Engagement 101

{pic c/o E online}

** The post below is written by a new guest blogger of Celebritized in Chicago- Deana Demir. Her posts will take us through the ups and downs of wedding planning. Since I can't give my readers this first hand advice (yet! ;) ), I figured Deana would be able to give great advice by sharing her personal experience. Make sure to email me with your questions for her next post, or add them in the comments section below!

I am going to be a Mrs. and YES it's an amazing moment that I wish I could freeze and keep forever. Luckily, my Fiancé had the proposal captured on video (major bonus points) .  I was so overcome with emotion and excitement that between the tears and shaking I didn't even look at the ring until we sat down for dinner. When I finally looked at my ring all I could say was wow! It was perfect. He did really well.  I have looked at my hand a hundred times, and every time I do a new wedding idea comes to mind. Welcome the "wedding planner" because we all become one.

I’m not going to lie, the attention, joy and love you receive from family and friends is overwhelming and super flattering. It's as if getting engaged ignites a fire inside others that just burns with happiness. It's been two months since I got engaged and it feels like two weeks. A few mini celebrations were held and now the fun part begins. Planning for the big day!

The first order of business is to just enjoy each other for the first few weeks, then talk about wedding plans. The first part is important because it's very easy to lose site when trying to talk to your Fiancé about flowers and decor! Let's just say we have already had our fair share of battles. Most men do not understand décor! It's ALL about compromise. 

Make sure to get a manicure- everyone will want to see that ring. 

The first decision to be made is what type of wedding you want? A big wedding or small intimate affair? Destination or local? Banquet hall or rented space?

Then comes the B word...Budget. How much do you want to spend? If you don't have a budget, the sky is the limit. I definitely have a budget so reality hit me hard when I started to get real quotes on venues. I knew it was expensive but for the type of wedding I envisioned I was looking at close to $100k and that was not an option. Next, decide when you want to get married? Depending on the season prices can change. You can get up to 20% off the package price if the wedding is off season. Something to definitely consider.

We set our budget and decided to stay in Chicago for a spring 2015 wedding and have a guest list between 175-200 people. We booked our venue at The Belvedere and picked our theme. We are having a 1920's Gatsby style wedding with a lot of glitz and glam. Now this all happened in a month after countless hours spent on Pinterest, wedding blogs, and researching every venue in Chicago (and the surrounding suburbs). It's exhausting and fun all at the same time. It’s like you go into research mode and get it done. I have questioned my choices a few times but I'm excited and happy about our picks.

A few things to take away from this post on getting engaged:

1.       Enjoy each other first, then become a "wedding planner"

2.       Get a manicure

3.       Pick your wedding type ( big wedding, destination, etc...)

4.       Pick a date

5.       Pick a venue

6.       Pick a theme and have fun!

Until next time, I have an engagement party to plan!

** Want more wedding planning advice from Deana? Comment below your questions, comments, or shared stories. She will be back with more posts as the wedding planning plays out!