You're Engaged! But first things first ...

You could have been waiting a lifetime for this moment, or maybe still in a bit of shock, either way, you are showing off your amazing engagement ring and are in the early stages of planning one of the most special days of your life!

There are many discussions that you and your fiancé need to have, but before you can start planning your wedding, you need to make sure you are both on the same page. Here is a few suggestions to get the wedding conversation started. Once you have these important details finalised, you can begin!

When do you want to get married?

Are you thinking a spring wedding, or perhaps winter? If you have a special date that is important to both of you, perhaps this might be a factor in your decision. If you are trying to save money, some venues or vendors have cheaper options midweek.

Where do you want to get married?

There are many options of venues within Port Stephens which allow you to create the wedding you have always dreamed of. From small intimate venues to large ones that hold plenty of people, we have the ability to work with all of them. Your ceremony location allows you to create a venue in itself. In the pages following, we have included a guide to locations around our beautiful area and the benefits to having your ceremony there.

What type of wedding do you want?

While there is no right or wrong way to have a wedding, this is still an important factor to think about. Do you want formal or casual? Religious or civil ceremony? It is your day, so your wedding should really be a reflection of you as a couple.

Number of Guests?

This is the biggest, and sometimes hardest, decision of all as this will have a flow on effect through every stage of the planning process. Your guests list will depend on your budget, but you need to decide if you want a large wedding, medium, or small and intimate. If have a guest list, but feel that your budget won’t allow it, you will need to take some people off the list, but if you feel you can’t lose those people, you will need to make allowances elsewhere in your budget.

Bridesmaids and Groomsman?

This is another decision that can be hard. You will need to have 2 witnesses over the age of 18 to sign your wedding documentation that the celebrant will advise you of, but the choice to have bridesmaids and groomsmen is a personal one. Weddings have changed over the years, and with that, so have preferences for attendants on the day. You may want 5 and your fiancé 1 so this is going to be something that needs to be discussed and decided on.

B U D G E T!

Deciding on your budget can be a little overwhelming once you start adding everything up, but once you have set your budget, it makes the planning process much easier. You both need to discuss what you are comfortable in spending, if there are any other parties contributing to the wedding and how much, and where you should prioritise the money. Once you have the budget set, make sure you stick to it and every cent is accounted for.