Muriel Saldalamacchia
For more than 10 years in the destination wedding business, travelling the world for weddings, Muriel is France based, but has also rocked in Italy few years ago.
Asides her travels with her clients, Muriel is also an International Speaker, dealing with her peers onto the Luxury and destination Wedding Market.
Recently named as one of the TOP100 Luxury Planners of the World, you can rely on her savoir-faire to create the most memorable experience for you and your guests. from head to toe.
Muriel is also a French author. Her first book "The Anti-Ghosting-Method" is available on Amazon and Barnes & Nobles. A business book that already helps thousands of sales person and entrepreneurs.
This post had been reedited. It first had been released in Jan. 2022
Many people choose to propose from Thanksgiving Day to Valentines’ Day – this is widely known as the proposals’ season. If you just got engaged and don’t know what to do next or how to plan your wedding, this post is for you.
I just got engaged…what should I do now?
Here, I have answered the most common questions about how to plan your wedding from scratch, while I’ve also enumerated what couples shouldn’t do once they decide to get married. Check it out!
What’s the first thing to do after getting engaged?
Well, you just said “yes.” That is such exciting news! Congratulations! You are probably having a blast! I know that this moment is filled with emotions – and couples usually get a little overwhelmed. To help you make the most of it, here are my tips as an expert to plan your wedding:
Announce it to the family
First things first, you should announce the news to your beloved ones (in case they are not aware of it yet – but even if they are, it is awesome to just celebrate with them).
Post a ring selfie
After the most important people are already aware of your new status, you can definitely post it on your social media. I know that you probably feel over the moon, so you deserve to share the news.
Plan a photoshoot with your ring
This is a moment to remember, and many couples love to plan an e-session (or engagement session if you are still not familiar with all the wedding terms). If royals like Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle did it, why can’t you do the same?
Plan an engagement party
This is definitely exciting! Many couples decide to have a dinner or a small gathering with closest family members and friends. It is a beautiful way to announce the news and celebrate it one more time.
Choose the wedding destination
After celebrating your engagement, you are probably excited to plan your wedding. Above all, one of the most important choices is where you are getting married. Many couples like to choose unique places for their story – a venue where they met, a country they visited together for the first time, or where they got engaged. If that’s your case, it is time to plan your travel.
Hire a wedding planner
As soon as you’re able to give a rough number of guests + number of days to celebrate your destination wedding abroad + a range of budget .You can get more tips about this while reading my two posts: “Destination wedding Bride needs destination wedding-planner” and “7 confessions your wedding-planner deserves from you.”
What not to do when you get engaged?
Announce it on the internet before telling your beloved ones in person:
Ok, we know that is exciting news and that you want to tell the whole world that you said “yes.” However, before going public and getting many likes on Instagram, you must notify your beloved ones. After all, they deserve to receive the news first, and their happiness and energy will also make you feel even more excited!
Promise to invite anyone
If you ask most couples who already got married about the most challenging part of planning a wedding, the answer will probably be ‘the guest list.’ It is the couples’ nightmare to decide who they should invite. So, unless you have it all set, don’t invite anyone.
Listening to all bits of advice
One thing will happen for sure – as soon as you announce your engagement, you’ll hear all types of ‘tips.’ Be polite and just listen to the ones that make sense. If you have any questions, your wedding planner will be the right person to clarify them for you.
Wear a ring that doesn’t fit
I don’t really need to explain this one. The ring should fit perfectly, so it doesn’t keep falling from your hands or get too tight.
Start talking to lots of vendors
Before hiring any vendors, first, you have to envision what you want for your wedding – number of guests, place, mood, etc. The best tip? Talk to a wedding planner first – it is the most reliable professional to help you hire the best professionals.
Buying a dress
First, you need to define the style of wedding you both want (black tie, laid back, etc.) + choose the location. See my post “How to choose your bridal dress for your destination wedding and how to travel with it.“
How soon should you marry after engagement?
In 2022, there is no more suitable answer for that, even if the pure wedding etiquette gives one year to get married after being engaged.
