So, you just got Engaged!

You just got engaged over the holiday break - you’re living in the moment and having a blast showing off your ring to all of your loved ones. We know that some couples prefer to plan their wedding over a longer period of time, but we still meet couples who want to tie the knot within a year! Many might question, is even possible? But, we’re here to tell you that YES, it is possible to plan a 2024 wedding! Maybe you are at the perfect transition stage for a wedding, or just like the ring of saying “yes” in the new year, but it is possible to make your dream wedding happen, even on a time crunch. 

#01

Before the planning even begins, talk with her partner about your top must-haves. Once you pick 3-5 of your most important wedding wants, it will help you make a realistic plan of what can be accomplished. If you must have a venue, you’ll need to check and see if they are open or how far they are booking out weddings and events. Oftentimes, venues can be booked solid for the next year, before the clock strikes midnight! So make a list and determine what you absolutely want at your wedding and if it’s possible to book your favorite vendors in your set time frame. 

#02

Sit down with your partner to discuss finances. Many couples need time to combine their households after engagement occurs and this includes discussing each of your finances. We know that finances can be the biggest stressor in a relationship and it is vital that you ensure there is enough time to create your wedding funds. You don’t want to miss any vendor due dates or not create a budget that will work for you. If you want to make a wedding happen within the 2024 year, be sure to be reasonable about what you can achieve. Create a budget and stick to the budget. Do not overextend or estimate your budget into something unreasonable. Wedding bills can pile up quickly and many vendors require a deposit. Plan accordingly if you want to make a wedding happen within the New Year! 

#03

Talk to your family and friends about potential dates. One of the best parts about getting married is who you celebrate with! Planning a wedding in a short amount of time can mean friends and family may have to book tickets or make travel arrangements quickly. You want to talk to those who may need to travel in order to chose dates that may ease their travel and save money on their pocketbook. You also want to coordinate with family and friends to ensure that all the important or must-have folks will be in attendance. 

#04

Don’t rush to ask your wedding party right away. One of the biggest mistakes or regrets brides and grooms have is asking friends and family to be in your wedding party too quickly. Let’s face it, friendships change and unfortunately, some come and go. We’ve had brides in the past have to make last-minute changes to their wedding party or wish they would have included someone else. You definitely don’t want to have a negative conversation with any individual prior to the wedding, so think carefully and wait to ask until you can clearly envision your wedding day. 

#05

Most importantly, enjoy ALL of the moments. There is only one brief time that you and your fiance will spend engaged. Soak up all of the moments and work to enjoy the planning process. You will have a lifetime of wedded memories, but your moments to just be engaged will fade. So, plan that engagement party, enjoy the bubbly, take the pictures, and bask in engagement bliss! 

If you’re looking to get married within the 2024 year and need some help with the planning process, we’d love to support you with your journey! Whether you want to wed within the next month, or want to plan something later in the year, let our team at Elegant Affair guide you! Don’t forget to check with your family and friends if you want to tie the knot in 2024, you definitely want all your loved ones to attend, don’t rush through the engaged bliss moments, and take your time with planning. You may think that you need to hurry through the process but just breathe! Congratulations to all of our new engaged couples – ENJOY!

Lori Losee is the owner of Elegant Affairs, a Tacoma Wedding Planner with over 18 years of experience. We create awe-inspiring experiences—Events filled with meaning and refined elegance. Behind the scenes, our experienced team collaborates on each stage of the process, executing your vision and a wedding, celebration, or corporate event that is unique to you.

Vendor Spotlight: Essence of the Thymes

Let’s face it – we couldn’t be who we are, without our fabulous vendors. Over the years we’ve met so many wonderful individuals in the wedding industry. We decided to reach out to some of our vendors from the past and present, and ask them what fuels their business and what they're all about! So, sit down and relax with us as we sit down with our vendors to discuss what is at the heart of their business. We are so excited about this week’s vendor:



Essence of the Thymes

Essence of the Thymes provides food and service for the most memorable days of people's lives. We have PNW style and are creative with menus. We are full service which means that we can also manage your rentals and handle full set up to final clean up.

 We’re dying to know – what made you dive into the world of weddings?
My friend asked me (knowing that I wanted to cater) to cater her wedding.  It started out for 200 people.  What? Of course I said yes and knew I would figure it out.  I kept getting phone calls from this friend the month prior telling me her guest count was going up to 225, then 250 and finishing at 295 as her final count.  I loved it and started advertising at Wedding Shows the first chance I got.  

Tell us about how you started your business.
I originally planned to have a restaurant. I was working as a corporate restaurant trainer. We would train the crew before the restaurant opened. It was challenging and unpredictable. Then when I had someone ask me to cater an event it felt similar and good. I knew what I wanted to do!

What's the secret sauce behind bringing that touch of elegance to your projects?
Essence of the Thymes team is the BEST! The whole team has passion for the events we serve. It makes all the difference when people care. When we pair that up with great food, it is the perfect recipe.

Any wild, funny, or heartwarming tales from your wedding adventures?
We see all the amazing, the good, the bad, and the ugly. We have experienced couples using the rented dishes for their ceremonial breakage, guests getting in fights, couples singing to each other, the most heartwarming speeches, generation tables with family wedding pictures dated back to the 1800s, and cakes built upside down, This is just to name a few.

Advice you want to give couples about the wedding planning process?
Breathe! And enjoy, don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions to feel comfortable with your vendors. Then, you can trust their processes for success.

