You’re Engaged! Now What?

Congratulations, you’re engaged! You’re likely feeling all kinds of emotions and maybe a little overwhelmed by the wedding planning ahead of you. This huge, exciting change is about to take place in your life. There’s nothing wrong with being a little nervous—in fact, it’s totally normal! It can be daunting to know where to begin once you’ve said yes (or popped the question yourself). That’s why we’ve put together this little guide to help you take things step by step.

Share the news

If you use social media, one of the first things you will likely want to do is post about your engagement. But before you do that, make sure you tell everyone you love who you wouldn’t want to find out on Facebook. It may even help to write a list of close friends and family members who deserve to hear the exciting news from you or your partner personally. Go down your list and call everyone to let them know. Once you share the news with all your loved ones, post that ring picture and bask in the likes and comments!

Have your engagement ring insured

It’s always a good idea to get your engagement ring insured, just in case it gets lost or stolen at any point in the future. Insurance is the only way to replace your ring without having to pay for an entirely new one, so you should definitely take the time to make sure your precious new piece of jewelry is covered. The peace of mind you will have is priceless.

Think about the big picture & utilize Pinterest

One of the best ways to collect your wedding inspiration all in one place is with a Pinterest board. No need to lug around a heavy wedding binder—now you can keep all your potential vendors, accessories and hair styles on your phone! Take a look at wedding magazines and visit wedding websites to get more ideas for how to stylize your wedding and make your dreams of your big day come true.

Choose your wedding theme

While you definitely aren’t required to start booking a caterer or DJ before you’re ready, it never hurts to start thinking about your wedding theme. The aesthetic and style of your wedding day includes a general ambience—think romantic, classic or bohemian—as well as your color scheme. Do you and your partner have favorite colors? What season do you want to get married in? Sometimes the time of year can help decorate your theme. For example, pastels are perfect in spring, bright colors in summer, and muted tones in fall.

Select your wedding timing

The first question people will ask you after your engagement is When’s the big day? While you likely won’t have a date in mind right after your proposal, a general idea of when you will get married is important. You may have vendors or a venue that you’ve dreamed of having on your big day. Reaching out to book those vendors may determine your date. In-demand vendors/venues usually book up at least a year in advance, which brings us to our next point.

Put together your list of must-have vendors

Come up with a list of dream vendors and reach out to them early. There is nothing worse than your dream vendors being booked already. If you reach out before you’ve narrowed down your exact date, that can give you some flexibility. Dream vendors can actually help you choose your date. Once you have your core vendors lined up, you can relax and take your time booking less important vendors.

Build a wedding website

Once you set your date and book a venue, it’s time to put together your wedding website! You can use a site like The Knot or Zola to do this easily. A wedding website helps friends and family stay up to date on wedding news throughout your entire planning process. The site will include location, date, and time of your wedding as well as wedding registry information. You can even show off your engagement pictures on your site once you have them taken. A wedding website is the best way to be organized and keep your wedding guests in the loop.

ENJOY YOUR ENGAGEMENT

Finally, this is the happiest time of your life!! Enjoy it together. Go on date nights. Celebrate with those you love. Take time to relax together without worrying about wedding planning. After all, you’re engaged because you love each other, make sure you enjoy it!

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