7 Things You Should Do After Getting Engaged
It happened. You’re engaged. You’ve cried, you’ve admired your ring from every angle possible and now it’s time to plan a wedding. So…what do you do next?
I’ve compiled a list of To-Do’s for you to complete after you get engaged. This list will help you to ensure you start the wedding planning process off on the right foot!
1. ENJOY THIS MOMENT! This is the only time you will every be engaged! Post that Instagram pic, tell everyone you know and show that ring off! You deserve this.
2. Set your priorities. Simply put, what is the most important part of the wedding to you? Sit down with your fiancé and discuss what parts of the wedding you cannot live without and which parts you wouldn’t care so much if it wasn’t part of your wedding day. Have you always dreamt of having that elegant and lavish wedding dress? Maybe you absolutely need the perfect photographer that gets THE picture. Or perhaps, you just want your night to be a rager, so you’ll need a killer DJ. Setting your priorities will help you focus your energy, time and money on the areas that matter to you. Whatever your priorities are, remember this is YOUR wedding day and YOU get to decide what is important to you.
3. Set your budget. Don’t book vendors and don’t buy anything until you have a budget set! Where is the money for your wedding coming from? How much will you and your fiancé be putting towards the wedding every month? Will you be taking any money from your savings? Do you have any family members that are willing to contribute? Set a budget and stick to it. You might have already established that photography is the most important part to you, so you might be willing to spend more money for an awesome photographer and maybe not so much on wedding favors – because people forget them anyway right? But also, you will have a life to live after your wedding so don’t obliterate your bank account.
4. Draft a guest list. The number one budget killer is your guest count! The average guest will cost $100 – guests need a chair to sit on, a table to sit at, a glass to drink out of, food to eat, a plate to eat off of, and a fork to eat it with (you get the point). If you are on a tight budget, perhaps don’t give out plus one’s to every guest and ask yourself those necessary questions. Would I take this person out for a $100 dinner and pay for it? Because that is essentially what you are doing.
5. Pick a date…or 3. Have an ideal date in mind and a couple back up dates just in case. When you go to book your venue you will need to give them a date! It’s good to have a couple back ups just in case your ideal date is already taken. Keep in mind the date and time of year will influence several factors like your decorations and theme, your beverage choices, your attire, which guests can attend, whether you will need to invest in a tent and if you will need a rain contingency plan.
6. Pick your style and theme. As previously mentioned, the time of year and your venue will influence what type of theme you will have. Scroll through Pinterest and pin everything and anything that catches your eye. No detail is too small to pin! Maybe you love the minimalistic and simple table décor, the rustic and earthy barn ceremony space or perhaps the soft and romantic floral decorations are what you have pictured since you were a child or maybe the dark jewel toned candle lit lounge area speaks to your soul. Whatever it is – go with it! You have my permission to make this day 100% you and ignore the opinions of others.
7. Research venues. You know your priorities, you have your budget set, you know roughly how many guests will be attending, you know what date you’d ideally be getting married on and you know your theme. It’s time to look for venues! Venues have a huge impact on the flow of your event, the ambiance and the success of your wedding. Don’t get stressed, but also don’t book the first one you lay eyes on (unless of course it has everything you have ever dreamt of). Do your research and ask questions.
Happy planning!
