You're engaged, now what?

'Tis the season for proposals and on top of the gifts to buy, parties to attend, and cookies to bake you need to start planning a wedding.

I know you feel the incredible urge to immediately pick a date, buy a dress, create a guest list, choose your colors, and pick out wedding bands, but please for your sanity, take it one step at a time.

Whether you are planning a wedding in a year or 6 months the following tips will help you jump start your plans, without the added stress.

1. Share the news with your friends and family. Enjoy sharing your engagement story with them and soak in all the emotion and well wishes. This time goes by so quickly.

2. Determine your budget. This task is so important. It will allow for your planning to be less stressful and will help narrow down options for many aspects of your day. Also, get comfortable talking about your budget. Many vendors will ask your budget and telling them will really make the process of working together easier. Trust me, vendors don’t want to sell an idea to a bride that she can’t afford, but we don’t know unless you tell us.

3. Create a guest list. This task and determining your budget go hand in hand. Without a solid budget there is no way for you to determine the size of wedding you can have. If it helps, create guidelines for who makes the cut and remember to be consistent. It will make completing the guest list much easier. (check out the guidelines I used here.)

4. Choose the date. When choosing a date remember that popular months (read: June, July, August, September, and October) book quickly with talented vendors and also may be more expensive. This shouldn't deter you by any means, it just means you need to prioritize and hire vendors that are important to you first.

Happy Planning!