dress/Tuxedo
  • Groom's Dinner Venue
  • Decor/Rentals
  • Music/Entertainment
  • Florist
  • Hotel
  • Invitations
  • Jewelry
  • Photographer
  • Reception Venue
  • Transportation
  • Travel Agent
  • Videography
  • Other fun things, like a Photo Booth
Check out our website, http://www.idoido.org to get the contact information for wedding vendors along the I-94 corridor in Central Minnesota...from Rogers to Monticello to St. Cloud to Alexandria and beyond!

**Photo Courtesy of Yapunich Photography

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