A “Woohoo” and “Congratulations” are definitely in order! Now, take a deep breath because there are a few big questions  coming your way about planning the perfect wedding. When? Where? How big? What kind of wedding? How many bridesmaids? What are your colors? Again, take a deep breath. These questions come from a place of love and excitement, but can definitely be overwhelming to a newly engaged couple. The easiest and quickest answer is to say that you’re just enjoying this time and thinking about the details a little later. This gives the person a nice answer and gives you the opportunity to think of the planning on your own time and without backing you into anything when you’re not ready. Ok, good – we’ve got that taken care of; now let’s get you started with some key items to think of: Getting the word on the street. There’s no doubt that you want to get your big news out to everyone, but before you tell the Facebook and Twitter world, remember to tell those closest to you first, especially your parents and grandparents. If you can give them a call together as a couple or if they’re local stop by and tell them in person.  After that’s taken care of, you can proceed to tell the entire world your great news! Find some inspiration. Go ahead and buy all the wedding magazines you can find. Flip through them and pull out things you like, wedding colors, flowers, wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, groom and groomsmen attire and even photos. This will help you to start thinking about what kind of wedding you want. To help keep everything organized you can buy a wedding organizer or make a wedding binder yourself with tabs for the different things you like. Pick a date. Do you have a specific date in mind already? Ok, you’re ahead of the game. Don’t have a specific date in mind, that’s fine. Sometimes the best idea is to pick a month. This will leave some room for movement within the month just in case the venue you choose isn’t available that exact date. Who’s all coming?  You don’t have to do the formal wedding list, but it’s a good idea to jot down real quick all the key people you’ve thought of inviting. If your parents are helping to pay for some of the wedding, it’s also a good idea to ask them if there are must have guests that they want to invite. This will give you a quick idea of a head count so when you work on the budget you can know if you’ll have to have a smaller head count or if you’re right on track. It will also help to know your head count when checking out wedding venues and reception sites. Set a budget. This might be the least fun part of the wedding planning process, but it is definitely a must and it will help to keep your special day on track and keep you from overspending. A couple things to think of up front, who’s paying? Have you and your family discussed this previously? If not, you and the groom can visit your families and ask if they can/wish to contribute. The other thing to think of is what are your top three priorities? Are flowers important to you or photography? Have these in mind so you can spend your allotted money in the important areas and go with lower-tiered options on other items. Most importantly, enjoy your engagement. You don’t have to rush right into planning your wedding. Take some time and talk it over with your fiancé and then when you’re ready go ahead and jump on in! Happy Planning!