Most couples plan their wedding one year in advance, while my own clients generally do it in less than one year. And to be honest, this is what I prefer. Keeping being excited while making decisions quickly: I commit to my clients by presenting the best options from the first time we exchange about the topic.
How soon after getting engaged should you start planning?
Again, there is no correct answer…but to hire the vendors your wedding deserves and get things organized, I recommend you start planning after officially announcing to your families, siblings, and favorite people. Sometimes it would take you two weeks after your engagement, sometimes up to 1 month.
What do you call an engaged couple?
I love when I read “My fiancé and I…” or “My fiancé just popped the question…” Fiancé is French, so yes it makes sense to me. But it’s also because when I hear it, it gives a tone of glamor, of endless love and a glimpse of elegance.
So even if it sounds French, embrace this word as it brings your lifestyle and love situation to the next level : My Fiancé and I are getting married in Lake Como. My Fiancé and I are looking for a get away… My Fiancé and I love going to the MET…
There’s always a good reason to recommend plenty of others!
What’s the point of getting engaged?
It’s a way for you to prepare for marriage – you’ll be making lots of decisions together, which is a good experience. During the engagement, families get closer – it is an excellent opportunity for you to bond. Also, it is essential to have some time to plan your wedding carefully, choose all the details and the best vendors. Not only that, but also you get some time to prepare your new home and honeymoon.
Ten things to do after the engagement and plan your wedding
1. Set your guests-list and budget
Once you start talking to vendors, one thing that they will ask is: “how many guests are you planning to have?”. The number of guests will help you define the best venue for your wedding and influence the vendors’ proposals.
Also, the couple needs to define how much they want to spend on the wedding before hiring the vendors.
2. Choose the date
Most of my clients from the past five years always arrive with a period in mind, not a date. For example, September / Early October or Late June, or June to September. This is where destination weddings are great to plan, isn’t it?
3. Choose the style of your wedding
First, the couple has to understand their style and how they envision their wedding. Of course, Pinterest and Instagram can be helpful at this stage to inspire you and give some ideas. However, try not to get too attached to it – it is essential that your wedding reflects your identity as a couple. That’s why a wedding planner might be really useful – this professional is “trained” to help couples create this style.
4. Choose the place of your wedding
Do you want a beach wedding? Well, a celebration in French Riviera or Capri would be perfect. Or have you always dreamed of a countryside wedding? Tuscany would be a good choice. Want something fancy and elegant? Lake Como is a great place. Perhaps wedding in a Château? Provence is enchanting. Depending on the type of experience you plan to have, it will define where you will marry.
5. Hire a wedding planner
I mean, hiring the best one who is experienced, who will not copy-paste what everyone is doing at every wedding, match your expectations and deliver more than she could promise. Easy to get lost, I know! Ask for free consultations: it’s worth using this type of process. Red flags come fast at this stage. And you’ll save time and money^^^.
6. Fine-tune your guest list
It is so important to that while you plan your wedding! Make sure to create an A-list and B-List. It might vary depending on what size you expect your wedding to be (and budget!)
7. Follow the planning your wedding planner will specifically create for you
Well, if you hired a highly-qualified professional to plan your wedding, you have to cope with him/her. You’ll probably visit vendors together, do a site inspection, and have many meetings.
8. Give the info to your planner so she can create your wedding website
The website is the best way to communicate with your guests. There you can have information about the story of the couple, the ceremony and reception location, a timeline of the day, travel information & accommodations, facilities for the travel (airports, cars’ rental, etc.), registry, dress code, etc.
9. Send a save the date (formal information will follow later)
If you are planning a destination wedding, it is essential to let your guests know about it as soon as possible so that they can plan their travel, hotel, and all the details. As soon as you know the date of the wedding and the venue, you can prepare your save the date.
It can be sent in digital format (WhatsApp or e-mail) or on paper, with a card or a photo of the couple.
10. Enjoy the planning process with your beloved wedding planner
She’s the expert to rely on while providing you with the best well-advised tips and technics for your wedding production.
