Getting engaged is SO exciting! But, not knowing what you need to do AFTER an engagement can leave you feeling in the dark and intimidated by the journey before you. However, wedding planning doesn’t have to be scary. Especially when you’ve got a Wedding Industry Pro–that’s me–on your side! Here are 5 things you need to do immediately after you get engaged!
Shout it from the rooftops
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Once you’re married it’s time to let the masses know! This may not seem like a super important step, but it is! Even if you’re waiting for engagement photos to send out official announcements, be sure to give close friends and family an informal heads up. This may mean changing your relationship status on Facebook, sending out a few texts, or making a few calls. Let the people closest to you know that they should be expecting a wedding within the next year or two even if you’re not sure about a date just yet!
Start setting up a timeline
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Once you’ve alerted the media, it’s time to start coming up with a rough timeline so that you can start setting hard deadlines for yourself in regards to vendors, dresses, decorations, etc. Work with family and close friends to set a date and base your timeline around that date. The more time you give yourself, the less stressed you’ll be. I highly recommend hiring a wedding coordinator to help you iron out all of the details and help you through tough spots where you’re just not sure what you should be doing!
Take Engagement Photos
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Now that you’ve let the important people know and ironed out a loose timeline, get some engagement photos taken so you can send out your save the dates & engagement party invites! Engagement photos are SO much fun, don’t skip this step or you’ll totally regret it! Getting your engagement photos done early will also give you an opportunity to shop around for wedding photographers that you jive with so that you can get a head start on the vendor search!
You may want to do this right away, to help have decorations for your next step OR you can wait to hire your photographer. Many (including myself) include complimentary engagement sessions in your wedding package. Most photographers don’t get booked until you nail down a venue, but this is an option. Talk with your fiancé and see what you both prefer.
Your Engagement Party, of course
It’s time for your engagement party! Woo! Typically this isn’t something you’ll have to plan for yourself. Your parent’s or your partner’s parents will probably help you get an engagement party organized; however, if they’re unable to, don’t worry too much about it! Your engagement party doesn’t have to be anything crazy! It’s just an opportunity for you to get everyone together before your big day so that they can celebrate with you and get to know each other a bit better.
Start hiring vendors
Your engagement party is out of the way and now it’s time to dive deep into Phase 2 of wedding planning! That means hiring vendors and solidifying all other plans. Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, so you want to make sure everything is perfect! With that being said, if you have a venue, photographer, videographer, florist, or caterer that you KNOW you want to work with, it’s better to book them as soon as you have your dates set than waiting! A lot of businesses within the wedding industry book out far in advance, so inquire ASAP to make sure they’ll be available for your date!
Now that you’ve completed these five steps, you’ve just got to iron out the rest of your day of details like timeline, guest list, invitations, decor and outfits! So keep on trucking on and try not to get too overwhelmed. Remember, in the end it’ll all be worth it! If you’re looking for more wedding timeline tips, check out our blog on planning here and here.
If you’re loving the photos shared throughout this blog, then consider hiring me as your wedding photographer! Use this link to get in touch or check out more of my work on Instagram here!
Best of luck and happy planning!