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If you are planning on getting married within a year or so, you will want to get on to the wedding planning ASAP to limit your stress level. As you have probably heard, planning a wedding can be a bit stressful so to help you prevent as much stress as possible, we have come up with 10 things you should start checking off your list.
Announce your engagement tactfully
Let all of your friends & family members in on the exciting news and let them see that pretty ring on your finger but don’t over do it. There’s nothing worse then a scary bride-to-be that won’t stop telling you how much the ring on her finger costs while dangling it in your face every chance she gets. Be tactful and let people be happy for you.
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Pick your wedding party
This will be one the first things you want to do, to ensure that the people you would like to be in your wedding party can be. People have very busy schedules and it is only right for you to give them an ample amount of time to plan accordingly.
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Buy a Wedding Binder
Keep all of your important wedding stuff together in one place. Being organized is one of the best ways to keep on track while remaining somewhat sane! Being organized means that nothing gets forgotten or left until the last minute.
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Set a date and a budget
The sooner you set a date, the better you will feel and the more real it all becomes. Once you set a date, you can really dig in and start the planning process. Keep costs in mind if you are planning a wedding in a resort destination. Off season will be a lot less pricey!
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Schedule Engagement Pictures
Pick a location and hire yourselves someone to take your engagement photographs. These pictures will be around for awhile, so be sure to take them seriously. Many people use their engagement picture as part of their save the date notice.
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Diet & Exercise
Don’t wait until a month before your wedding to start panicking about your diet and your workout routine. If you are worried about your weight, tummy bulge or lack of muscle tone, as soon as you get engaged start doing everything in your capability to secure that dream dress and look fabulous! Find a workout buddy to keep you motivated.
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Keep it Real
We all saw what happened in Sex & the City when Carrie got carried away with the wedding planning and lost Big by the time the big day rolled around. Don’t let the wedding planning take over your entire life and consume you. Make sure your fiancé is on the same page as you are, and you are taking his feelings into consideration. Just because you are getting married doesn’t mean you should put spending quality time with each other (without talking about the wedding) on the back burner.
Rings
Make sure that the rings are insured and have been sized correctly. Nothing worse then spending all of that money on a ring to have it not fit over your knuckle on the day. Better safe then sorry!
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Guest List
Pick a day or night to sit down with your fiancé and start writing names down of who you each are planning on inviting to the wedding. If your parents all have people they want to invite to the wedding, maybe have them over or have them send you a list. Set a maximum number of people you want to have, and stick to it.
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Book a Venue
This is also one of the most important things to cross off of your to do list. Venues get booked up easily, so get on it! As soon as you decide on something, book it! If you don’t do it fast enough, chances are someone else will.
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