What trends do you hope to see or want to see in 2024?
We predict that couples will want more out-of-the-box menus and step away from traditional menus. We also see menus that foster interaction! 

Spill the tea – what's the next big thing in weddings that has you buzzing with excitement?
We are SO excited that more clients are wanting to feature food throughout the day. This means food can begin before the ceremony, interaction, and fun food choices, and end the night with snacks to go!

We love working with you, why do you love working with us?
The style of Elegant Affairs events is top-notch.  Some of our most beautiful weddings have been serviced by them.  And I will add, these weddings feel smooth. 

Anything else we must know about you?
Reach out to us today! 
Essence of the Thymes LLC
360-876-9200
www.essenceofthethymes.com
EssenceoftheThyme@hotmail.com























Lori Losee is the owner of Elegant Affairs, a Tacoma Wedding Planner with over 18 years of experience. We create awe-inspiring experiences—Events filled with meaning and refined elegance. Behind the scenes, our experienced team collaborates on each stage of the process, executing your vision and a wedding, celebration, or corporate event that is unique to you.

Don't Rush the Process

Let’s face it, we all start at the bottom when it comes to the wedding planning process. Even our team at Elegant Affairs had to start somewhere. Everyone experiences the same questions when it comes to beginning the wedding planning process. Planning a wedding isn’t easy and you may not know what you’re doing right from the start. Questions will arise and you  may have to google some “how to” videos or blogs. And that’s okay – mistakes will happen and wedding planning will be a learning process. Our team is here to help guide you through the process, from start to finish, so here’s our guide on how to take the wedding planning journey one step at a time. 

#01: Don’t Rush your Engagement Announcement

Starting at the beginning of the journey, is saying “Yes!” to the best question you’ll ever be asked, “Will you marry me?”. After you get engaged, it is more than acceptable to wait to announce your engagement to the rest of the world. Wedding planning is fast-paced and can often feel overwhelming. Once you click that button to announce, you will have an influx of calls, messages, and emails all wanting to hear how it happened and get the juicy details. Don’t rush posting on your socials or making those calls, until you are ready and have fully enjoyed the moment with your partner. It is okay to put your phone down and be present. Yes, we know you want to show off your glamorous ring, but be sure to bask in the moment and experience all of the happiness you have for each other. Social media can wait another hour – or even a day. 

#02: Don’t Rush to Book Vendors 

You’re excited – we know. And you feel the urge to begin wedding planning and booking away. One of the biggest mistakes we’ve seen is that clients rush to book vendors, without fully researching or finding someone that fits your exact needs. Take your time when finding vendors that fit your exact needs. You want to choose vendors with careful consideration. This means, finding and interviewing a few vendors, attending a variety of tastings, and exploring multiple folks within your budget. It is always a good idea to compare and explore a few vendors, before signing on the dotted line. Don’t rush to book anyone, you want to avoid regrets on your wedding day. 

#03: Don’t Think “What If” 

The internet has everything at our fingertips. You can pull up Google and pull up thousands of ideas and wedding searches. As you begin planning, booking vendors, and making decisions, it is important to cross those items off your to-do list and move forward. Continuing to explore Pinterest boards, or scrolling through social media for the next great wedding planning advice, can cause you to second guess your decisions previously made. Be satisfied with your original decision and remember why you’ve made that decision in the first place! It is never good to wonder “what if” and don’t change your details over and over. Stick with your gut and don’t wonder if the grass is greener on the other side! 

#04: Don’t Overshare 

Sharing your excitement with friends and family throughout your planning is expected. You are thrilled to be on this journey and to have your loved ones experience it with you. As you plan, keep the details to a minimum. You want to ensure that your guests are surprised with what you have planned and can thoroughly enjoy your wedding day! Also, the more you share, the more people will have opinions on your wedding planning decisions. Share the details you want to share or are necessary to share, keep the rest between you, your partner, and your wedding vendors or planner(s). Leave your wedding day experience for you and your guests and don’t feel the need to overshare all of the details. 

#05: Don’t Try to Do Everything Yourself

Yes, we know that DIY projects can save you money. Or you may just really enjoy browsing Pinterest boards and crafting (we all love a good craft here and there). But, overextending your energy, time, and money can be stressful when it comes to wedding planning. Yes, you may have the capability to hand letter every invitation, or you may want to create all of your floral centerpieces the day before, but only take on what you can handle – or honestly, take on LESS. You don’t want to be stressed out on your wedding day, or leading up to your wedding. Hire wedding professionals to help you, or look into hiring a wedding planner/coordinator to execute your DIY projects. Don’t overwhelm yourself with so many projects and details that you cannot take the time to enjoy planning or the experience. Don’t try to do every detail yourself, ask for help, hire vendors to help, and create space in your budget to lessen the stress weddings can bring. 


Most importantly, you want to ensure that you are enjoying the wedding planning process with your partner. Don’t forget to savor all of the moments. Take moments for yourself after your engagement and don’t feel rushed to share on socials right away, don’t forget to ask for help and accept help where needed, don’t overshare, think carefully when booking vendors, and don’t feel the need to rush and sign contracts, and most importantly, be content with the decisions you make. Stop exploring other options, unless it is necessary or something in your gut doesn’t feel right. 

Lori Losee is the owner of Elegant Affairs, a Tacoma Wedding Planner with over 18 years of experience. We create awe-inspiring experiences—Events filled with meaning and refined elegance. Behind the scenes, our experienced team collaborates on each stage of the process, executing your vision and a wedding, celebration, or corporate event that is unique to you.