Bride's Eye View: Setting the Date

{via}

In my opinion, after becoming engaged, there are two things that immediately need to happen:

1. Set a date
2. Get organized

If you've ever been engaged or you are recently engaged (Andrea! Congrats!), you will come to realize that every person you see will ask one thing: Have you set a date? (This question will come shortly after they grab your left hand and stare at your ring) Everyone will be curious about when the big event is going to happen - and it's so nice to have a date ready to share with any and every one who asks. 

Chris and I were engaged for over a year before we set a date, and I always had to respond with the same thing: We haven't set a date, yet. We are going to wait until we both graduate, so probably the summer of 2010. See, just saying July 17, 2010 would have been a lot easier during that year and a half of engagement. Trust me. 

I found that picking a date can become very overwhelming because there is so much to consider. First and foremost, you should choose a date that the two of you want. If there is a particular season, month, or date that holds considerable meaning to either of you and/or your relationship, that's something to consider. You also have to consider the schedules and lives of the people you want to be a part of your big day.

I always wanted a Fall wedding. Probably because it's my favorite time of year, a soft pastel color scheme would have fit perfectly, and I always kind of wanted to wear one of those Lace Jackets with my dress. But waiting until Fall would have been a pain - we were ready to get married and summer was convenient. 

Once a date is set, things can get going - like booking a photographer, caterer, church or venue, florist, dj, band, and so on (It is highly important to start booking these as soon as possible). In retrospect, the date is important, but what is most important is that the two of you are married and you were able to share that entire day with everyone you love and who loves you.

Maybe you know the exact date you already want. That's great! Set it in stone and start letting others know! If you are having a bit of trouble deciding, I would advise you to sit down with the fiancé and at least start narrowing it down to a couple months and a couple of dates within those months. This will help. Then talk with your friends and other family members to get a feel for what may work best for everyone involved. Good luck!

On a side note: A last tid-bit of advice that will forever pop up throughout these posts: do what you want to do. It's your wedding. Don't try to make it what this person wants or what that person wants. Don't try to make it anything more that what you two want. That is it.