Congratulations on your engagement! You’re likely feeling all kinds of emotions and maybe a little overwhelmed by the wedding planning ahead of you, as well as the huge, exciting change about to take place in your life. There’s nothing wrong with being a little nervous—in fact, it’s totally normal! It can be daunting to know where to begin once you’ve said yes (or popped the question yourself), so we put together this little guide to help you take things step by step.
Update that relationship status
If you use social media, one of the first things you will likely want to do is post about your engagement. But before you do that, make sure you’ve told everyone you love who you wouldn’t want to find out on Facebook. It may even help to write a list of close friends and family members who deserve to hear the exciting news from you or your partner personally.
Go down your list and call everyone to let them know, and once you’ve shared the news with all your loved ones, post that ring picture and bask in the likes and comments!
Have your engagement ring insured
It’s always a good idea to get your engagement ring insured, just in case it gets lost or stolen at any point in the future. Insurance is the only way to replace your ring without having to pay for an entirely new one, so you should definitely take the time to make sure your precious new piece of jewelry is covered. The peace of mind you will have is priceless.
Select your wedding date
The first question people will ask you after your engagement is When’s the big day? While you likely won’t have a date in mind right after your proposal, this is the first step in planning your wedding day.
Your date will determine your venue and vendors, and once it’s set you can begin booking and planning out the rest of your wedding celebration, as well as start building out your wedding website and letting your friends and family know that your save-the-date cards will be coming soon.
Choose your wedding theme
While you definitely aren’t required to start booking a caterer or DJ before you’re ready, it never hurts to start thinking about your wedding theme. The aesthetic and style of your wedding day includes a general ambience—think romantic, classic or bohemian—as well as your color scheme.
Do you and your partner have favorite colors? Do you know what season you want to get married in? Sometimes the time of year can help decorate your theme. For example, pastels are perfect in spring, bright colors in summer, and muted tones in fall.
Start a Pinterest board
One of the best ways to collect your wedding inspiration all in one place is with a Pinterest board. Gone are the days of lugging around a heavy wedding binder—now you can keep all your potential vendors, accessories and hair styles on your phone! Take a look at wedding magazines and visit wedding websites to get more ideas for how to stylize your wedding and make your dreams of your big day come true.
Hire a wedding stylist or designer
Unlike a wedding planner, who keeps your day organized and running smoothly, a wedding stylist is focused on your aesthetic vision for your wedding day. That includes everything from your décor to your flower arrangements and even your makeup look. If you have a specific vision for your wedding day and want to make sure it becomes a reality, a wedding stylist can help you turn your Pinterest board into the wedding of your dreams.
Happy planning !
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