First Steps After Getting Engaged!

Couples fall in love and get married every day.  But prime engagement season is known to start on Thanksgiving and end around Valentine’s Day in February of the following year. Sharing this moment with family and friends is a blast.  But don’t be afraid to take some time (a few hours or even a day or two) to relish the moment together.  When you’re ready to share this important decision, call those closest to you! You don’t want your siblings finding out about your engagement on Facebook before you’ve had a chance to call.  After you called your relatives and shared the exciting news with the world, you should take the time to sit down and begin to make the big picture decisions about your wedding.  Who do you want to share this special day with?  Should it be a casual day or a formal affair?

If you’re not quite ready to get into all the crazy details of planning a wedding, you can delay by spending time celebrating your engagement with all your friends and family. Be aware, one of the many questions that you will be asked during your engagement celebration is “When is the big day?” Try to be prepared for this question by selecting a month, season or even just a year.

Before deciding on any major wedding decisions, you need to figure out your budget and whether your families will contribute. Try to come up with a number that you and your fiance are comfortable with spending.  You’ll also want to spend some time thinking about how you want to spend that budget.  Check out The Best Wedding Planning Advice I’ll Ever Give to wrap your head around this concept.

After you and your fiance have set your wedding budget, figure out the guest list for your wedding. Also, start getting an idea of who you want in your wedding party.

One of the first wedding decisions you should try to make is selecting those vendors who can only do one wedding per day. These vendors are your venue (ceremony and reception), entertainment and, of course, photographer.  Your wedding venue should reflect a lot about your big day choices like your guest list, the date, as well as the dress code. It’s important to make enough time and to set up an appointment with different wedding vendors.  And be sure to start your search for these vendors early.  They book up quickly and it’s nice to have options!

When you find your perfect venue and set a date, you and your fiance will begin to receive a lot of gifts! So it’s never too early to register as it will make it easier for your friends and family who are trying to figure out what to buy you.  Be sure to register for items in several different price ranges to make sure guests can find a gift they can afford.

This time in your life is very exciting, but it can also be pretty stressful.  It’s important to remember why you’ve planned this fabulous celebration.  No matter what happens that day, you’ll finish it married to the special person you’re planning it with.