For those who are recently engaged...

What have you done so far? I got engaged on October 26th and so far I've just been trying to decide on what kind of wedding I want to have. (For us, the major choice is between NYC where we and our friends live and LI where our families live - and the choice will mostly dictate the style of our reception).
But now I'm thinking I better make a choice fast or I'll be married in 2005 - or maybe I shouldn't rush and just have fun and if it's 2005 so be it! Arrrgghh!
How is everyone else's planning going?

I'm not recently engaged but I had a year and a half engagement and my advice would be have a shorter engagement! I wish it was here already it was way too long of a wait! IMHO!

I got engaged in August so it wasn't that recent but not so long ago either. This is just my opinion, but if I had to wait until 2005 to get married, I would go crazy... I feel like the planning time can be very stressful and often, crazed and it just feels like, as fun as it is to plan a wedding, the real fun is actually being married. Since August, there has been something to do planning for the wedding almost every single day- be it looking at places, making phone call to potential vendor.... I feel like if I were to do it over, I could have pulled it together a little quicker.
Having said that, first thing you want to do is set a budget. next, decide about when you want to have it- which season, next decide where you want to have the wedding. I'm with LI idea- beautiful, where families are from, city people can easily come out.... Make a list of places you would like to go- maybe both places (LI and NYC) and let your taste determine where you would like to have it.
Most important, have fun and relax. You are getting married, not weddinged!!! Yay!

btw, congratulations on your engagement!!! Such a fun time!

I like what you said Sept20yay! about getting married not weddinged!
Thank you both for your advice. It's so hard to make decisions when there are so many great places, good bands, pretty flowers, etc!

I was just engaged this past oct. 20th. So far we set a date for 11/6/04 & we booked the hall. In about an hour I am going to look @ Burtons for Flowers. I know I have so much time, but I'm so excited it's just fun to go around with my mom and look! God knows FH could care less about flowers! HA!!

I agree it's nice if you don't have to be engaged very long, but we really had no choice, given I was only 21 when we got engaged (22 now) And he's the same age so we haven't had time to establish careers and save a ton soooo we need the extra time and we wanted to get married in nov. soooo since 03' is not enough time we decided to wait!

So that's my story--my advice to you is to do whatever you feel if fesible for you guys. Don't worry about people having to travel or anything. Have fun! But definetely get a move on if you don't want to wait--it's incredible how fast things book up! If your not a picky person you could throw it together in 6 months!! Good luck & let us know if we can help!!

I must agree - I'm not a newbie engaged (since 5/02), but I must say, one thing at a time, and whatever you do - DO NOT FORGET TO BREATHE!!!

It can get very overwhelming at times.....

I've been engaged 3 months and the wedding is Sept 2004 and we're just taking it all one day at a time. We were extremely lucky that the first hall we looked at wound up being the hall where our reception is. We just fell in love with the hall and did look at others but this one hall we just new it was perfect.

the way we are looking at our wedding is, its our day that we are celebrating our love and our commitment to each other and we want all of our close friends and family there with us. Our friends are bikers and our family likes to party so we knew that our day would be just everyone having fun and thats what we are going for. I found some cool harley stuff to incorporate into the reception, we started talking about music we want played, etc...

its your day and just have fun. do what you and your FI want. Have fun, breathe and just enjoy all of this.

We chose 2 years because we want to enjoy our engagement and the planning. we're having such a great time planning and cant wait till the big day.

Again--THANKS Chippatrid! Great explanation! Where did you decide to have your reception? Your only a couple months before me!!

We're having our reception at Manor East. It's in Massapequa.

We got engaged Sept 13, 2002 (Yes Friday the 13th and he fully planned it) and our wedding is Sept 18, 2004.

And 3 months have already gone by....Time flies!