Congratulations *squeals* (but manly). Getting engaged is such a happy time for a couple and it kicks off the start of the exciting but sometimes confusing world of planning a wedding.

Below you'll find a checklist of the things I, as a photographer, would recommend you should think about before you even consider the dress and suits.

1. Get The Ring Insured

I'm going to assume that you've already rung the parents, BFF’s and updated your Facebook status, right?

Maybe you got a little too drunk that evening, forced the ring onto the finger, realised it didn't fit and had to adopt some form of technique that you saw on YouTube to remove the said ring without losing a digit. Yes, of course, I’m talking from experience. This is something we did and by we, I mean myself and Ciara.

The first thing I recommend is to get the engagement ring insured just in case it falls prey to all matters of mishaps that can happen to people not used to wearing an engagement ring. For example, dropping it down a plug hole, misplacing it, taking it off when you go to the gym etc. You could also speak to an insurance provider about adding the ring to your home contents policy. To make any claim easier, take photos of your ring, which you probably have a lot of on Instagram as backup, but keep the valuation documents safe.

2. Make A Rough Guest List

Making a rough guess list, we found this both helpful and an interesting exercise to do.

My advice is to make three guest lists. The first one is money, no option. Let's invite everyone that makes sense to invite, friends of friends and their partners, people from work and of course, not forgetting our third cousin removed aka the lot.

Then make a more realistic list that was more in tune to fit in with the numbers. Remember some bigger venues limit you to somewhere in the region of 130 or so.

And lastly, make a real cutthroat list. Let me tell you, for Ciara and me this created some difficult discussions. We learned more about each other and who was important to us when making that list of 85. We had our fingers crossed that we could find a wedding venue that meant we didn't have to use that list.

Have this conversation early on, as everyone you meet will think they are going to be invited so it can save the awkwardness ahead of time.

3. Book The Vendors Important To You

This is probably the biggest thing for me as an Irish wedding photographer. I can't tell you the number of couples I have to turn away. Their day sounds fantastic, and I really get on with them and would love to shoot their wedding; but when they enquire with a date 12 months or less away, the chances are our diary will be full and we are both left disappointed.

What is most important to you will vary from couple to couple but generally, you're talking about booking a venue, photographer, maybe a videographer these are the vendors who will be most limited and booked far in advance. Florists, bands, and makeup artists will happily take on four weddings per week in some cases while your photographer and videographer may limit themselves to four a month. It all depends.

4. Pick a Venue

Many Irish wedding venues book up for popular dates 18 months to two years in advance, so if you really want that August bank holiday weekend for your nuptials, you're going to have to get your skates on.

Decide what county might work best for you and your guests and draw up a shortlist of venues that would suit your style and budget and drop a few emails to get your hands on their wedding package details.

Top Tip! When researching your venue, search for it on Instagram, let's say you are thinking about a wedding at Bellingham Castle, and have already had a nosey through their Instagram feed, using the search bar you will find places and Geotags for Bellingham Castle, click on that and you'll be able to see all the people who have tags pictures taken there. It will include a variety of images tagged by photographers and guests and couples and give you a fantastic read on what the venue is like on a real wedding day.

5. Look for some Inspiration

Pinterest and Instagram will be your biggest friend for this part of the wedding planning process. It’s where dreams are created but can also leave you wondering where the last five hours of your life went. Start looking at how you (and maybe your partner) want your special day to look. One thing I would recommend when doing this though is being realistic and trying to stick to one theme. The pins my wife had saved over the years all had about 5 different wedding themes/styles incorporated into them, and it was becoming a little confusing so honestly, we kind of had to start from scratch! Pick the theme you love and pin it until your little heart's content!

Now a question I get asked a lot as a wedding photographer…

Do you need an engagement shoot before the wedding? The answer is not really, nobody really needs a shoot like this BUT there are some benefits of a practice run.

Being in front of the camera can be a nerve-racking experience for certainly more than 80% of us. I know that from many consultations I've had, as a wedding photographer, with potential brides and grooms, one thing that can ease the stress of this on your wedding day is having had a run-through.

HAVE A LOOK HERE TO SEE SOME SAMPLE IMAGES FROM A GORGEOUS ADVENTURE SHOOT AT THE CLIFFT OF MOHER

An engagement shoot not only gives you a lovely setting but gives you the chance as a couple to practice posing and being in front of the camera. It kills a little bit of that initial awkwardness. But most of all it gives you a good idea of what your photographer is going to be like on the day. Are they quiet and reserved? Are they very direct? Or are they generally just good craic to be around and naturally make you laugh and feel relaxed? The last big benefit of this experience of course is having a library of professionally sharp photographs of you and your significant other before you tie the knot.

And breathe…

Wedding planning can be insanely stressful from the get-go, so try to find the humour in things and take some time to laugh. It should be fun too, so keep yourself and your partner at the heart of your decisions and enjoy the ride.

Each wedding has its own story to tell. If you want more information on how I can capture the magic of your story on your special day please get in touch and we can chat through ideas and inspiration.