You’re engaged! Congratulations! This is such an amazing time in your life! After your initial state of shock and “deer-in-headlights”, which is a natural affect for getting engaged, all you want to do is announce your engagement to the world and start the wedding planning! Once you have shared the news of your engagement to your friends and families, spent some time simply enjoying your engagement, and not worrying too much about wedding plans, you enter a period of uncertainty, as a lot of couples do. You will feel pretty overwhelmed with figuring out what your day will look like and you may think you cannot afford to have the dream wedding you have always wanted. No need to be on a roller coaster of bliss, confusion, joy, and overwhelm. To help you avoid some of the confusion and overwhelm, I’ve put together some tips to help you decide what to do once you’re over the initial shock of getting engaged! This post will help you prioritize your wedding-related tasks – take good notes or come back as needed for a refresher!
15 Things to Do After You Get Engaged
1. CELEBRATE!
It’s an amazing time in your lives so before even thinking of diving into wedding planning, take some time to celebrate with friends and family.
2. OPEN A JOINT BANK ACCOUNT.
Start saving! Keep a joint bank account for wedding-related expenses to help you easily keep track of contributions and expenses.
3. INSURE YOUR RING.
It’s the responsible thing to do =)
4. START PINNING AND MAKE AN INSPIRATION BOARD.
You’ve likely been waiting years for this! Start looking for inspiration on Pinterest so you can begin to figure out the style of wedding you’d like to have. Remember, all seasons bring different approaches with color combinations, dress attire and the type of venue you use.
Now, there are so many styles, colors, and options for every single aspect of your wedding. Once you’ve spent some time pinning, take some time to narrow down everything you’ve pinned and make an inspiration board to zero in on your wedding vision. Having an inspiration board will help you make decisions regarding every aspect of your wedding day.
5. CHOOSE A SEASON.
If you weren’t sure what season you’d like to get married in before making your inspiration board, chances are you’ve narrowed it down by now. Review the images you’ve used in your inspiration board – these images will tell you the season you are naturally drawn to.
6. FIGURE OUT YOUR BUDGET AND MAKE A GUEST LIST.
This is probably the hardest part, especially if your and your fiancé’s parents haven’t already approached you about it. Money conversations aren’t easy but they’ll answer a lot of questions for you regarding wedding plans. The sooner you have a budget to work with, the sooner you can finalize a guest list and the sooner you can check this HUGE item off the to-do list!
7. CONSIDER HIRING A WEDDING PLANNER.
Hiring a wedding planner was one of the best decisions that make during your wedding planning. They will keep you on track with your to-do list and wedding-day tasks and wedding day timeline of events.
8. RESEARCH VENUES.
It’s time to research venues. Narrow down your list according to the location, style of venue, your guest list and per person budget.
9. SCHEDULE A LADIES DAY AND TRY ON WEDDING DRESSES!
There’s nothing like visiting a bridal shop and trying on wedding dresses for the first time! Even if you’re not ready to order your dress just yet, trying on a bunch of gorgeous dresses will be a fun way to relieve some of the stress you might be feeling after venue-hunting.
10. HAVE A DATE NIGHT.
Don’t forget to spend quality time together. Have a date night and talk about anything EXCEPT the wedding. Focus on each other!
11. CHOOSE A VENUE AND SET A DATE.
This one might be easier said than done. Or it might be love at first venue =) Either way, once you’ve nailed down a venue and you have a date, things will begin to take shape!
12. BOOK YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER AND SCHEDULE YOUR ENGAGEMENT SESSION.
Next, you’ll want to research and book your photographers. A lot of wedding photographers in North Carolina typically get booked 12-18 months out so they should be at the top of the list of vendors to book after securing your venue. If you have your heart set on a specific photographer, make sure you reach out to them before even booking your venue to inquire about available dates.
Finding the right photographer for you might take a while. Take your time with booking your photographer because once the wedding is over, your photos are the only things that will remain. Make sure you don’t jump the gun by scheduling an engagement session with a random photographer. If you’re going to do engagement photos, it’s really important that you have your engagement photos done by your wedding photographer, specifically. After all, you’ll want to get to know him or her and get comfortable with his or her approach to posing.
13. RESEARCH LOCATIONS FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT SESSION AND GET IT ON THE CALENDAR!
Your engagement session will allow you to connect with your photographer, see what it feels like to have your photos taken, and get images for your Save the Date. Research locations and schedule your session for the best time of year for the location you’ve chosen.
14. BOOK YOUR CINEMATOGRAPHER, CATERER, BAND OR DJ, FLORIST, AND PHOTO BOOTH.
Once your venue and photographers are booked focus on your cinematographer, caterer (if your venue doesn’t supply one), your entertainment, your florals, and your photo booth. Be sure to ask your wedding photographer for recommendations. After all, if you loved their work, you’ll likely love their favorite vendors, too. Once these big items are done you can relax a little before focusing on the rest of the to-do list.
15. RELAX!
You’re at a great place now! The next round of items on the to-do list should seem easy once all the big ticket items are crossed off the list! Spend some quality time together and try not to do wedding-related tasks for at least a couple of weeks. You deserve it!
