What do Austin, Dripping Springs and Texas Hill Country Newly-Engaged Couples Need to Know To Do Next?
You just got engaged! This is an exciting time filled with love, joy, and anticipation for the future. But once the initial euphoria settles, you might find yourself wondering, “What next?” Planning a wedding can feel overwhelming and scary, but taking it step by step will help ensure you enjoy every moment of this beautiful journey.
Here’s How to Crush Wedding Planning in the First 30 Days After Getting Engaged in Austin!
1. Share the News
Before you rush into wedding planning, take a moment to savor the engagement. Share the exciting news with your closest family and friends first. Consider how you’d like to announce your engagement to the wider circle—through a social media post, mailing out cute announcements, sending digital announcements, or even throw a fun engagement party!
It’s a great idea to immediately schedule a professional engagement photo shoot, so you’ll have the perfect pics for your announcements, and later for your Save the Dates.
Picture by Naomi Phelps Photography
2. Set a Date (or a Range)
One of the first questions people will ask is, “When’s the big day?” While you don’t need to have an exact date immediately, having a rough idea can help during the initial planning stages. Consider the season, the venue availability, and any special dates that are meaningful to you as a couple.
In Austin and Central Texas, considering the season is VITALLY important! Weather is a huge factor here. It’s HOT. Miserably hot during the summer and into fall. Storms can wreak havoc. Big events like South by Southwest, Austin City Limits, F1 Races, and big Texas home football games can dramatically affect your wedding logistics and planning. Our blog on Fall Weddings offers helpful hints on our–hands down–most popular wedding season.
3. Discuss Your Wedding Budget
The foundation of your wedding planning should be your budget, and must be established first. Sit down with your partner to have an honest and open discussion about how much you’re willing and able to spend. You also may need to have a conversation with your parents or other people who may be willing to help with wedding expenses. Your budget will guide all other decisions, from the venue to the guest list.
Most couples have no idea of how much to budget for all the elements necessary to host an event, because they have never hosted one! This is where a wedding planner is so incredibly helpful, as they can give you expert guidance on how to allocate your budget properly.
At the end of the day, a wedding is just an event, with extra elements specific to the wedding that don’t happen at regular parties and other events. There’s a feeling out there that vendors gouge couples just because it’s a wedding, but mostly that’s not true. ALL events are expensive, not going to lie! For example, catering a fajita bar, BBQ, or prime rib buffet will be the same price per person, regardless of what kind of event where it is served. Most other expenses are the same regardless of the event, and are simply based on the amount of guests and costs/work involved.
Some vendors do MUCH more for weddings than they do for other parties–like DJs for example. Their wedding responsibilities are FAR greater and more crucial to the timeline of a wedding than just playing bumping music at a party, so yes the extra work means extra expense. Weddings have some elements that don’t happen at most events, like the bridal and bridesmaid bouquets, the wedding dress and veil, special ceremony floral arches and aisle decor, etc. Those drive the overall cost up more than a similar-sized event, but it is not ‘gouging’.
Remember to account for unexpected expenses (which WILL happen!) by setting aside a small contingency fund.
4. Start a Guest List
Drafting a preliminary guest list will help you decide on the size of the venue and overall scale of the wedding. It doesn’t have to be final, but having a rough estimate is crucial in the early planning stages. Discuss who you’d like to invite and consider any family obligations. Think about who will need to travel in from out of town and how likely they are to attend.
In the Austin and especially the Dripping Springs/Hill Country “Wedding Capital of Texas” area, we have a huge percentage of destination weddings, and our couples are often surprised at how many of their guests will travel for the wedding. But Austin and the Texas Hill Country are a huge tourist draw anyway, so many guests will jump at the chance to come and stay a few extra days to enjoy our gorgeous countryside, fun activities, and amazing amenities!
Does your budget allow for a big bash of a few hundred guests? Or will you need to keep the guest list very small? The absolute best way to save on the budget for a wedding is to limit the guest list, but that can create emotional issues and very tough decisions. Decide whether you will allow children or not, as they do count as a guest for budget purposes.
5. Research Venues
Your venue will set the tone for your wedding day, so start researching locations as early as possible. Do you envision a chic Downtown Austin hotel, a Texas Hill Country retreat, a historical setting, a rustic barn, a Lake Austin view, or a glamorous ballroom?
How many guests will you need to accommodate? You don’t want your venue to be either too cramped or too big so everything looks lost in a giant room.
Does your venue have a rain and weather plan? You may be dreaming of an outdoor ceremony, but that can be very tricky in the Austin area. The heat is no secret, and always the first consideration. We can have terrible storms pop up with no warning. Thunderstorms with huge hail and tornados have been a problem in Central Texas over the past few years. Carefully consider a weather plan.
What does your budget allow? Be sure to thoroughly research what is included with each venue rental, so you’re comparing apples to apples. The venue rental may be just the start, and some have a lot of hidden fees that may cause budget issues later. Some require big food and beverage minimums and that you use only their vendors. Some include tables, chairs, and other rentals, and some do not.
