Michelle Park Lazette - Stuff Every Bride Should Know

What a rush. Youre getting married. Youll be the bride!

Get ready: Everyone will have an opinion (with the possible exception, infuriatingly, of your partner). Your vendors will offer their best practices. (Take them.) Parents will voice their expectations. (Navigate them.) Google Images will drown you in ideas. (Be discerning.)

You hold in your hands the book I wish Id had when a wedding was mine to planone that covers the must-ask questions, the general timeline by which things should fall into place, and the warnings that can help prevent regrets. But just because it offers tips for hiring a florist and a DJ doesnt mean you have to enlist either. Focus on the stuff that resonates with you, and skip the stuff that doesnt. Your wedding day should be remembered more for how it felt than for what you spent.

After all, the big picture is this: Youre one of the lucky ones. Someone loves you so much they want to spend the rest of this finite, fleeting life with you, and you feel the same way. Not everyone strikes it so rich.

So read this Stuff, consume only as many Pinterest wedding boards as you can stand, and trust in yourself, your vendors, and, most of all, your soon-to-be spouse. Youve got a long life together full of adventure and milestones, and this is just the beginning.

The question has been asked and answered, and now its time to celebrate. Heres some advice for your first days as a fiance.

Share the news. Tell the people closest to you first, in person if possible. If you dont want news of your engagement to leak before you announce it, ask people to keep a lid on it, especially on social media.

Paint your fingernails. Speaking of sharing the news in person, eyes are about to gravitate to your hands. If manicures are your thing, nows as good a time as ever to get one.

Get your story straight. People will ask how you got engagedand maybe even how you metso decide what you do (and dont) want to say.

Enjoy yourself. Give yourself some time to enjoy your engagement before diving into wedding planning. You will have plenty of time to make decisions after youve come down from the high. You may even want to plan an engagement party or schedule an engagement photo session.

Dont promise invitations yet. If someone asks if theyll see an invite, you can always reply that you hope so but youre not sure how the details (like your budget) will unfold. You dont want to have to disinvite them lateror feel obligated to invite them because you spoke too soon.

Be vague about your plans. Resist the urge to advertise the accoutrements your day will have, even if youve had your heart set on them since you were twelve. You never know what plans will change.