You’re engaged and dreaming of an Italian destination wedding, but what now?

Let everyone know
It’s super important to spread the exciting news amongst your friends and family! No one likes to be the last to know or to just read the news on Facebook, so it’s nice to call the people closest to you and let them share in the excitement of your engagement and hear the story of how he proposed!

Buy some wedding magazines
Every girl dreams of her wedding day and with it now becoming a reality you can treat yourself to some magazines and start dreaming of your special day! Take a few hours out of your day, kick back and swoon over dresses, colour schemes, locations and real weddings to inspire you!

Start considering dates
If you’ve been dreaming of an Italian destination wedding, why not start to consider some dates or months that could work well to ensure the people closest to you will be able to attend. Most people will start to ask when the wedding is when you share your exciting news, so it’s good to be able to give them an idea of when you’re looking to have your big day.

Buy a wedding journal
It’s great to start jotting ideas down in a wedding journal as you start researching everything in more detail. It will help keep you organised as you start to consider the essential details.

Take some time out with your fiancé to work out a realistic budget
It’s easy to get carried away when you first start the planning process but it’s important to work out what is an affordable for you and try to stick to it (easier said than done we know!)

Start researching wedding planners and don’t be afraid to ask for help!
A great wedding planner is full of ideas and inspirational locations that they are desperate to share with you. If you are unsure on venue locations having never visited the area before don’t be afraid to ask for help and let them offer suitable suggestions that fit in with your budget. A locally based planner may also have less publicised venues that could be the perfect fit for you and they will also help to keep you on track with your budget and advise whether your ideas are realistic against this budget.

Plan a long weekend in your chosen location
Try to organise a long weekend to discover the various locations you have discussed with your planner and set up some site visits together. Take some time before your trip to write out a list of important questions so you can discuss these face to face with your chosen planner.

Enjoy this special time
Many brides can find the early stages of planning all a bit overwhelming but it is exciting to explore different locations, styles and themes, so make sure you relax and have fun whilst doing so. You’ll know when you’ve found THE venue. A good wedding planner just needs to look at the expression on your faces and they certainly know!