You’re engaged! You said yes… did you know that December is the most popular month for an engagement? In fact, nearly 40 percent of all engagements occur between November and February, with key dates being Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and Valentine’s Day. As this time frame covers big family holidays, it’s easy to see why couples use this time of celebration with their loved ones to pop the question.
But as you’re sitting there, you probably have millions of things running through your head. Daydreaming of dresses, flowers, and saying I do to the love of your life.
I bet you are probably very overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin, so I have created a list of tips on what you should do now that you are engaged.
As a wedding photographer and a former bride myself, these are tips I either learned myself or know other couples wish they knew before!
8 things you can do after saying “yes”
Share the news
The first thing you’ll want to do is share the news with everyone. It’s super exciting for you but also your family and friends! So if you’re posing that #imgettingmarried selfie, make sure you talk to your family, parents, and best friends about how it happened. I recommend writing the story down! This way you can remember all the details so that one day and can relive this moment too in the future.
Get your ring sized
You have a gorgeous ring on your finger – let’s make sure it fits. I have heard multiple stories of people losing their rings doing laundry, at the park, or at the gym, just because their ring didn’t fit. So let’s avoid that!
Start thinking about your date
Especially right now, with so many weddings being postponed and rescheduled, it’s best to try and book your venue sooner than later to make sure you get the date and vendors you two want. Take a moment with your fiance and start talking about dates first and the type of venue backdrop you envision. Check out The Knot’s tips on picking the right date.
Set a budget
As you discuss all of your dates, set a budget. I will tell you right now that wedding planning is stressful. But setting your limit will help guide you as you research and plan, and keep you on track. Here’s a handy tool to setting your wedding budget.
Research wedding locations and venues
With 18 months of postponing and rescheduling, finding a date and venue can be tough. It’s best to have a few possible dates in mind when looking at venues. This way you don’t get disappointed if they’re booked. Once you lock in your venue and date, you can move on to your other vendors such as your wedding photographer!
Finding wedding inspiration
This is the fun part – now it’s time to open your Pinterest and create a wedding board! This is a great place to see what you and your fiance like, gather all the ideas. Do you like a certain trend or color scheme? This is the place to find everything you haven’t even imagined yet! Follow wedding blogs for even more inspiration – such as Green Wedding Shoes, Junebug Weddings, The Knot, Offbeat Bride or Style Me Pretty.
Set your guest list
This is super important as your guest list will also impact your budget, as well as the venue size. Be sure to have a rough idea. Over time, the names and numbers may shift. But having an idea of the count of your guests will help as you talk with other vendors like your caterer or venue.
Enjoy your engagement
Be prepared for “When’s the wedding?” questions. It’s a special moment in your life, so be sure to enjoy it as much as you can. But in between all the planning, don’t forget to just sit back and enjoy each other too. Your engagement session with your wedding photographer can help preserve these emotions too – capturing that excitement between you both before the big day.
So you’re engaged – now you have ideas on what to do next! I hope you’ve found these tips to make your engagement a little less overwhelming helpful, and congratulations again on getting engaged! Check out some of my other tips.
