Chances are if you’re reading this, you’ve recently gotten engaged! First things first, let us say – Congratulations!! This is such an exciting and wonderful time in your life. After you get engaged, take a moment to soak it all in!
Engagements are so exciting, but they do come with – So Many Questions!! – When’s the wedding? Where’s it going to be? Small or Large? Day or Night? What season? What colors? What dresses??? We know, it can be very overwhelming. From engagement photo shoots, to picking a venue, to figuring out what songs to dance to, there are a ton of details to figure out!
After you get engaged, don’t be overwhelmed, chances are you have plenty of time to plan…The average engagement lasts a year to a year-and-a-half. But, if you’re like most engaged people, you can’t wait to share the news with all your friends and family (and followers!) and are ready to dive into Wedding Planning!
Take your time and read on, there’s some things that should be done right away and some things that can be left on the back burner.
Here are Steps to Take Right After You Get Engaged.
1.Call Your Family
For most of us, you’ll want this to be the first step. After you get engaged, call your parents, your siblings, cousins, and your BFFs too! These are the people you should call and personally tell them the happy news. You likely don’t want your Mom finding out about your engagement on social media.
2.Get a Manicure
You may not want to skip this one! – Your hands are going to be on full display for the next few weeks! You’re going to want to make sure your manicure is on point. If you go the natural route – be sure that they’re shaped and clean – otherwise people may focus on your chipped polish or dirty nails and not the fantastic rock on your finger! This is also a little time for some self-care – which is going to be extremely important in the next few weeks, months, and years…
3.Post on the Socials
Now that your nails are on point, the ring is blinging – it’s time to really make it official! All the important phone calls have been made and now it’s time to craft the perfect social media post. Take a ring selfie or a sweet picture of you and your new fiancé and share the love. Did you capture the moment you got engaged on video? Share the look of surprise with everyone. And don’t forget to change your relationship status to make it Facebook official!
4.Insure the Rock
It’s not exactly the most romantic step of being engaged, but it’s likely one of the most important! You can easily add the ring as an extension to a homeowners or renters insurance policy, it’s surprisingly inexpensive – and could end up being a lifesaver in an unexpected situation. Talk to your insurance agent or company about options. Also, if your ring isn’t a perfect fit, be sure to get it sized to the correct fit for your finger.
5.Celebrate! (Or schedule a celebration)
Wedding planning is a whirlwind! Take some time out to celebrate alone with your fiancé, but also think about getting everyone together to celebrate. Whether you gather up a few friends for a celebratory drink, have a BBQ in your parent’s backyard, or throw an amazingly epic engagement party – make sure you have all the celebrations you want during this wonderful time. Our Zachariah’s Dining room, or Private Dining Room through One Bistro are great smaller spaces available for an amazing engagement celebration.
6.Start Thinking about Budget
Ah, the (possibly) dreaded conversation about money. It’s not that glamorous, but it’s extremely necessary. Until you know how much you are realistically going to be able to spend, you can’t start looking at venues, vendors, or services. Discuss your budget with your fiancé and with anyone who is planning to contribute. Make sure everyone has clear expectations about the money and what it is going towards.
7.Pick out a Date (or a few)
It’s important to know your preferences and priorities when deciding on a date. You may have a very specific date in mind, but the venue you prefer could already be booked. Are you willing to be flexible on your date to secure your dream venue, or is the date “set in stone”? If you don’t have a specific date in mind, talk with your fiancé about the time of year and season you prefer and work on dates from there.
8.Start Creating a Guest List
It doesn’t have to be specific yet but having a general idea of how many guests you’ll be having is necessary before even thinking about any venues. Most importantly, you’ll need to know if the venues can hold the number of guests you anticipate inviting. The guest count is important in planning many factors in the actual wedding – bar and catering costs, number of invitations and table cards, number of centerpieces, size of the cake, and so on. Also, keep in mind, a higher guest count usually means a higher amount of money being spent.
9.Research Ceremony and Reception Venues
Most likely after you get engaged, the first vendor you’re going to want to book is your venue. Most of the vendor planning is designed around where the wedding is being held. Do some research online, or maybe you already have a few places in mind. Make a list of your favorites and decide if you’re having a separate ceremony or having an on-site ceremony. Make a list of questions you may have about the venue and be sure to find out about anything you may want the venue to accommodate for your ceremony or reception. When scheduling tours, be sure to ask about the big decision makers on the initial tour, so you can avoid scheduling multiple tours of the same place.
10. Create a Wedding Website and Email
Creating a separate wedding email is a great way to keep track of all the wedding communications. Use this email exclusively when talking to venues and vendors, so nothing gets accidentally deleted, ignored, or lost in your main email inbox. After you get engaged, a wedding website is a fantastic tool for you and guests. All your wedding info can be kept on your wedding website for all your guests to see. If you’re not into designing a website from scratch, there are several planning sites to help you. The Knot and WeddingWire are very popular, as well as Zola and Here Comes the Guide. All the sites are great for both researching venues and vendors, as well as designing a planning website. Click on a few of them and decide which one works best for you as a couple.
11. Browse Pinterest and Instagram to Start your Wedding Vision
There are so many styles, colors, and décor options to explore! From boho to rustic, to simplistic to modern and everything in between. Seasons can play a big factor in choosing colors, style, and décor. Start your research to envision what you think YOUR day will look like. Start a Pinterest board or save pictures on Instagram and start compiling your favorite wedding features. You can keep it privately for organization purposes, or share it with a wedding planner, parents, fiancé and anyone else you want to see and/or contribute ideas.
12. Research Wedding Vendors and Schedule Engagement Photo Session.
When it comes to wedding vendors, there are a ton to choose. Have a conversation with a few photographers, caterers, florists, bakers, videographers, florists, officiants, DJs/Bands, etc. and see how they may work into your wedding day. You want to be sure that your style and the style of your vendors mesh well. If you have picked a venue, ask if they have a preferred vendor list. These lists usually contain the professionals that have worked in the space before and are familiar with the space. Being preferred vendors means they are also highly trusted by the venue. After the venue, the first vendor you may want to nail down is your photographer. Once you have picked the photographer, set up a date to take engagement photos with them. This session will not only give you photos to commemorate your engagement it also allows the photographer to get to know you, your fiancé and your styles a little bit before the big day. Find a location that brings up memories from dating or the engagement and use Instagram and Pinterest to gather ideas about colors, attire, timing, and poses for your engagement photos.
Well, there we have it! These steps will get you started on the road to Wedding Planning!
Being engaged is unlike any other time in your life, you will hear it over and over, but again – be sure to soak it all in. When you start researching venues – reach out to The Tiffany Ballroom to learn more about our venue and packages. tiffanyballroom@hobbsbrook.com 781-255-3159
And be sure to follow us on Instagram (@tiffanyballroomnorwood) for pictures and inspiration from real weddings and events here.