You’re Engaged! Now What?
Congratulations! Here is our list of the first things to do after you get engaged, with links to all the FREE planning tools on the Perfect Wedding Guide web site.
- Check the Sacramento Bridal Show calendar at sacramento.pwg.com. It’s not that attending a bridal show is the most important thing, but the most bridal shows are taking place between now and the end of April, with varying locations, so you won’t want to miss the one that’s most convenient or that you’re available to attend.
- Get a wedding organizer. It can be a binder, book, or app, but you’ll need a place to keep track of all your ideas and decisions! You can get started right away with our FREE downloadable wedding workbook. Find the page that has the planning timeline so you can relax and see that everything doesn’t have to be done right now!
- Choose a date (or 2). The more flexible you are with your date, the better chance you’ll have of booking the Sacramento wedding venue or Tahoe wedding location you really want, but you’ll want to at least pick a month. Keep in mind that you’ll save money by choosing any date that is NOT a Saturday.
- Set your budget. Who’s contributing? How much? Add it up for your total. It’s a good idea to set aside at least 5% of available funds for last minute additions, cost overruns, or something you just can’t live without. Track your budget with our free wedding budget calculator.
- Start the guest list. Don’t forget to get a list from your parents as to who they’d like to see invited. Then see if your guest count works with your budget. If not, make some changes to one or both. The quickest way to reduce your costs is to reduce your guest count. Keep track of your guest list here, and later use our free drag-and-drop seating chart!
- Get an idea of your wedding style. You don’t have to make firm decisions now, but you will want an idea of the type of wedding you’re looking for: winter/summer, indoor/outdoor, casual/formal, large/intimate. This overall style will help guide you in your choice of venue (and everything else).
- Decide if you’re going to hire a wedding planner. If you are, then you’ll want to find that person before you do much else, since she’ll be helping you with all the planning to come.
- Choose a venue. Once you’ve chosen your venue, you’ll know a lot more about what your next steps will need to be, as well as the direction for your wedding style.
- Start shopping for your wedding dress. Yes, it’s true – wedding dresses can take many months to arrive, not to mention that it can take a long time for you to decide on one, so the dress goes near the top of the to-do list. Sacramento wedding dress shops carry very different selections of gowns and designers, so if you don’t find the perfect one right away, don’t fret. You might even WIN your wedding gown if you enter Perfect Wedding Guide’s Great Gown Giveaway!
- Enjoy being engaged!
New FREE GIFT for First Time Visitors at Engaged Wedding Library
At Perfect Wedding Guide, we love giving away free goodies to brides-to-be during contests and at bridal shows. Plus, the first time you visit PWG’s Engaged Wedding Library, you get a free gift just for registering. In the past, we’ve given brides the exclusive Engaged mug or tote bag. Now, first time visitors will have a choice between two new, fun freebies: either a pair of Barefoot Sandals or a Girls’ Night Mini Box.
The Barefoot Sandals are the originals, hand-beaded in Bali, and are perfect for wearing at the beach or pool on your honeymoon, or any time! And you get to choose from four colors!
The Girls’ Night Mini Box is a fun game to play at your bachelorette party, or any time you want to have some fun with your girlfriends!
If you’re planning a Sacramento wedding, you should definitely come check out all the free wedding planning resources at Engaged Wedding Library… magazines, books, portfolios… and get a fun, free gift on your first visit! The About page has our address, hours, and map.
New PWG prize winners!
We are excited to announce the newest winners of some fabulous prizes from Perfect Wedding Guide! Becky Mendonsa won a case of Pink Girl wine from our Premier Wedding Show drawing, and Brit Carter won our bridal gift basket and free engagement portrait session from our Davis Bridal Show drawing. Congratulations to both of these lucky brides-to-be!
We’ll have a new prize giveaway at every bridal show, so look for the Perfect Wedding Guide booth at any bridal show you attend to enter to win that day’s prize! For a list of upcoming Sacramento bridal shows, see the Bridal Show Calendar at sacramento.pwg.com. This list includes upcoming bridal shows in Napa, Sacramento, Elk Grove, Yuba City, Placerville, and more. And the PWG web site has everything you need to plan your Sacramento wedding, including Sacramento wedding venues, Sacramento wedding receptions, flowers, DJs, cakes, photography… even unique specialties like dove releases and cigar rolling!
