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‘Tis the season of Starbucks red cups, comfy sweaters (at least in Seattle!), holiday cheer – and ENGAGEMENTS! Love really IS in the air this holiday season and I, well, LOVE it! Right after my initial “engagement high” wore off just a tad, I remember flipping through wedding magazines and local resource guides and feeling totally and completely overwhelmed. As a former Sweet Pea bride myself, I was lucky enough to find Kelly in my early planning stages and she completely put my mind at ease by taking the planning process one simple step at a time.

So for you newly engaged brides-to-be, I am passing on my top five “pearls of wisdom” to get the ball rolling on planning your big day.

1. Breathe. Relax. Enjoy. Repeat.

You’re engaged! This is such an exciting moment in the lives of you and your families. Take the time to soak it in and remember the bliss you’re feeling at that exact moment. Don’t become overwhelmed with a seemingly daunting to-do list. You are your fiancé are head-over-heels for each other and at the end of the day, that’s what really matters.

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2. Choose a couple possible dates.

And if it’s hard to nail down exact dates, think of a specific time of the year you’d like to get married. For instance, my dad is a HUGE college sports fanatic and he made it perfectly clear that our wedding could not take place during March Madness or college football Saturdays. Clearly early spring and fall seasons were out of the question for me!

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3. Set a budget.

Ugh. If you’re like me, budget conversations give me heart palpitations, but it is so important to make sure that all parties who are contributing to the big day are on the same page. Keep those lines of communication open and friendly and remember to set realistic expectations. Think long and hard before you plunge into a sea of debt just to pull of the wedding of your dreams.

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4. Start thinking about your guest list.

Here’s a simple equation to remember when creating your list: more guests = more money spent. It sounds so simple, but I was constantly reminded of this when planning my own wedding. Budget and guest list go hand-in hand, so take the time to check (and double check!) your list and avoid inviting every “friend” on your Facebook friend list.

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5. Get an idea of your wedding style.

Thanks to the evolution of Pinterest and other social media sites, wedding inspirations abound! I’m not asking you to commit to anything specific, but consider some helpful adjectives that you might use to describe how you want to convey the look and feel of your wedding day. Do you gravitate towards modern elements? Are you in awe of the chic-rustic look that is ever-so-popular? Are you a punk-girl at heart? Refer back to Rachel’s helpful hints as to how Pinterest and wedding planning can go hand in hand before you get too carried away!

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And that’s it! Totally painless, right? By setting aside a couple hours to discuss these details will leave you THAT much more prepared for all the other fun planning milestones that are to come.

Happy Monday!