The answer was ‘Yes!’ ~what next?
Yaaaay!!!! Your partner popped the question!!! Here’s a few wedding planning tips for newly engaged couples, to start you on your incredible wedding adventure!!
OMG, whoooohoooo!!!! How freakin exciting!!! This is where the magic begins! 💫
Whether your proposal happened on a windswept clifftop or in your PJs over pizza, the feelings are the same — your heart’s racing, the butterflies are flapping, and your head is spinning with ALL the ideas (and ALL the questions!).
Where do we start? How do we plan this thing? Why is everyone suddenly asking for dates and guest lists and cake flavours?
BREATHE. I’ve got you. Let me hold your hand through it all with this quick overview wedding planning guide, freshly updated for modern lovebirds who want a fun, romantic, stress-free wedding experience that’s big on love and light on overwhelm 💕
💍 Step 1: Breathe + Soak up those newly engaged vibes
Planning your small wedding or elopement can feel overwhelming, but breathe easy, gorgeous ~start your wedding planning journey the fun, stress-free way ~with NZ Marriage Celebrant & Wedding Planner Kimberly Sanders from Lucky in Love Weddings! Whether you’ve booked Lucky in Love or not, Kimberly will sprinkle some fairy dust and guide you every step of your exciting wedding adventure! Think of her as your wedding fairy godmother!
Be in this magical moment, just the two of you. There’s time to share with the world and start planning soon enough.
🥂 Step 2: Celebrate & Announce
Tell your nearest and dearest in person if you can ~or pop the bubbly and post a sweet ‘We Said Yes!’ pic. It’s time to let the world know!
✨ Step 3: Dream It , Feel It + Decide on your Top 3 Can’t Live Withouts
Sit down with your fiancé/e, pour a wine and dream BIG. Start a vision board to picture your ideal wedding:
Romantic mini wedding in a vineyard? Boho beach elopement? All-inclusive pop-up wedding?
The way you want to feel on your big day ~and the vibe you want your guests to soak up ~sets the tone for everything from your ceremony to the confetti toss! That starts with thinking about the ‘Why’. You’re not just getting married to ‘get married’ Here are some of the reasons you might be taking this next exciting step together: True Love ~ Celebrating that once-in-a-lifetime connection, Shared Future ~ Committing to life’s big (and little) adventures together, Family Unity ~ Blending families and building a beautiful life, Public Declaration ~ Saying “we’re in this forever” in front of your fave people, To Party! ~ Let’s be honest… who doesn’t love an excuse to throw a legendary celebration?!
What’s most important to you both ~ choose your top 3 things and make these a priority i.e. a sensational Celebrant to bring the energy, a fabulous photographer to capture all those moments, having that classic sports car for your wedding day to make you feel like a total King/Queen!
Forget the budget talk for now—this is the fun part!
📅 Step 4: Select Your Date
Think about the season, your ideal month, and how much time you’ll need to plan the magic ~there is no such thing as planning too early, the longer lead time, the more you get to soak up all the goodness!
If you’re booking Lucky in Love, Kimberly can have your small wedding or elopement planned for you within a week!
Top Tip: Book your venue and celebrant early, especially for intimate weddings and popular elopement locations in NZ.
👯♀️ Step 5: Create Your Guest List
This affects everything—budget, venue size, vibe. Jot down your must-haves first, then refine later.
🏡 Step 6: Find Your Dream Venue
Whether it’s a historic wedding venue, beach wedding, or backyard celebration, research unique Auckland wedding venues or affordable elopement spots that elevate your love story.
💌 Step 7: Pick Your Perfect Celebrant
Before you get swept up in florals and favours, lock in your celebrant ~this wedding specialist sets the tone for your whole day!
Need help figuring it all out? Grab my FREE guide: Pick Your Perfect Officiant in 5 Easy Steps.
📸 Step 8: Lock in Your VIP Vendors
- Photographer ~ Choose someone who gets your vibe
- Wedding Planner / Event Manager ~ Like me, babe!
- Celebrant + MC ~ Lucky in Love Weddings can do it all and you’ll love hanging with me on your big day!
- Florals / Styling ~ Keep it lush or minimal ~it’s your call, however speaking from experience I would not DIY your big day ~you’ll end up a frazzled mess!
- Caker ~ adding sweetness to your day
💸 Step 9: Know Your Budget
Once you speak with a few wedding vendor specialists you’ll have a better idea of budget and what’s realistic for your vision.
Give your Top 3 Can’t Live Without’s budget preference.
Chat with both sides of the family if you know they want to contribute and work out a realistic spend.
Start using a budget tracker or spreadsheet to keep things streamlined.
👰 Step 10: Choose the Dress/Suit/Outfit
Trust your heart, avoid the Pinterest pressure and keep your wedding style in mind. Whether it’s boho, glam or simple chic—find something that makes your heart flutter.
🥳 Step 11: Plan an Engagement Party
If you love a good party ~hosting an Engagement is a good idea.
It’s a chance for family and friends who are attending your wedding to meet, who may not already know each other.
Plus it’s an excellent trial run for event planning. You’ll know if you’re the sort of person who can bring all the moving parts together yourself and keep your cool ~or if you want to hand everything over to a wedding planner so you can enjoy your day without the overwhelm.
🛍️ Step 12: Go Shopping For Your Wedding Bands
And get your Engagement Ring cleaned.
📄 Step 13: Apply For Your Marriage Licence
You’ll easily do this this yourselves online and your Celebrant will guide you through this. There is a fee involved.
💒 Step 14: Get Married!!!
Enjoy each and every moment of your big day!!
💖 Final Tips from Your Wedding Fairy Godmother:
• Start early, plan smart
• Prioritise connection & meaning over perfection
• Have fun and celebrate your epic love story!
