Calling the family and posting on the Gram? Duh!
But what else should you do after he’s popped the question?
CELEBRATE!
This doesn’t have to be a full-on engagement party, just yet. In the days after you announce your impending nuptials, your phone will be buzzing off the hook with well-wishes hoping to see you as soon as possible and hear all about how he got down on one knee. So plan a little get-together to pop bottles with your nearest and dearest and tell them everything. Or, if you are a more low-key kind of couple, simply have a special night for two to revel in all the butterflies you’re feeling at the moment. Being engaged is a wonderful time. Enjoy it to the fullest.
GET YOUR RING INSURED (AND RESIZED!)
The months leading up to your wedding are going to be split between days of pure joy and days of pure admin… So. Much. Admin. First up: You now have a small fortune on your finger, so be sure to protect your new asset and get it insured. Your guy should’ve been supplied with a valuation certificate upon purchase, but if not, take it to any reputable jeweler to get the value estimate. Send this to your insurance company to get it covered in case it gets lost or stolen. And while you’re at it, have it size perfectly for your finger to make losing it less likely.
SET A (VAGUE) DATE
After “Let me see the ring!” and “How did he propose?”, the next most asked question you’ll get at this stage is, ‘When is the wedding?’ Unless you know exactly how it’s going to go down to the very last detail on a sunny day in February, you probably haven’t event thought about a date. Chat to your hubby-to-be and come up with a ‘thereabouts’ answer: Whether it’s ‘Next summer’ or ‘In three years’ time’, giving people some sort of timeline will ease the bombardment while also letting your guests mentally save the date.
DETERMINE THE TIPE OF WEDDING
Small getaway wedding or the do of the year at an exclusive wine farm? Figuring this out with your man is the best starting point for the planning to come, as it will help you determine everything from what venues to look at, to your all-important budget and guest-list size.
GATHER INSPIRATION
Real talk time. Everyone from Chatty Cathy at the office to your mom and well-meaning-but-pushy friends are going to start pressuring you to beginn planning. There’s so much to do, after all! Yes, Cathy, there is… but there’s no need to jump into contracting vendors and venues now if you don’t have the basics decided on yet. You’ll cut down on a lot of wasted time if you know what you want before getting suck in. Get on Pinterest and flip through wedding magazines. This is the fun part! Make a mood board with images you love and you’ll soon start to see your dream day come to life. Once you know what you want, seeking out the right vendors for you will be that much easier.
BOOK AN ENGAGEMENT SHOOT
Photographers get snapped up way in advance, so if this is the route you want to go down – book it now! Otherwise, call on your creative friends to help set up a photo shoot of the two of you on the beach, in a forest, or even at home just being yourselves. Smartphone cameras are more than enough to get some amazing shots (don’t forget the dreamy filters!)