So, You’re Engaged. Now what? Here’s the 7 Step Guide to What To Do After Getting Engaged.
Let’s be honest: You’ve always dreamed of getting married and having a wedding, but you don’t actually know what to do now that you’ve gotten that (gorgeous) ring. Seriously, it’s not just you! One of the most common questions my couples ask me is, “What To Do After Getting Engaged?!”
Don’t worry, I’ve got you!
Table of Contents
1. Revel in your newly engaged status and show off that ring!
As every other wedding blog on Google will tell you after searching for “What To Do After Getting Engaged,” the most important thing to do immediately after getting engaged is to soak in that newly engaged status!
Before you get overwhelmed with planning, you should take a moment to celebrate with your family and friends.
Go buy those magazines at Barnes & Noble and shop for that wedding planning organizer you’ve been dreaming of. (There are SO many cool ones out there!) No one is going to judge you for suddenly becoming left handed and sipping on that Starbucks drink with your ring finger on full display!
2. The Real First Step: Calculate Your Budget and Estimate Your Guest Count
Your first inclination may be to book a plane ticket to NYC for that dress fitting at Kleinfelds or start touring venues TOMORROW, but before you do either of those things you’ve got a few less glamorous items to tackle on your What To Do After Getting Engaged to-do list.
You need to evaluate what your total wedding budget will be and write down all of the guests you want to invite to your wedding.
Your wedding budget will get very out of hand if you don’t into it knowing how much you can spend and allotting it appropriately. (I highly recommend bringing a wedding planner on board, btw!) Wedding venues have a maximum guest count capacity, so if you’re looking at a 250+ guest count you are going to want to inquire with the venue about that before booking your venue tour.
3. Get In Touch With Your Priority Wedding Vendors
Another item to jot down on your “What To Do After Getting Engaged” list is to start inquiring with your must-have wedding vendors. If you’ve been following a photographer on Instagram for years *ahem* or drooling over the designs of a certain wedding planner, they’ll be the first ones you want to bring on board!
Touching base with high-priority wedding vendors BEFORE securing a venue and a date is going to give you a much higher chance of getting to work with them.
I typically have couples booking their wedding photography collections about 14-18 months in advance. Most of the wedding planners I work with say that they also get booked up about a year to a year and a half out. I absolutely hate having to send out emails starting with, “Unfortunately, I’m already booked on your chosen wedding date…” but it happens way more than I’d like!
4. Bring The Wedding Planner On Board!
If you hadn’t already, you should be looking at booking a wedding planner for your wedding day! When I get asked, “What To Do After Getting Engaged?!” I always recommend talking to a wedding planner. Outside of just contacting all of your vendors for you (because, you could totally do that by yourself), your wedding planning team is going to be a tried and true encyclopedia of wedding knowledge.
They will help you divvy up your wedding budget realistically and make sure you don’t go overboard on things that aren’t that important to you. The wedding planner will also recommend vendors they’ve personally vetted throughout the years, so you aren’t left upset with the quality of services on your big day.
5. Choose Your Venue & Wedding Date
(I bet you didn’t expect this to be number FIVE on the What To Do After Getting Engaged list, am I right?)
Once you’ve popped the bubbly, talked out the guest list, DM’ed your favs, and kept it real with your planner…it’s finally time to book that venue!
By now you’ll know what to keep in mind as you’re perusing through potential wedding venues:
“How many guests can you accommodate?”
“What does pricing look like for *insert desired amount of time* wedding?”
“What dates do you have available during *insert time period*?”
“Do you require I choose from specific vendors or can I bring in my own?”
And the touring process will truly be about envisioning your wedding in the space and what photos you want taken, instead of stressing about whether it will fit within your budget or who you’ll need to cut from the guest list.
6. Choose All Of The Other Incredibly Awesome and Talented Vendors For Your Wedding Day
Disclaimer: Just because they’re number 6 on the list doesn’t mean they aren’t EQUALLY as important.
If you’ve hired a wedding planner, this process will be easy peasy. Your wedding planning team will have a ton of suggestions for who they love to work with on wedding days and people who will jive with your personality.
If you’re still team DIY (totally ok!), this is going to be a bit more of a project. You’ll want to reach out to the vendors you have already brought on board (i.e. wedding venue, photographer, etc.) for any recommendations they may have. (I promise–we know our stuff too!)
A quick list of vendors to write down:
–Florist
–Caterer
–Bartending Service
–Entertainment Company/DJ
–Rental Company
–Cake Artist
–Calligrapher
7. Start Picking Out The Details!
The last official item on the “What To Do After Getting Engaged” list I have for you is to start picking out the details for your wedding day. Although you may have created a Pinterest Board already, you’re going to want to nail down a finalized plan for your wedding ASAP. This will be what your wedding vendors reference throughout the planning process (mainly your wedding planner, photographer, florist, and cake artist).
This should include things like color palette, vibes (modern, minimalistic, monochrome, French aesthetic, full of florals, boho, etc.), and some signature items throughout the wedding (i.e. fruits, a certain pattern, type of cocktail, travel, etc.).
…and shop for your dress!
Still looking for more What To Do After Getting Engaged information and inspiration? No problem! I’ve got you covered with plenty of posts:
Hi there—
i'm danielle
I'm a Virginia-based wedding & portrait photographer capturing photos that look like actual ART.
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