You've waited for this moment for a long time! With that ring on your hand, things are about to change drastically in a fun and exciting way. You are about to enter a new season in your life and there's no feeling better than this as you won't be alone anymore. In just a matter of months, you will be carrying a different surname and doing everything together with your spouse. And you simply can't wait to let everybody know.
Before you get caught up with all the excitement, it is important that you have a reminder of what needs to be done the moment you get engaged. Here are 15 of the things you should do after you get engaged:
1. Let your family and friends know.
They are the ones who rejoiced and cried with you on all the highs and lows of your love life. It's time to let them know you've finally found the love of your life and marrying him too! Let your family and friends who are like family then the whole world know that you are engaged! Start calling them or better yet pay them a visit. This is step one before you even start posting on social media about your engagement. Hold your horses and let the VIPs in your life get to know this important happening in your life FIRST before everybody else.
2. Get a manicure and post a ring selfie.
Don't fall for the unmanicured nails engagement post!!! Get those nails ready for that social media post and all the attention it would get the moment you have announced your engagement. You don't want to be unprepared for such a once in a lifetime experience of getting engaged. Remember that your hands will be in the spotlight for weeks so make sure your nails are clean and shaped. Take a picture of you and your soon to be spouse and that ring selfie or better yet a video of the actual proposal and start sharing the love!
3. Ensure your bling size and get that ring insured.
He did his assignment to get to know your ring size even before he purchased that engagement ring. Well, that is the ideal scenario. But what if he didn't? You don't want to be wearing a ring that is too tight or loose. Have it perfectly fit your finger and bring it to a jeweler who can fix it right away. Sure you will have to go without it for a time but it sure will be all worth it. Which brings up the next point of having your ring insured just in case the jeweler loses it or you get to misplace or lose it in the future.
4. Determine the date and the season you want to be married.
Pick a date that is meaningful to you and your spouse. In doing so, your wedding date will be always a joy to remember and something you would always want to celebrate all your life. Also, consider the season you want to be married. Once you and your future spouse have chosen a date, make sure it is workable for both families and you won't encounter conflicts. Book early so there are better chances of getting the wedding date that you prefer. Discuss timelines with your fiance shortly after the engagement so you’re both on the same page. You want to be able to pick a date that goes with the best times of the year (seasons) to get married. Would it be spring, winter, summer or fall? You both decide ahead of time.
5. Discuss the wedding budget.
You can't forever skip the topic on the wedding budget. What kind of budget are you looking at? Moving forward on your wedding plans would mean discussing this between the two of you and both sets of parents. This will help determine which venue to consider. Whether you want a big or intimate wedding, the current state of your budget will most of the time dictate this. Figure out a budget that makes sense on your wedding day. That would mean considering putting in a spreadsheet all other assumed wedding expenses. This will help in deciding which parts of the wedding to splurge and which parts you want to save money and make your budget work.
6. Make your guest list.
Get that pen and paper ready to write down the most important people you want to present on your wedding day. This way you can also draw the line when it comes to the number of guests you can accommodate depending on your venue and budget size. The moment you have the final number of guests in mind, it's time to move on to the next step of locking the date for the venue.
7. Find possible venues.
Don't get stuck with one or two venues. Take time to research your dream venue and find out as much as you can on availability and pricing. Finding the best venue for your wedding can be stressful as there will be times you think you have found the best venue but the date you have chosen is no longer available. So be sure to start hunting for your wedding venue early. It's one part of the wedding planning where you sure get to learn a lot especially on the questions you need to ask, budget benchmarks and many more. If you are looking at a destination wedding, make sure you get to be a guest at the hotel and find out about their service and get an idea of what it feels like to be there.
8. Choose your bride tribe.
Before you guys pop the question to your friends, make sure you both have decided on the number of bridesmaids and groomsmen you will have for the wedding. Would you have a maid of honor? Will he have a best man? Don't forget to get creative on asking them and go on to the next step of planning the engagement party. It's so much better to have it planned when you already have your bride tribe on board to plan with you. When you ask don't forget to get them a small gift as a token of your appreciation.
9. Have the engagement party planned.
This is entirely up to you and your spouse to be. Would you like to plan it yourself or would you have parents, bridal party and friends plan it for you? Would it be a big party or would you prefer it low key? Do you prefer holding it at your favorite bar or have a catered dinner in a particular rented venue? Whatever you decide to have, make sure it fits the kind of relationship you have with your guests.
10. Find your wedding photographer and take engagement photos.
The earlier you get them booked the better! Take advantage of having them booked early by having your e-shoot, which most of the time comes for free in their wedding packages. Besides, having engagement photos taken is a great opportunity to practice hamming it up in front of a professional photographer way before your wedding day.
11. Gather inspiration.
Check out wedding websites and magazines and gather inspiration. It would really help if you create a Pinterest board or save photos on Instagram. Better yet, create a folder on your computer to compile images of favorite wedding elements. Identify styles and themes that you want and share them with your wedding planner, mom, friends and whoever wants to contribute or simply view.
12. Start asking around for planners and/or vendors.
Start scouting for professional planners that can help in terms of decor and logistics. Ask friends who were recently married so they can refer you to good suppliers and wedding planners. A great wedding planner will be able to refer the right vendors for your wedding so having them on board early is simply worth every penny.
13. Decide on a wedding “theme”
Your wedding theme should suit you and your fiancé! Most if not all of your wedding planning decision will revolve around your wedding theme anyway so might as well decide early what your theme will be. Would you like a tropical themed wedding? How about a rustic-chic, modern elegant or a classic traditional wedding? It's all really up to you and your spouse to be.
14. Schedule some time to just be happy together.
Before and in between your wedding planning, find some time to get away and just be happy together. Wedding planning can bet overwhelming and stressful so find some time to just let your new status of being engaged sink in. Take some time to reconnect, laugh and be reminded of why you guys even decided to tie the knot in the first place.
15. Start planning your wedding.
Begin with the end in mind. You would be devoting time, money and effort in planning for your dream wedding. This is why as you get on with the wedding planning, make sure you determine your wedding priorities. What is most important to you? The venue? The details? The people? The ceremony? The guest experience? You specify them early so that it provides direction on where to invest time and resources. After all, it is you and your spouse's special day and you can own every part of your wedding day.
