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Just engaged and don't know where to start

OnLAOnLA member
First Anniversary First Comment
in Just Engaged and Proposals
So after almost 8.5 years together and all sorts of planning for one day (i've been on the knot for over a year) I'm FINALLY engaged and I have no idea where to actually start. 
I know a venue is going to be super important to figure out quickly - which will be hard as my FH doesn't exactly move quickly (as you can tell.....).  I want to get a planning guide/binder and I'm just wondering if anyone has a suggestion as to which one of the hundreds available they found most useful (or not useful).  I get overwhelmed looking at the shelves and shelves of books at Chapters/Indigo.

SO EXCITED!!!
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Re: Just engaged and don't know where to start

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    SlothGoalsSlothGoals member
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    Congratulations!

    I would skip buying a pre-made binder and just make your own with page dividers and page protectors. You can find lists of what to include all over the internet.

    As for where to start this is what I tell everyone:

    The first thing you should do is sit down and discuss with your FI what kind of wedding you two want to have. A small, intimate affair? Destination wedding? Huge wedding with everyone you know?

    Once you figure that out you should then discuss how much you can comfortably save between now and your wedding day. That will give you your budget then you can plan how many people you can host and start creating a guest list.

    It will all start coming together from there because your budget and guest list will dictate what kinds of venues you can afford, how much you have to spend on various extras, etc.

    The only Knot Tool I ever recommend is the budgeting tool. Once you've figured out your budget you can plug in the number and it will help give you an idea of how much you have to spend on things.
    Image and video hosting by TinyPic Anniversary 
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    tiny specktiny speck member
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    I agree with pretty much everything kristbot said. Don't waste your money on planning tools when there are loads of online tools out there, and plain old excel spreadsheets (that's been my go-to in planning). Good luck, and congratulations! :)
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    cnf2013cnf2013 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I bought the best checklist I ever found off Etsy for $2. PM your email and I'll happily send you the pdf for free. 
                                                                                  Follow Me on Pinterest
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    AddieCakeAddieCake member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    I made my own binder with office/school supplies. Congrats and happy planning!
    What did you think would happen if you walked up to a group of internet strangers and told them to get shoehorned by their lady doc?~StageManager14
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    Uberoom12Uberoom12
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    Your own binder is the best idea since every wedding is super different. What you need/want might not be in a premade template. You can browse through them, get some ideas, google is your best friend too, and then set out to make your own. The less money you spend on getting stuff to plan the wedding, the more you will have for the actual wedding (or honey moon!)
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    yellowdaisies84yellowdaisies84 member
    Name Dropper First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment
    Congrats! When we registered at The Bay (I'm assuming you're a Canadian bride-to-be like me) They gave us this free wedding folder- it's really nice high-quality and has lots of files inside and that's where I've been putting all of our receipts, paperwork, etc. It keeps us organized and it fits a lot! I really like it.


    I bought the blue Bride-to-Be book from Chapters and it's cute but I haven't even used it yet! I guess I could have lived without it but it is cute and I am planning to fill it in and add our STD's, invitation, etc. so it's a keepsake for us.


    I used The Knot's checklist as my guide and took out our calendar and planned what weekends we were going to do which tasks. I modified it a bit to add things or take things out depending on how they applied to us. That has been my secret to staying organized, sane, on top of things, and never getting ahead of myself. 

    Enjoy your engagement! :)
    "It's always better when we're together." -Jack Johnson
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    gbergagberga
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    engagement photos! :) 
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    OnLAOnLA member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_just-engaged-proposals_just-engaged-and-dont-know-where-to-start?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:683Discussion:f345bd8a-7104-414c-803a-fa4e50187781Post:abdc31d8-e266-428b-ad69-a9c1530403a9">Re: Just engaged and don't know where to start</a>:
    [QUOTE]Congrats! When we registered at The Bay (I'm assuming you're a Canadian bride-to-be like me) They gave us this free wedding folder- it's really nice high-quality and has lots of files inside and that's where I've been putting all of our receipts, paperwork, etc. It keeps us organized and it fits a lot! I really like it.![/QUOTE]

    AWESOME! Thanks - I'm planning to register at The Bay!
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    OnLAOnLA member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_just-engaged-proposals_just-engaged-and-dont-know-where-to-start?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:683Discussion:f345bd8a-7104-414c-803a-fa4e50187781Post:2df2c535-ab5f-4dfe-9aa8-1206a4235a2c">Re: Just engaged and don't know where to start</a>:
    [QUOTE]engagement photos! :) 
    Posted by gberga[/QUOTE]

    Don't have any yet.  I'm kicking myself, I'm one of those people who takes pictures of everything but it was so cold outside when he proposed I totally forgot.  I'm going to get some done, it's just talking my FH into it - he hates having his picture taken.
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    clairesussmanclairesussman member
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    <span><p dir="ltr" align="left">Hello and congratulations on your recent engagement! I am sure you are very excited but a little overwhelmed to begin the planning process for your big day. I wanted to introduce myself as the Sales Manager at the Residence Inn Arlington Courthouse by Marriott. We provide top of the line hotel accommodations while also offering all the comforts of home for your guests to best enjoy your busy weekend. Located in the North Arlington neighborhood of Courthouse, we are close to the vibrant restaurant, bar and shopping scene of Clarendon as well just a short distance from some of Arlington’s most popular event venues. I would love to have you the hotel for a tour so that you can see the accommodations that we can offer for your out-of-town guests during your event weekend. For more information please contact me at (703) 312-2103 or <a href="mailto:Claire.sussman@riacva.com" rel="nofollow"><font face="Calibri" size="3"><font face="Calibri" size="3"><span><u><font color="#0000ff">Claire.sussman@riacva.com</font></u></span></font></font></a><font face="Calibri" size="3"><font face="Calibri" size="3"><span> or visit our website: </span></font></font><a href="http://www.marriott.com/wasca" rel="nofollow"><font face="Calibri" size="3"><font face="Calibri" size="3"><span><u><font color="#0000ff">www.marriott.com/wasca</font></u></span></font></font></a><font face="Calibri" size="3"><font face="Calibri" size="3"><span>. </span></font></font></p></span>
    Best,
    Claire

    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_just-engaged-proposals_just-engaged-and-dont-know-where-to-start?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:683Discussion:f345bd8a-7104-414c-803a-fa4e50187781Post:18601c65-8107-4d6e-b756-992eef2df1af">Just engaged and don't know where to start</a>:
    [QUOTE]So after almost 8.5 years together and all sorts of planning for one day (i've been on the knot for over a year) I'm FINALLY engaged and I have no idea where to actually start.  I know a venue is going to be super important to figure out quickly - which will be hard as my FH doesn't exactly move quickly (as you can tell.....).  I want to get a planning guide/binder and I'm just wondering if anyone has a suggestion as to which one of the hundreds available they found most useful (or not useful).  I get overwhelmed looking at the shelves and shelves of books at Chapters/Indigo. SO EXCITED!!!
    Posted by Bibbleskip[/QUOTE]
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