You  have  a  ring  on  your  finger,  excitement  is  in  the  air  and  the  count  down  is  on  ‘til  your party  of  a lifetime. Wow! So much wedding planning to be done, where do you start?

Firstly BREATHE. Now allow yourself to enjoy being engaged with your fiancé. Wedding planning does not have to be stressful, if you take it step by step and keep a level head you will get through it beautifully and avoid bridezilla-dom.

Now down to business – where to go from here…
Spread the news! Buy the engagement ring if your finger isn’t already ‘blinged-up’. Placing a notice in the newspaper  is  a  classic  way  of  announcing  your  engagement  and  provides  a  valuable keepsake  for  your wedding album, but most couples will spread the word quickly via Facebook, twitter and instagram. Just be sure those closest to you know before they see it on their newsfeed!

Buy  a  dedicated  wedding  diary/planner  like  Modern  Wedding  Planner  so  you  can  keep  track of  all  your upcoming  appointments, quotes, phone numbers  and  ideas. Sign  up to our free wedding planning tools for  a  comprehensive  interactive  checklist,  budget  manager,  guest  list manager,  seating  planner and supplier shortlist so you can make a record of all your favourite suppliers.

Even  though  everyone  has  been  informed  there’s  nothing  that  will  bring  it  home  quite  like  a party  to celebrate your engagement

Before  you decide on budget, discuss the style of wedding with your fiancé… yes he should have  a say! It’s  a  good  idea  to  start  the  engagement  off  on  the  right  foot,  so  arm  yourself  with  an open  mind  and perhaps  a  bottle  of  bubbly.  It  is  one  of  the  most  important  days  of  your  life and  also  one of  the  most expensive. The only way to survive is to work out a detailed wedding budget. Read through our tips for setting a budget. Discuss who is paying for what and what you or your families can afford before booking anything.

Settling on a date is not easy either – there are many considerations to take into account, and remember that pleasing everyone is near impossible!

Grab  a  pen,  some  paper  and  your  man  and  get  brainstorming.  Flip  through  Modern  Wedding magazine and  browse  through  real  wedding  features  to  get  ideas.  Discuss  the  style  of wedding  you  want,  talk about  the guest list and time of year as these will in turn determine budget and other wedding planning considerations.  Decide  on  what  is  important  to  you  both  and wedding  planning  will  be  a  much smoother ride.

Pinterest is an absolute wedding planning MUST for brides. If you don’t already have a Pinterest account then  now  is  the  time  to  create  one.  Pinterest  is  the  best  way  to  collect  all  your visual  inspiration  and ideas.