Alright ladies, or gents, you're officially engaged. You've either been expecting it for a while or your man completely surprised you. Either way, congratulations! You're on the road to marriage, and it's not an easy one. Despite all of the work you need to do, it can be fun! So you ask, where do I begin? Good question! Here is a list of things that you need to do after he pops the question:
1. Tell Your Family
This one is surprisingly easy to skip over in your "Oh My God I just got engaged!" excitement. Your family are the most important people to tell first. Right after my fiance and I left the restaurant, he told his dad first because he was waiting outside. Trey then told his best friend, who then posted it on Facebook. That was so sweet, but I hadn't even had the chance to call my family and tell them the news. When we got to the hotel late that night, four more friends had posted about it. Again, it was all very sweet and I loved the support, but I still hadn't told my family!
The next morning I woke, excited to tell them, when I found my fiance had posted about it. When I finally called my parents, they already knew from my sister's Facebook page. I felt it ruined the surprise. So, even if it's late, call them! Leave a voice mail if you have to. I never heard the end of it from my dad.
The next morning I woke, excited to tell them, when I found my fiance had posted about it. When I finally called my parents, they already knew from my sister's Facebook page. I felt it ruined the surprise. So, even if it's late, call them! Leave a voice mail if you have to. I never heard the end of it from my dad.
2. Tell Your Friends
Enjoy the limelight girls! Now is the time to brag to all your friends and show off that ring!
3. Get a Manicure
This one is completely optional, but it makes sense. Your left hand is going to be the focus of attention for weeks to come. Your friends and family will want to take pictures and gaze at your ring's beauty. Do you really want your hangnails to be the center of attention with the ring? No. If you have pretty fingers, you can skip this. All the girls that don't are jealous of you. If not, do yourself a favor and do an in-home manicure or pay to have one done.
4. Is Your Ring Insured?
Many rings come with a lifetime warranty. Mine did. If yours did not, that's okay too, but it is a good idea to take it to the jeweler your fiance bought it from or to another jeweler you trust to get it insured. This comes in handy! What if you lost it, scratched it, need it re-sized ..? There's a whole list of things that can happen, so it's best to protect that beautiful symbol of love before something does!
5. Get Inspired
If you haven't done so already, do yourself a favor and sign up for websites like Pinterest. The wedding section has become my best friend. There is a plethora of ideas and tips that can help you begin to plan for your perfect wedding. So go, sign up, and create your very own wedding board. You'll be glad you did.
6. Pick a Date
This is a tough one, but it's completely necessary to do this as soon as you can. This is the number one question people will ask you-- "So when are you getting married?" We didn't know, and we didn't know for a month and a half after we got engaged.
Take the time to sit down with your groom-to-be and figure it out. When's your favorite season? Do you want to make the wedding even more romantic by having it on your anniversary? Do you want it during a weekday (which is far less expensive) or on a weekend? Ask yourself these things to find out. Once you pick a date, picking a location can be easier because of availability.
Take the time to sit down with your groom-to-be and figure it out. When's your favorite season? Do you want to make the wedding even more romantic by having it on your anniversary? Do you want it during a weekday (which is far less expensive) or on a weekend? Ask yourself these things to find out. Once you pick a date, picking a location can be easier because of availability.
7. Establish a Budget
I know, I know. No fun. But you do need to get an idea of how much you are willing to spend.
Trust me, you don't want let your money flow so freely that shock sets in once you see the total price tag of your wedding. Once this is out of the way you can start planning! Here is a photo that breaks down the costs of a wedding to give you an idea of how expensive it can be.
- Ask your family the uncomfortable question of "How much are you willing to contribute?".
- If you and your fiance are paying for the wedding, sit down with him and figure out what you can afford. This helps establish a limit that will help you eliminate options that are too expensive later on.
Trust me, you don't want let your money flow so freely that shock sets in once you see the total price tag of your wedding. Once this is out of the way you can start planning! Here is a photo that breaks down the costs of a wedding to give you an idea of how expensive it can be.
8. Location, Location, Location
Start thinking about where you want to get married. Do you want the ceremony or reception outside or inside? If outside, how about a park or a vineyard? If inside, how about an art gallery or a historic building in your area? Do you want to get married in a church or can you forgo the traditional church wedding? It's all up to you and your fiance. Once you have an idea of what you want, finding a venue will be easier.
Need some help? Explore these tips for finding a venue.
Need some help? Explore these tips for finding a venue.
9. Take Engagement Photos
I would advise to take them as soon as you can. The photos can be a great way to share the news if you wanted to wait a few weeks before posting anything on Facebook or Twitter. My fiance and I made the mistake of putting them off to the last minute. We struggled to find a day and time that would work for us and our photographer a few days before Trey was set to leave for Boston, MA for several months.
When you do schedule a day to take photos, make sure that you leave yourself plenty of time! I can't stress this enough! As you take photos, you and your photographer will be inspired by your surroundings for photos that you didn't even think to try. We ran out of daylight, and had to frantically reschedule a time to finish. The only time we were all available was early the next morning (much to my fiance's dismay, he is definitely not a morning person). This rescheduling left me little time to prepare for a meeting I was leading right after our photo session. I felt like a fool at that meeting. Don't do this to yourself by procrastinating! Get it done early!
Need some advice? Read these nifty tips for engagement photos.
When you do schedule a day to take photos, make sure that you leave yourself plenty of time! I can't stress this enough! As you take photos, you and your photographer will be inspired by your surroundings for photos that you didn't even think to try. We ran out of daylight, and had to frantically reschedule a time to finish. The only time we were all available was early the next morning (much to my fiance's dismay, he is definitely not a morning person). This rescheduling left me little time to prepare for a meeting I was leading right after our photo session. I felt like a fool at that meeting. Don't do this to yourself by procrastinating! Get it done early!
Need some advice? Read these nifty tips for engagement photos.
10. Relax and Enjoy
This is by far the most important tip. Give yourself time to enjoy the fact that you're engaged! You do not have to start planning for your wedding immediately. Take a week or two to enjoy the limelight. Tell your story to friends and family until you turn blue in the face. Revel in the fact that your man loves you enough to commit the rest of his life to you!
Have some more post engagement tips or want to share your engagement story? Leave a comment!
- Adina
Have some more post engagement tips or want to share your engagement story? Leave a comment!
- Adina