Ah! He totally popped the question!
Depending on what kind of bride you are, you might have read that with excitement - hooray! He proposed and we’re getting married! - or with just the slightest bit of panic - he proposed and OH MY GOODNESS now the real work starts.
At Dickinson Jewelers, we’re dedicated to making sure you’re the first kind of bride. Your special day is just that - special. Preparing for it should be too! While planning any sort of big event can have its stressful moments, it’s important to slow down and savor the joy and fun of this monumental occasion.
One easy way to make wedding planning more fun is to break it into smaller steps. This makes everything seem more manageable and less “put-me-on-a-reality-show-cause-I’m-going-Bridezilla.” Here’s a timeline of important things you might want to take care of for the big day.
Right after engagement
Congratulations! You’re engaged. You’ve called your grandma and posted pictures of your gorgeous ring on Instagram so all of your high school frenemies can admire it. What now?
- Decide on your wedding party. How many bridesmaids and groomsmen will you have?
- Pick a date. Nothing can happen until you have a date set!
- Start obsessively Googling wedding venues. Once you have a few in mind, arrange a tour so any interested party can see what it looks like in real life.
- Make your wedding Pinterest board so you can start brainstorming.
Jewelry step: Let’s make this bling perfect! Bring your engagement ring in to our Prince Frederick or Dunkirk location to have it sized so it looks as lovely as you during your engagement photos.
Nine months until the wedding
Believe it or not, this is crunch time! During this period of time, you’ll take care of some of the most important details of your wedding. It might be stressful now, but you’ll be glad you dotted all the Is and crossed all the Ts nine months from now!
- Say yes to the dress! And bridesmaid dresses. And tuxes. Basically, say yes to wearing clothes at your wedding. You won’t regret it.
- Finalize your guest list so you can give counts to the caterer, venue, and florist.
- Book a caterer, venue, photographer, and florist. Spend nine months swooning every time they post a picture to their blog.
- Go to cake tastings and decide where you’ll get your cake and how it’s getting to the venue. Pro tip: wear stretchy pants to any and all tastings.
Jewelry step: You found the dress! Let’s accessorize. We can help you pick out the perfect jewelry for your big day. Think about what you want to accentuate and show off, and we’ll help you find the perfect piece of jewelry. If you’re thinking about wearing your hair up, can we recommend these gorgeous earrings?
Six months until the wedding
Only half a year left! Things are starting to get really exciting. What’s on the docket for this month?
- Get those invitations taken care of! Order them, address them, mail them, and sit back and wait for those RSVPs to roll in.
- Think about the logistics of your big day. Are you going to reserve a block of hotel rooms for your guests to book? Will you be providing transportation for your guests? Take care of those arrangements.
- Have some fun! Pick out your honeymoon destination, and find the perfect pair of shoes for your wedding dress.
Jewelry step: Say “I do!” to wedding rings! Bring your future spouse with you to one of our two Southern Maryland locations, and we’ll help you pick out the perfect set of wedding bands. We love this look - as our owner Kathy once said, it’s got diamonds as far around as he loves you!
Three months until the wedding
Eek! It’s so close now! Luckily for you, you did the heavy lifting a few months ago, and you’ve just got a few loose ends to tie up now.
- Confirm your cake and your catering. Maybe do another tasting...just in case.
- Break in your wedding shoes. Day-of blisters are no joke!
- Book your hair and makeup and have a trial with them.
- Buy favors to give out at the wedding
Jewelry step: Buy your bridesmaid favors. These ladies are spending an awful lot to make your day special, so do something special for them and buy them a piece of jewelry to remember the wedding by. Bonus points if it’s the jewelry they’ll actually wear in the wedding! We love this dainty pearl bracelet.
One month until the wedding
Just a few last-minute things to take care of. If you’re having a seating chart, you’ll want to get that finalized. You’ll want to take care of these things:
- Finalize everything: the music, the food, the cake, the venue, the photographer, the minister...everything!
- Hire a day-of coordinator to make sure everything runs smoothly.
- Delegate everything. Tell your bridesmaids how they can help, and give everyone a role who wants one. This will allow you to relax and will help everything run more smoothly
Jewelry step: Make sure you have a wedding present for your groom! It’s hard to go wrong with a classic Bulova watch that he can wear again and again.