Even with a limited budget, you can still curate a luxury wedding experience. For example, Chapel Dulcinea, a stunning Tuscan-style wedding chapel on a hill with breathtaking views, can actually be FREE if certain parameters are met. Rose Haven is a preferred reception venue partner of Chapel Dulcinea. It’s a perfect combination! Many of our couples hold an intimate ceremony at the chapel, and then a larger reception here at Rose Haven, less than ten minutes away. Or you can enjoy your ceremony in our beautiful rose gardens, then come inside to our comfortable climate-controlled venue and eat, drink, and dance the night away!
Once you’ve narrowed down your options, schedule visits to see them in person. There is no substitute for experiencing the venue yourself. Each one has a different vibe, and you will find the one that resonates with your heart.
Your venue often will have a thoroughly vetted and experienced preferred vendor list to share with you once you’ve booked, and those resources are invaluable to the rest of your planning.
6. Hiring a Wedding Planner
Hiring a wedding planner can save you time and stress, and very often—money. Planners bring expertise, vendor connections, and can ensure everything runs smoothly by knowing how to craft perfect timelines and coordinate vendors. They have seen hundreds of weddings and crazy scenarios that can pop up, and know how to avoid issues before they even arise. They will also think of MANY things that you would never even have thought to consider, because they are well-schooled in the logistics of events as well as the aesthetics.
The prices of wedding planners are often a sticker shock at first, but the value and peace of mind they provide is priceless. And by expertly guiding you on your budget allocation, they may even save you enough money to offset the cost. Even if you choose not to hire one for the full planning process, a month-of coordinator is crucial. The venue coordinator is NOT your day-of coordinator. They are there to ensure everything works well from the venue side, but your timeline, vendors, guests, etc are not their responsibility. It’s important that you have your own planner who knows YOUR wedding inside and out.
Interview several planners, check their references and reviews carefully, talk to former clients if possible, and most importantly see how well you relate to them. They should be like a really knowledgeable best friend with your best wedding day experience at heart.
7. Create a Vision Board
To make your dream wedding a reality, you need to visualize it first. Create a vision board with wedding themes, color palettes, and decor ideas that resonate with your personal style. Platforms like Pinterest can be a treasure trove of inspiration.
8. Book a Photographer
Photographers can book up fast, especially ones in high demand, so it’s wise to start your search early. Look for photographers whose style matches your vision and check their availability for your chosen dates.
Definitely review their portfolios, social media accounts, website galleries, and read reviews. And again, a great photographer will become a good friend during your wedding planning and on your wedding day.
incredible ring capture by Studio Galvan Photography
9. Choose Your Wedding Party
Decide on who you want to be in your wedding party. These are the friends and family members you want by your side throughout the planning process and on the big day. Once chosen, you can start discussing responsibilities and involving them in planning.
10. Explore Wedding Insurance
While not the most glamorous part of planning, wedding insurance can provide peace of mind. Look into coverage options that protect against unforeseen circumstances like venue/vendor cancellations, weather issues or travel disruptions. Many venues have started to require it, as it’s so affordable and covers wedding-specific issues that nothing else will cover–like your florals being damaged, or catering not arriving. You should purchase your insurance as soon as you have booked your venue. Rose Haven does require wedding insurance, and we have a specific proprietary link on our website to easily obtain it.
struck by a tornado two days before. (Mindee Malloy Photography)
Enjoy the Process
Planning a wedding is a memorable experience, not just a checklist of tasks. Enjoy this unique time, lean on your loved ones for support, and remember that the ultimate goal is to celebrate your love with those who matter most.
For more wedding planning tips and advice, stay tuned to our blog. We want you to have a beautiful engagement and a wonderful wedding day!
Locally Owned Wedding Venues in Austin, Dripping Springs, the Texas Hill Country….and around the USA!
Before you choose a wedding venue, please consider a locally owned wedding venue! If you love Austin, Dripping Springs, San Antonio and The Texas Hill Country as much as we do, you will consider a locally owned wedding venue because these are small business owners who treasure our community. These small business owners live here (often AT their venue!), invest in our community, and care about their employees and their wedding couples. The experience you get when you choose a locally owned wedding venue is drastically different than the experience you get at a corporate owned or investor group wedding leasing company.
We pledge to support our fellow fabulous locally-owned wedding venues around the country!
- The Glade Venue
- Stone Ridge Event Center
- Triple T Farm
- The Barn at Poplar Springs Farm
- Legacy Farms TN
About Me:
My name is Christy Seguin. I created amazing cakes in Austin, Dripping Springs and the Texas Hill Country for over 10 years as the owner of Cakes ROCK!!!. But I recently retired from cakes and am now passionately working on my new venture–the most unique and charming event venue in Central Texas, Rose Haven Event Venue!
For Rose Haven Event Venue Information, please contact us HERE.
