You're engaged! Congratulations and let the fun begin! ~by Abigail Hodgson, Corolla Classic Vacations' Wedding & Private Event Specialist / (252) 453-5022 / weddings@corollaclassicvacations.com .
This is an exciting, yet time-consuming process, but your wedding day will be one of the greatest memories of your life. Your wedding day is the beginning of a new life and you should enjoy every moment of it. There is a process that wedding planners have used to assist brides from beginning to end. A timeline can be your best friend. The most important thing to do once you are engaged is to have a heart to heart with your fiancé and your families. You need to discuss a date, a budget, who is willing and able to pay for what, and if you have considered a destination wedding - where it will be held. The date is the most important detail, you can't plan without it! The timeline I suggest following can be found in most wedding magazines and on most wedding blogs. Print it out and stick it on the fridge, you will be referencing it until you walk down the aisle. You can print this timeline to follow - take it one step at a time!
Once your date is set, the budget is in place, and you have reviewed the timeline and created a plan - I highly recommend attending a wedding show. 
If you plan to have your wedding close to home, attend a show in the closest city. If you are going to have a destination wedding, consider finding a wedding show close to that location. A wedding show will give you the best visual idea of what is out there. Trends are constantly changing and vendors will always have something new to provide. You will have the opportunity to do some research and meet the vendors before you hire them. You are also able to make appointments and collect information from your favorite professionals. This will help you immensely down the road. If you have your heart set on a beach wedding in the Outer Banks, you're in luck.
The Outer Banks has two of the best wedding shows around! The Outer Banks Wedding Association will host their annual show January 18-20 and OBXBrides will host their show on April 27. The most sought after wedding professionals in this area will be there for you to meet and greet. I will be attending both shows and I love to meet new people! I also recommend starting a notebook or a binder to organize your ideas and research. If you are anything like me, you are always clipping pictures from magazines, pinning, and you just have amazing thoughts pop into your head at any given time! Write everything down, even the crazy things your fiancé suggests. You will enjoy looking back at your collection of notes. If I can make one suggestion, it is to have fun! Celebrate and enjoy your engagement!