6 Things To Do After You Get Engaged
Photo by G3 Designs
It can be a whirlwind after you get engaged. You and your fiancé are full of excitement, love and questions. And then it can get overwhelming. Everyone starts asking questions you might not have answers to, you might not know what to do next (or at all) and happy emotions can take a turn as stress builds (I promise I'm not trying to scare you, I have some help).
Here are 6 things you should do almost immediately to help you get on track and enjoy the planning process!
Share the exciting news with family and friends! This could be an engagement party (which hello, who doesn't like to celebrate such great news?!) but it could just be meeting with parents, close friends and family to tell them followed by making phone calls to those extended friends and family members to tell them the great news too.
Draft a guest list. This will help you make all the future decisions. Every vendor will need to know how many guests you are planning for, it will help you with your budget and it will also help you realize who absolutely needs to be invited and who could be cut from the list. It can grow fast so if you are hoping for a more intimate day, start cutting names.
Create a budget. This is seriously the most important part. If you don't know how much you have to spend, then things could get way out of hand. Also, your budget and your guest list go hand in hand, so knowing both before you start researching will help you pick the right vendors and put things in perspective.
Choose your wedding party. Big party, small party. Either way, you will need at least two people to sign your marriage license as witnesses. It's who you want to stand with you and help you through your planning process. Don't feel like you have to match numbers or can't mix genders. Pick who is important to each of you.
Set a date. Everyone wants and needs to know this date. LITERALLY EVERYONE. It will be the first question from a vendor, because they may or may not be booked. Everyone you talk to will want to know when the big day will be. Spring, summer, fall, winter. (Remember, some vendors offer off-season discounts or rates, so it maybe something to consider if you are on a tight budget.)
After all that, start researching venues. The options are endless, and all based on the theme and feel you are going for. Popular locations book a year or more in advance. So if that's what you have your heart set on, it's time to get calling and booking.
I hope these help you. I would also add to hire your wedding planner (cough cough lol) to help you. In all seriousness, weddings take over 300 hours to plan and having someone to do the research, keep you on track and be there the day of for set up and ensuring everything runs smoothly, can take all the stress out of the planning, allowing you to enjoy the best day ever!