Just Engaged? Here’s what to do next
Just Engaged? Here's what to do next
(and how it helps you order your wedding stationery)
First of all - yay! You're engaged
Whether the proposal was a grand gesture, a quiet moment at home, or something sitting perfectly in between, becoming engaged is such a special time.
The next few weeks often feel like a whirl of excitement and celebrations, and you’ll question what happens now.
The good news is that there’s no need to rush into the planning straight away. Take a breath, enjoy it, and ease yourself in.
Use the word Fiancé or Fiancée as often as possible!
Getting engaged is exciting, so unapologetically spread the news and enjoy the moment.
1. Decide on what you both want
Before anyone else gets involved, sit down with your partner and talk about your vision for your wedding.
You need to be on the same page, you need to focus on what is important to you both. If you are clear on this from the start, it will make decision making so much easier further down the line.
This is also means you can both support and uphold each other’s ideals when they get questioned by others. Remember your wedding is about celebrating YOUR love and cementing YOUR future together.
How does this help you choose stationery?
You’ll know that getting the right stationery is a priority.
2. Start with the 'feeling' you want for your wedding
Talk about the experience you want you and your guests to have. Do you imagine something intimate and relaxed? Or are you leaning towards a more elegant celebration
with a classic feel?
This isn’t about choosing colours or themes just yet; it’s simply about deciding on the ‘tone’.
How does this help you choose stationery?
When it comes to your stationery, this early clarity helps everything fall into place later. A soft, romantic wedding look lends itself to different design choices than a modern, simple celebration so knowing your tone from the start, makes future decisions much easier.
3. set a realistic budget
No one likes to talk about money, and you will probably have no idea how much your wedding will actually cost! But at this point, it is very important to understand how much money you have available and what you want to spend it on. Go back to the ‘decide what you both want’ part and start the budget with a list of your priorities.
If you are wondering what to budget for your stationery there is a article that will help:
4. Create a rough guest list
You don’t need the final list now, but a rough idea of guest numbers is incredibly useful. This has a huge bearing on your venue options in particular. Also many suppliers need to know this information at enquiry stage, so having a general sense of scale will definitely help.
How does this help you choose stationery?
Eventually your stationery order; your save the dates, invitations and on-the-day pieces all depend on guest numbers.
5. Think about where and when
One of the first practical steps is choosing your venue and setting a date. This may feel like a daunting task with so many beautiful venues around! When you find your venue you will know. It will tick all the boxes and you can envisage your perfect wedding there.
Setting the date is of course dependant on availability, but try and pick a wedding date that is feels right to you both.
How does this help you choose stationery?
The venue and date has a big influence on your wedding stationery choice. For example, a spring garden wedding, naturally leans towards lighter, fresher styles. While a winter celebration in a grand country house may suit a more refined, timeless approach.
Venue illustration
Your venue choice also opens the door to something truly personal within your stationery: a venue illustration.
Many couples choose to include our watercolour style illustration of their venue on their save the dates or invitations. It’s a beautifully subtle way to introduce your wedding location and create a sense of anticipation for your guests.
Once your venue is confirmed, We can create a bespoke illustration of the building or key feature, something elegant, understated and completely unique to your day. It becomes a lovely thread that can run through your stationery, from invitations right through
to the on-the-day pieces.
6. get inspired
At this stage keep it relaxed.
Gathering inspiration should feel light and enjoyable. Save anything that catches your eye that you feel is in keeping with your vision and venue (and budget!). Think colours, flowers, table decor, stationery, outfits, and even fabrics and textures. You might not realise it at the time, but these little pieces begin to reveal a pattern in what you naturally gravitate towards.
Follow your favourites on socials (@withlovewedding) and of course there is Pinterest!
Good suppliers can also help with ideas for your day, and they will help you to see what is relevant and achievable.
how this can help your stationery?
When the moment comes to choose your wedding stationery, this early inspiration becomes incredibly helpful. Perhaps you’ve pinned soft, neutral tones and clean lines, or you keep coming back to warm, romantic details; these preferences will help you choose a stationery design that fits your vision.
Your stationery is the very first glimpse guests have of your wedding style, so having a sense of your visual tastes early makes the process smoother and more enjoyable. It means we can quickly identify the designs you’re drawn to, the typefaces that suit your day, and even the finishing touches that align with the overall mood you’re creating.
So save whatever you love, even if it seems unrelated now. Those early sparks of inspiration often become the foundation of beautifully cohesive stationery later on.
7. research and book your main suppliers
You have the date, the venue, an idea of style and budget; now you need the best wedding suppliers to help make your dreams into reality! The suppliers you need to get booked first are the those who are essential for the ceremony, for example the celebrant or registrar. You should then look at the businesses that can only facilitate one wedding per day. Suppliers such as a wedding planner, photographer, videographer, florist, entertainment, venue stylist, wedding cake, the caterer/drinks (if not supplied by the venue), hair and make up etc.
Suppliers that can take on several clients for the same date, such as stationers, you can leave for a little while – but when you fall in love with their work, secure their services as soon as you can to avoid disappointment!
when does stationery come in?
Wedding stationery is typically ordered either after you have booked your date and venue, when you want to send out save the date cards; or later, when you are ready to send out your wedding invitations.
The wedding invitations are created about 6 months before your big day, and the on the day items, such as place cards, menus and table plans are made a few weeks before the wedding. This means that you can leave the ordering of stationery until you have more of an idea as to the style you like.
This being said, if you are choosing a complete wedding stationery suite, you should secure your stationer as soon as you have decided to; as there may not be printing space left.
I have a really handy guide to tell you when you need to order your wedding stationery:
This might seem like a lot to think about right now, but just take it one step at a time, and things will fall into place!
1. Talk about the wedding you want, what are your priorities?
2. Discuss the ‘feeling and ‘tone’ of your day
3. Look at the budget
4. Write your guest lists (day and evening)
5. Choose a wedding date and find a wedding venue
6. Find wedding style inspiration
7. Book the main suppliers
8. Book me for your wedding stationery (obviously!)
The most important thing to do after you have just got engaged is to celebrate your love and commitment to each other and enjoy the special moment. And of course, pop the champagne – CONGRATULATIONS.