Real Brides (and Grooms) Confess What They Would Do Over If They Could
After the reception is over, the most important thing is that the bride and groom are now a happily married couple… and most brides are thrilled with the outcome of their wedding day. Even things that don’t go right can become humorous stories to pass down. But recently, Brides magazine collected some “hard won wisdom” from the recently married – things that they would do differently if they had a “do over”. Perhaps their hindsight can be your foresight.
Don’t Overdo the Dieting
“I’d been dieting like a crazy person for three months, and then I was so nervous and excited that I barely ate anything the four days before the wedding. When I put on my dress, it hung on me like drapery.”
— Loryn, Westport, CT
Check Your Makeup
“I should have had photos taken of myself at my preliminary makeup session. At the time I thought it looked great, but when I got my professional wedding photos back, my eyeshadow showed up glittery and metallic. If I’d seen this beforehand, I could have had my makeup artist make the necessary changes.”
—Loryn, Westport, CT
Be Attentive to Your Guests
“Many of our guests traveled a long distance to attend the wedding, but I only spoke to them for a minute or two in passing, or not at all. I wish I had made a concerted effort to spend five minutes with everyone at the wedding and visit each table in an organized fashion. It meant a lot to me that everyone came to share our day, but I realized later that some of them didn’t know that because I didn’t take the time to talk to them.”
—Lauren, New York, NY
Give ‘Em a Schedule
“I should have had an itinerary written up for the bridal party, listing the times when certain key things, like toasts, dances and cake cutting would happen. Because I didn’t do that and was just winging it, my brother was nowhere to be found during the bridal party couple dance.”
— Mandie
Get Out the Save-the-Dates
“It was a mistake not to send save-the-date cards. Some people I wanted to invite had already made vacation plans by the time they got our invitation.”
— Toni, Shelton, CT
Be Attentive to Yourselves
“We planned special touches for our guests, but we didn’t savor them ourselves. We rented a photo booth, but we got so caught up in the whirlwind that we didn’t use it ourselves. It’s important for you to enjoy your entire night, and the special parts of it.”
— Cara, New York, NY
Vow to Make It Happen
“I am glad that we recited the Christian vows at our ceremony, but I also wish that we’d written our own vows, so that we could have expressed what is in our hearts. It is too easy to simply repeat vows. Speaking from the heart would have made it all the more meaningful to us.”
— Toni, Shelton, CT
{For help with how to write your own vows, use the free books on this subject at Engaged Wedding Library!}
AND FROM THE GROOMS ~
“I wish I had spent more time planning my speech. Everything was rushed and I didn’t have time to sit down and think of all the things I wanted to say. Plus, my father-in-law gave an amazing speech, so I looked especially bad.”
— Michael, New York, NY
{Books on how to write the perfect speech are also available for you to use for free at Engaged Wedding Library!}
“I would have hired a professional, not a pal, to be our videographer. He didn’t have the camera on ‘record’ for 95% of the ceremony.”
— Rob, Los Angeles, CA
“I wanted a big bash for our wedding and I didn’t pay attention when my fiancée said she wanted something smaller. We went ahead and had a huge party. Later she said she felt like I hadn’t been listening to her. If I could do it over again, I would compromise.”
— Paul, Philadelphia, PA
The Most Incredible Location For Your Engagement Photo Shoot!
If you want someplace to take your engagement photos that is gorgeous, unique, historic, outdoor/indoor, with a multitude of different choices, head out to the Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park. This place just screams “photo opp”!
At the Folsom Powerhouse, you’ll be standing in one of the most historically significant locations in the Sacramento area. One of the oldest hydroelectric facilities in the world, the 1895 brick building sits on a scenic bluff overlooking Lake Natoma. If you go between 12 pm and 4 pm, Wednesday through Sunday, you’ll be able to go inside to take photos by all the amazing looking old pipes and machinery. Outside, there are locations galore for great shots, from the old buildings to the dramatic natural surroundings.
Just imagine you and your fiancé in one of the scenes below, all taken at the Folsom Powerhouse and grounds.
