Check out this engagement session at Washington Oaks Gardens.

You’re engaged. Now what!?

First off, congratulations on your engagement! What an exciting time for you and your partner and I couldn’t be more excited for you! You’ve called your friends and family, maybe even made a social media post, and now what!? Crap! For the love of everything, do NOT go to Pinterest! You must resist!

Instead, grab your favorite afternoon drink, sit down, and take a few minutes to read just some tips this Gainesville Wedding Photographer wants to share with you. With over 200 weddings in my heart, I know a thing or ten about the post-engagement life. I promise this will help you go from being on cloud 9 engagement phase to cloud 9 wedding planning phase. Pinky promise.

Celebrate The Moment

Flaunt that ring and just be engaged! Take a day and get pampered. Get a manicure + pedicure. Grab your favorite starbies drink. TAKE A SELFIE! Life is so fleeting and time moves so fast. Before you know it, your wedding day will come and go, and your engagement will be a fleeting moment. It demands attention! Enjoy the time you get to say “I’m engaged!” or “I have a fiancé!” Spend a few weeks just reliving the proposal and flash that ring!

Check out this engagement session at the beautiful Ever After Farms.

Talk To Your Fiancé’

Ready to plan? There is someone really important you need to talk to. That would be your fiancé’, yeah, the person you’re going to marry! Communication is key here. Remember there is a wedding day AND there is a marriage. Be open and honest with each other about what is most important to you. Ask each other questions. Talk! When should the wedding be? What type of venue? What season? Do you want it small? Big? What about just eloping!? This is the time to sit down and answer a very important question – what do WE want for OUR wedding day?

Determine Your Budget

No one likes this part, but it is one of the most important things you will both talk about. Creating your budget will determine so many things about your wedding day, from venue, guest list, wedding dress, time engaged, etc. Before you can move forward with planning this has to be discussed.

Seasons Of Love

Consider the season when choosing your wedding date. The season can dictate a lot of your decision making. If you dream of an outdoor, garden venue during rainy season, have a backup plan. The season you choose can also determine which flowers will be in season and help you narrow your color palette of choice. The season you choose may also determine your venue budget. Here in Florida, October, November, and December are “prime” season. You might be able to reduce your cost and still have your dream venue if you choose a date that is considered “non-prime.”

Pick Your Wedding Venue

This is one of the biggest decisions you will make for your wedding day. Your wedding venue will be where you draw a lot of inspiration for the rest of your vision. Is it indoors or outdoors? How many people can it hold? Where is it located? Will nana have any mobility issues? Now that you have a budget, you can start looking for a location that fits exactly what you want and need.

Make a venue spreadsheet. If you’re like me your lists will have lists when it comes to planning your wedding. Consider if you want to lean more towards an all-inclusive venue or a venue with a la carte options. Consider these things for your venue : location, cost, availability, type, accessibility, layout, parking, catering, rentals, bartending, etc.

Besides all the major logistics, also consider the vibe of the venue. How does it make you feel? Do you get butterflies? Is it naturally beautiful and would require little décor? Make sure to tour the venue and do plenty of site visits!

Pick Your “I do” crew

Picking people for your wedding day can have a major impact. Take time to consider who you want standing at your side. Weddings can be chaotic and stressful. We don’t need any dumpster fires or drama on your day! Remember that more isn’t necessarily better. Quality over quantity when it comes to relationships + friendships, always. Pick people that you know will be in your life long after your wedding day.

Be Our Guest

Your budget will have a lot of say in how many you will invite to attend your wedding. There are other factors to consider when making your guest list, such as, will you allow kids? Will you allow plus ones? A general rule of thumb is that 15% to 20% of your invites will decline and 2% – 5% of those that say yes to RSVP will end up not attending.

Hire Your Dream Wedding Photographer

Hi! It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me! This is where I get to finally talk about myself! I’m Nikki Rinc, a professional wedding photographer in Florida. As a luxury wedding photographer I aim to capture the energy and raw emotion of your special bond. Your wedding day should be as genuine and exciting as your life together. I value the connections I make with my couples and would rather have your moments than posing.

Goodbye to boring poses and awkward smiles! 

I want the fun, laughs, romance, and authenticity of your day. The unscripted moments that lead to uncut laughs with friends and family.

Your entire wedding day is centered around you and so should your wedding photography. I want to capture your story flawlessly, by finding out exactly what you’re looking for. I want to learn what is most important to you both, what you need, and what you want. From there, I’ll provide you with a custom wedding collection that fits everything you want and need for your wedding day.

I have been capturing love stories and adventure sessions for over 14 years. I have gotten to travel the world, explore destinations, but the greatest perk has always been the people I’ve met and connected with. That passion will never relent! I would love to learn about your inspiring love story and the details of your wedding day! Please let me know if I can answer any questions for you!