I’m Engaged!! …Now What??!

Tis’ the Season for shiny things and engagement rings! Almost 50% of engagements happen during the holidays, so if this means you, congratulations! He popped the question, you said yes… now what?? Follow these practical tips and this timeline to get you through everything from now until the big day!

1. Enjoy the Moment

You may feel the need to go from 0 to 60 with wedding planning, but hit the brakes. This is a big and exciting moment- just enjoy it! Spend the day with your fiancé or plan a date night alone before you go into wedding planning mode. Trust me, soon enough you will be spending your free time (what free time?) and bank account on wedding plans so take the time to celebrate this happy occasion!

2. Call Close Family and Friends

Maybe a picture of your new bling was posted on Facebook or Instagram hours ago, but that doesn’t mean it’s ok to assume close family and friends have seen it. In a time where you can share news instantly with hundreds of people, it still is a good idea to share your news in a personal way. A simple phone call can go a long way and you don’t want to risk any hurt feelings.

3. Get a Manicure

Everyone is going to want to see your new bling, so put a fresh coat on your nails and start showing it off!

4. Get Organized

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. It may not seem like something necessary to do right away, but it will be well worth it when the emails start flooding in, your Excel documents start growing and you start signing contracts and putting deposits down. Create a folder in your email inbox for all wedding related emails, a folder on your desktop for your Word and Excel documents and start a binder for all of your paper documents. Everyone needs to do this even if you aren’t an “organized person.”In fact, that means YOU of all people do need this! If you are reading this and thinking of a newly engaged friend… help a girl out! It can be a fun engagement gift that they will truly thank you for. Here is a DIY tutorial with free printables to get you organized- it doesn’t get any easier (or prettier!) than this >> Gloria Joy DIY Wedding Binder

5. Determine a City/Season for your Wedding

One of the first questions people will ask you is, “have you set a date?” And unfortunately, it can be a lot harder than it sounds. A big factor of deciding a date depends on the venue, which you most likely haven’t booked yet. (If you have, good for you!) To be able to answer this question, choose a range of dates that can eventually be narrowed down. Have you always dreamed of a fall wedding? Feel free to answer their questions by saying sometime in September or October.

6. Have an Engagement Party

An engagement party can be as small or as big as you’d like. Whether you decide to host a small group of people at your house for cocktails, or throw a large party with a 5 course meal and a DJ, the bottom line is that your friends and family want to celebrate with you! (And secretly, so they can brush up on their toasting skills!)

7. Start Dreaming

THIS IS THE FUN PART. You have been looking forward to this event your whole life, and let me tell you, it is going to be one fun journey. There are so many fun ideas out there for weddings, and the best part is that you get to make it YOU. Whether you’re a rockstar at knowing what you want or if you have absolutely no idea, you can start dreaming of your wedding. Pinterest helps you visualize literally any idea you may have to see if you like it or hate it, and you can easily save any ideas you like to refer back to. Have fun with it!!

After all of this, the real planning begins. Follow this timeline I made for a general idea of when to do what. I’d highly recommend signing up for an account with TheKnot and follow their complete checklist. They break it down into monthly tasks and have everything imaginable on it. But don’t worry, just because they have a very long checklist doesn’t mean you have to do everything on it. Check off anything that you won’t be doing, and rest assured knowing that you have all of your bases covered. Plus, who doesn’t love checking things off of a list??!

The important thing is to enjoy this season in your life. Take it one thing at a time and ask for help so you don’t get overwhelmed. Have fun and congrats on your engagement!