You’re engaged, Now what?!

Congratulations on your recent engagement! This is one of the most exciting times of your life for you and your soon to be husband or wife. Everyone is congratulating you and you’re showing off that sparkly diamond to everyone! Now that you’ve reached this next milestone in your life, things are about to get a whole busier for you and your significant other. The next big question is…You’re engaged, NOW WHAT?!

That means it’s time to plan the most memorable and beautiful day of your new life together. So many couples once they become are engaged are flooded with so many questions from their friends & family. When’s the big day? How many guests are you inviting? Where is your reception venue? Do you have your wedding colors? Yes, it’s A LOT! This is why our wedding planning staff here at Sand Springs is here to help you! We are going to give you a 5 Step checklist for your first major TO DO items for planning your wedding because with these checked off your list first, it’ll be a breeze the rest of the way!

1) Have an engagement party!

Your friends and family are going to want that moment to celebrate the two of you after your big announcement! This first event doesn’t have to be big or costly. Sometimes even your parents or close friends will throw you an engagement party for you! Otherwise, this event is just a good great opportunity to celebrate this next step together. It could be as fancy as a sit-down dinner or an “I DO” barbecue in your back yard.

2) Pick Your Wedding Date

When we say “pick your date”, this doesn’t mean it has to be one date! It’s always a great idea to have some flexibility for when you want to get married. Although sometimes it’s not always feasible for every couple, having a few dates to work with will make the next step of picking your venue that much easier. At Sand Springs, couples will start booking their date almost two years or more in advance which means those dates will definitely go quickly. It’s important to not get super set on a date especially if your dream wedding venue may not have it available.

3) Select your Wedding Venue

This is where we come into play! Once you have a few dates in mind for your big day, you’ll want to select your venue for your ceremony and reception not too long after. As a wedding venue ourselves, we understand all the factors that go into picking your dream venue. We make the process easy with being able to host all your wedding events in once place (Ceremony, cocktail hour, photos, catering and reception). We also include an on-site bridal suite to get ready in the day of! Not only do we offer on-site services, but our pricing is all-inclusive and easy to follow. There are NO hidden fees to our packages and we are always willing to customize a package to fit what you’re looking for.

4) Book your Vendors

Once you’ve selected your wedding date and venue, the next big step is to book your other wedding vendors. This includes your DJ/Band, photographer, videographer, florist, hair & make up, hotel, and transportation. Yes, that sounds like a lot! We always suggest making sure you book your DJ and Photographer first and foremost after deciding your venue as many of these vendors may only do one wedding per day once they’re booked. When you book your wedding at Sand Springs, you receive access to all our Preferred Vendors along with other recommended companies that we’ve worked with.

5) Make a TO DO List

The hard part is over…you’ve chosen your date, your venue and if not all, most of your other wedding vendors. At this point in the planning stages, it can feel overwhelming and that you have so much to do! The next big step is to make a To Do list. We promise this is going to be a life saver in the organization department. It’s great to stay on track and focused each month on what you need to do. The Knot is a great tool for all our couples just starting out planning. At Sand Springs, you’ll be able to have access to your own Certified Wedding Planner Rachel throughout the entire process as well. Any questions you have or if you need any suggestions or help, you have someone you can always depend on.