After the Proposal...

Congratulations to all the lovely couples who became engaged over the holidays or New Years Eve!! "Twenty-ten" will be an amazing year and I'm excited for all the love, beauty, joy and promise to come this year. January, with its spirit of freshness and renewal, is the perfect time to start the wedding planning process. So, where do you begin? Here are 3 helpful steps to get started:

Step 1: "Gonna be a Good Day"
Start by selecting a date, a couple of potential dates or a timeframe (such as the 1st two weeks of May) for your wedding day. This will help you as you start the process of researching, checking availability, and placing deposits to reserve that perfect location or desired vendor services.

Step 2: Know your range
How much does a wedding cost? Many Brides and Grooms "to be" may have an idea of some of the things they'd like to have for their wedding but very little idea of fees or the total cost. It's extremely important to have a general budget range in mind.

Did you know the average wedding in the United States in 2009 cost approximately $28,000? Even during a recession... Surprised? Here's the good news, most wedding professionals will be able to work with you to help you understand your options and assist you in creating a wonderful event. Sit down and trully think about a realistic "budget range" that features a low and high-end number range you would like to spend on your wedding. Keep in mind, it may fluctuate as the type, size, and style of wedding you'd like to have becomes clearer but giving yourself a "budget range" to work with will be essential in the planning process.

Step 3: Size can matter
In general, think about the size of your wedding. Will it be an intimate affair with 60 guests or do you envision a grand event with 250, 300 or more? Of course the number of wedding party participates and guests will vary but the number of guests will have a direct effect on everything from finding a location to accommodate the group to the catering cost per person. Just keep it simple, ask yourself would you like a small (less than 100), medium (about 100 - 200) or a large wedding (greater than 250) and go from there.

What's next?
As I mentioned before, January is the idea time to start planning, in fact, you'll soon notice a ton of Bridal Shows all taking place throughout the month. These show are a fantastic resource -putting Brides (and Grooms) face-to-face with local vendors, professional services, the latest fashions and available wedding trends for their special day. We, for example, will be participating in the Uniquely Yours Bridal Showcase, the most spectacular of it's kind in the Hampton Roads area, on January 17th at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott in Norfolk, Virginia. Later I'll continue with 5 things you'll need to know to get the best out of the Bridal Show. Until then, congrats again and Cheers!

To be continued...