What Comes Next? 6 Things To Do Right After You Get Engaged

The partner of your dreams finally got down on one knee and asked you to be their forever person- congratulations! It's incredibly exciting and such an important moment in your life. Once the initial excitement is over, you may be thinking "what now?" There is always so much celebration around becoming engaged, but what about afterwards? Organizing and planning a wedding can seem overwhelming, and you might not know just what do to next. Don't panic-we've got you covered with tools to help you navigate! Keep reading to see our list of the 6 things you need to do right after you say "Yes!" to the person you've been waiting for.

First things first, BREATHE! Take a deep breath and just let it settle in. This is an important event in your life, and it's a huge deal. It can all seem overwhelming, and that's completely understandable- you're getting married! Don't panic just yet. Although it's much easier said than done, try not to stress too much about what comes next. Give yourself as much time as you need to just be excited, and focus on nothing else. Stressing yourself out doesn't do any good and it will only take away from the celebration. You will have time later down the road to worry about what type of cake to have or who will be in your wedding party. Your wedding day will come together and it will all work out- take a deep breath, and try your hardest to just be in the moment.

Photo by Compass Collective

Sharing your big news with the world is incredibly exciting. Before you post on social media, tell those who are closest to you and your partner first, either in person if possible, or over the phone. It will be more meaningful to those you care about and they will appreciate that you took the time to share it with them personally rather than having them find out on their social media feeds. It shows that you care about them and that they mean something to you. Even better- you'll get their reactions in real time and have that personal memory between you. After the most important people have been told, then it's appropriate to post on social media to let everyone else know. Something to note- there is also no rule that says you have to post your engagement on Instagram or Facebook. You can choose to keep the news offline if that is more comfortable to you or your partner.

Photo by Lauren Farr

Don't go info full planning mode just yet! There is no reason to rush into anything straight away. Take some time for you and your partner to just celebrate your engagement. It's a massive life milestone- you should be enjoying it, not stressing about the little details. Remember- there's plenty of time for planning. Go out to a a fancy dinner, or even plan a small little getaway to just revel in this shared experience. It's a chance for you to have a shared personal experience for you and your partner, and nobody else. Give the two of you an opportunity to focus on just celebrating, with no wedding planning allowed. Doing this is not only incredibly romantic, it will help the both of you relax before the craziness begins. You will both be so happy you enjoyed the celebration phase of your engagement before diving into the other parts.

Maybe you've been dreaming about your wedding since you were little, or maybe you haven't given it a single thought. Just know that both of these scenarios are totally normal! Putting together some inspiration for your wedding will help you conceptualize what you want your wedding to look like. Ask yourself what your wedding style is and what types of items you would want at your wedding. Go on Pinterest and search wedding pages, and create a vision board (or several) of what you want and things you love. Buy wedding magazines or go on Instagram and search for wedding ideas to help you brainstorm. There are a ton of great outlets to search to give you tips for creating the wedding of your dreams. Don't forget to include your partner- remember that it's their special day as well and that they should have a say in how it all unfolds. The two of you can collaborate in putting together something that you both will love.

Photo by Hannah Sydney

Now that you have an idea of what you want your wedding to look like, you'll have to decide who to invite. As yourself how large or small you want your wedding to be and who you absolutely must include. Maybe you want the large fairytale wedding or maybe the idea of eloping sounds perfect to you. By knowing exactly what size of wedding you'll be having, it will make your wedding planning so much easier and can help you decide on a budget for the wedding of your dreams. Knowing your wedding budget is essential in helping you determine how many people you can include and what you can afford. Decide what is most important for you and your partner and go from there. Remember- your wedding is between you and your partner, so choose what's best for the two of you, and not what you think will please others. If you're thinking of going smaller or eloping but can't decide, read up on some things to consider. Once you know how big or small your wedding will be, you can plan accordingly.

Before you fully engage in everything wedding planning, make a checklist of items that are absolutely crucial for your wedding day. Having a list of items to be completed before the big day will help you visualize exactly what needs to be done and when. Items on this list should include things regarding choosing the date, picking a venue, and finding a wedding dress. Write down what needs to be completed and number them in order of importance for you and your partner. Something to note- this checklist should be a generalization of things to be done and you can continuously alter it to fit your needs. It's meant to be used as a guideline for planning, and it is not to be set in stone. Having this checklist will help you both start the planning process and give you a tool to work towards creating the wedding of your dreams. Start small and be realistic about this list. For example, don't try and cram everything in within a short time period if you know you need more time. Not sure where to start or need a little more assistance? Here is a great example that should get you started!




Have you received a piece of engagement advice that you think we should have added to our list? Share it with us- we want to hear from you! Recently Engaged and planning your special day? Congratulations! Let us help take the stress out of event planning- For more wedding inspiration, subscribe to the email list, follow us on Pinterest and scroll down below to save 10% on templates. That way, you can focus on what really matters.