January 16, 2020

6 Things to Do After Getting Engaged | Tips for Brides-to-Be

Congratulations on your engagement!! Now what? Here are 6 things to do after getting engaged!

6 Things to Do After Getting Engaged. Once you're engaged and you're ready to start planning, here's how you can start efficiently. 

1. Enjoy Your Engagement

I’ve known many brides who get engaged and within a few hours to a few days, they have a date and venue and immediately start planning. That’s great and it works well for some couples! I’ll never forget when I heard Sofia Vergara on a late night talk show saying that she had been engaged for a few years with no wedding date set. She explained that especially in her culture, engagements are meant to be enjoyed for a long time before wedding planning. Being engaged is a new step in a relationship, so take some time to soak it in with your fiancé if there’s no rush!

Groom and bride at a marble table drinking cocktails and kissing. Fairweather Rooftop Bar Engagement Photos on film by Cavin Elizabeth Photography 

2. Set a Budget

Discuss and set a budget with all of the people who will be financially involved in your wedding. This is so incredibly important! Wedding vendors and decorations can add up quickly. Without setting a total wedding budget, it’s easy to wind up spending much more than you had intended in the beginning and have little to no funds left for various vendor categories.

Groom rubbing noses with the bride. Engagement photo outfit ideas with a formal black suit and black dress. Torrey Pines beach photos on film by Cavin Elizabeth Photography. 

3. Create a Guest List

Yes, make a guest list for your wedding before you search for and book your venue! You don’t want to alter your guest list after you’ve booked a venue because it can’t fit everyone or because it’s too big and won’t create an intimate atmosphere. Start your list with family first, then close friends. Then move on to the other people you want to be present for your big day. Account for guests’ children and significant others, too.

Bride in white robe with bridesmaids in pink cotton short sleeve and shorts pajamas and matrons of honor in lavender long sleeve and pants pajamas. Northern California wedding by film photographer Cavin Elizabeth Photography 

4. Set a Date + Book a Venue

Set a date and book your venue. You can do these in either order, but be aware that your favorite venue might be booked already on your dream date and vice versa. Some venues are booked two or more years out.

Ceremony on grassy lawn with white chairs, aisle arrangements with ivory, pink, and lavender arrangements, ceremony white draping with large arrangement of roses on top of the arch, Lodge at Torrey Pines wedding, film photography by Cavin Elizabeth Photography 

5. Invest in a Wedding Planner

Even if you happen to be really organized and love planning, I recommend hiring a “month-of” planner at a minimum. Better yet, book a full service planning package. You’ll gain some free time to spend with your fiancé and you’ll lose a lot of the stress you’d have with planning and coordinating the whole wedding by yourself.

Outdoor brunch reception with round tables covered in sequin linens, bamboo folding chairs with white cushions, and tropical centerpieces with palm leaves, pink anthurium, and proteas. Riviera Palm Springs Wedding by Cavin Elizabeth Photography 

6. Wedding Websites + Save the Dates

Wedding websites are awesome, as long as you take the time to fill out all of the relevant information. You can create your own through Zola, The Knot, or any other online wedding provider.

I do adore a good save the date, especially when it contains your wedding website URL! You can ask a stationery and paper goods vendor to create you a whole invitation suite that includes save the dates.

Colorful save the dates and color palette, Custom Save the Date Cards Twinkle and Toast with white paper and grey text and a floral border with pink peach and yellow paired with yellow envelopes, Cavin Elizabeth Photography

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These are some fab tips, thanks for posting. I think it’s important not to throw yourself into proper wedding planning too quickly, but enjoy the moment of being engaged. That’s not to say you shouldn’t start discussing the wedding and both of your visions for the day. Pinterest and wedding sites are a fab place to start to begin to be inspired and figure out what kind of a wedding you want. However, saying this, there are a few things you may need to book as early as you’re ready, such as the venue and wedding photographer as they get snapped up well in advance. The rest you can take your time with.

[…] Here’s a more detailed explanation of why you should create your guest list before choosing your venue. […]

[…] you enjoyed these 5 tips! Soon, I’ll write a tips post for your grooms. I’ve also got 6 Things to Do After Getting Engaged coming out next week! Stay […]

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