The Folsom Powerhouse is also just one block from Sutter Street in Historic Folsom, another great place for taking wedding or engagement photos! Below is one cute shot from Gino Creglia Photography taken on Sutter Street… the possibilities are endless!
Ideas For Your “Something Blue”
Trying to figure out what to use for your “something blue”? Check out this list of ideas from the newest issue of Brides magazine:
- Shoes: Put your best foot forward.
- Ring: A sapphire sparkler, like the one worn by Kate Middleton, is instantly regal.
- Dress: Surprise your guests with a sky-hued gown. Too much? Wear a blue lining.
- Brooch: Pin an heirloom tanzanite to your sash.
- Bouquet: Tuck hydrangeas, cornflowers, or even peacock feathers into your posies.
- Temporary Tattoo: A tiny indigo heart on the inside of your wrist puts the fun in romance.
- Lingerie: Only you and your hubby will know if your azure undies are naughty or nice.
- Garter: Keep it tasteful, not tacky, with delicate teal lace.
- Fascinator: Charm well-wishers with a pastel blue headpiece.
- Ribbon: Wrap flower stems in rich cerulean velvet.
- Capelet: Heat up a chilly winter’s day with a sea-inspired mohair shrug.
- Handkerchief: Use midnight colored thread to embroider your new initials in one corner.
- Tights: Why not rock a pair of aqua fishnets under that gown?
- Nail Polish: Paint your digits a light turquoise that won’t upstage your bling.
- Mascara: Enhance your eyes with a comely cobalt shade (just make sure it’s waterproof!)
Wondering where the idea of “something blue” came from? We’ve got the answer in our Wedding Traditions section!
Download a FREE Signature Cocktail Recipe e-Book from Perfect Wedding Guide!
Signature cocktails are a fun way to inject a bit of your personality into your wedding reception. You can choose a cocktail that matches your color scheme, or one that you and your groom enjoy together at your local hangout or favorite getaway spot. This FREE downloadable e-book contains recipes, plus lots of photos and suggestions from hotels, sommeliers and mixologists from around the country to help you choose the perfect cocktail for every occasion! Get it now at sacramento.pwg.com!
While on the e-book download page, be sure to also get your FREE copy of the Perfect Wedding Workbook! This e-book has all the essential wedding planning details you’ll need to plan your Sacramento wedding!
- Learn to create a meaningful budget.
- Discover how to interview and hire the best vendors.
- Establish tools to help organize the big day.
- Stay on top of events, checklists and dates for important wedding tasks.
The Cutest Little Detail for Your Reception or Shower!
“OMG, that is soooo cute!”, is what you are sure to hear when anyone sees these tiny sugar cubes in adorable shapes! Gourmet Sugar Company goes “outside the cube” with over 50 shapes available in both ready-to-buy and custom styles, including hearts, fleur de lis, shells, wedding cakes, flowers, and butterflies. These organic cuties are sure to sweeten up your tablescape.
16 Hot Wedding Trends
Check out this list of 16 of the hottest (and wackiest) wedding trends of 2011 from msn.com. There are some fun ideas shown to help get your creative juices flowing!
Awesome New Source of Inspiration for Planning Your Sacramento Wedding Now Available at Engaged Wedding Library!
The 2011 Southern Living Weddings special edition magazine is jam packed with photos of creative, gorgeous weddings! You don’t have to be planning a wedding in the South to find inspiration in these pages! I found myself saying “Wow!” on almost every page, as I saw so many adorable ideas that I’d never seen before. And not the same kind of wow that you might say when looking at pics of outrageous, over-the-top weddings. The weddings showcased in this edition, while being wow-worthy, also seem very real, affordable, and full of ideas that you’d want to do yourself. You really owe it to yourself to take a look at this excellent collection of wedding ideas!
We have always had the Southern Living Weddings book on the shelves at Engaged, but this special edition magazine is new. The last time they published one was in 2005! And of course you can come look at it for free, along with all the other national bridal magazines and books that we have at Engaged. Be sure to bring your camera to snap pics of the ideas you like!
And don’t forget, Engaged has moved. Be sure to visit the About page on the web site for current address and hours. In addition to the fabulous collection of wedding magazines and books at Engaged, you’ll find portfolios for some of the best wedding vendors for your Sacramento wedding. So come on by and use the free wedding planning resources at Engaged!