Popped the question on Valentine's Day? Top tips for newly engaged couples

As the most romantic day of the year looms, wedding venues nationwide are gearing up for a flurry of enquiries as freshly engaged couples eagerly book their nuptials and look forward to their big day.

It can be easy to caught up in the romance of the moment, so to help those couples who have become engaged after the question was popped on Valentine's Day, Clare Poole, Head Wedding Co-ordinator at The Royal Toby Hotel, part of the Deckers Hospitality Group which owns and operates a number of prestigious wedding venues in the north west of England, offers these top 10 practical tips to ensure a smooth, organised planning period:

1) Don’t get swept away in the moment. It’s really easy when you get engaged to love everything you see and book it for your wedding without taking the time to shop around and get ideas before you book everything.

2) Set up wedding Pinterest boards. We would recommend multiple boards - theme, colour scheme, cars, flowers, decorations, dress. This will help you bring your ideas together before you start booking and ordering products, and could save you time and money in the long run.

3) Get following! For every item you book or purchase, follow the provider on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. You may well see other ideas from the same people which you could incorporate into your big day.

4) Purchase wedding insurance! This is a massive financial undertaking, don’t leave yourself open by not insuring yourselves.

5) Set a budget - and stick to it! Work out how much you can afford to spend and how much you believeyou will be able to save before the big day. Be realistic in what you can afford to spend and then it becomes easier to see where that money is best spent. If you have to rely on credit facilities to pay for your big day, ask yourself if you should delay it until you can save enough to pay for the day you want without getting yourselves into financial difficulties.

6) Watch out for wedding fayres. Often exhibitors will offer special deals for those who book on the day. Research the service providers before the wedding fayre, so you will know if you want to book them before you meet them.

7) Shop around before you buy. A lot of service providers offer the same products. Take the time to research what you want, and save yourselves money which can then be re-invested into other parts of the day.

8) Rope in your friends and family. If your budget wont stretch to a stationer to prepare your invites or even favours and name cards, lots of items can be purchased online very cheaply if you’re willing to put in the work yourselves - or call upon the skills of creative friends or family members. Most people will be thrilled to play a part in your big day.

9) Organisation is key! Wedding planning can be a stressful business, so to ensure that you minimise stress, set up a spreadsheet for your guest list, a timeline for your day and a contact list for your suppliers.

10) Don’t forget to enjoy it! It’s the biggest day of your lives, and something you are only doing once. Get it right, enjoy it and remember it forever.

The Deckers Group owns and operates a selection of beautiful wedding venues around Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire. Visit www.thedeckersgroup.com for details on all venues, weddings and prices.

Pennine Manor, a stunning venue on the outskirts of Huddersfield, is offering newly engaged couples a £500 deposit match if they book their wedding before 29 February 2016. Upon booking and paying the standard £500 deposit, Pennine Manor will add £500 to the wedding account, which is redeemed against the final balance.