1. Linger on Cloud 9.

If you are like me, it will take you a while to come down from Cloud 9 or just simply come out of the shock that you are now wearing this beautiful diamond on your hand. Enjoy this experience. It only happens once (well hopefully). You just found the man you are going to spend the rest of your life with. Celebrate and just enjoy one another! And forget about eating after he pops the question. I felt bad because he had made this wonderful meal but I just simply couldn’t eat after such an emotional experience.

2. Tell you parents.

Well if your fiancé has already asked your Dad like mine did, then they are waiting for your phone call. This is a very special moment between a child and their parents. So enjoy it and let them know how much you appreciate their love and support in raising you.

3. Envision your event.

This is something girls dream about their entire life. But when it finally hit me that I was planning a wedding, I had no idea what I wanted. Start envisioning your wedding immediately, so that you can successfully plan this “much anticipated” day.

4. Decide on a budget.

This determines everything about your wedding. So try and do this right away so that you can plan properly. Sit down with your parents, finance, or who ever is going to help pay for this event and find out how much money you want to spend. There are several ways to save money and still have a glorious day. For example, you can save thousands of dollars if you have your wedding on a Friday or Sunday. So keep these things in mind when negotiating your budget with your Dad!

5. Choose your attendants.

This is not only an honor but it ‘s a responsibility. Keep in mind that your wedding party is agreeing to spend their hard-earned money and donate their precious time. Make sure they are informed of all the duties and most importantly show them that they are appreciated.

6. Determine a date.

Just remember this date can change due to vendor availability. The more time you have to plan your wonderful event, the more likely to get everything you want on the specific date you want.

7. Announce your engagement.

This is the fun part. I had my mom help me with the announcement and we ran it in my hometown paper as well as his. Check with your local paper to see if they have a special format and if there is a fee. Usually there is not a fee for a general announcement.

8. Create a guest list.

This can be one of the most difficult things to do. Remember, you have the final say in who is going to be invited. So with that in mind, tell your mother, and your future mother-in-law to make a list with top priority people starting near the top and working their way down to a third cousin once removed who they haven’t seen in years and you have never met. Be pre-pared to trim your list down after finding your caterer or place in which you want to be married.

9. Determine where you want your wedding to be.

This was a challenge for us because we were both from different states so we decided to get married in the state in which we now live, which is also the same place we met.

10. Decide what theme or colors you want to incorporate.

Sometimes an entire wedding can be determined or planned by having a color scheme in mind and the big trend these days are theme weddings. If you know you want a beach wedding, this will help you pick out your decorations, wedding dress, cake, flowers, etc. So it’s always good to figure out what style of wedding you want.

*Tips come from theknot.com and Tiffany’s own experiences!