13 Things to Do as Soon as You Get Engaged

photo: Kindred

Hot tips! Hot tips! Hot tips! We’ve spent many, many years garnering wedding planning wisdom to deliver straight to your newly engaged fingertips. And let’s be honest here, being engaged is a really exciting time but it can be pretty overwhelming too. With so many things to do and so many decisions to make, where does one even start? Don’t worry, you gorgeous thing. Grab a mug of coffee and let’s dive into your very first to do list. Here are steps one to thirteen to get you from newly engaged to actually planning a wedding. You got this!

Already stressing? Be sure to keep in mind these 9 Tips to Help You Stay Sane While Wedding Planning →

Reporter: Alyssa Brown

Photo:Kelsey Chance

1 / 13

Inform Those Closest to You Before Posting to Social Media

We’ve all heard horror stories of social media posts gone awry when a BFF or parent didn’t hear the news of an engagement before it went live on socials. Don’t be that horror story. It’s so much more fun to deliver the news in a personal way with the people closest to you.

Photo:Amanda Callaway

2 / 13

Have a Special Date Night to Celebrate

Though your proposal may have taken place over dinner or during a fab date night, it’s fun to follow it up with another date night sans nerves. Maybe you’re starting to look at venues or gather ideas for a destination wedding, and now’s the perfect time to start talking it through together.

Photo:Jose Villa

3 / 13

Insure Your Ring

If your fiancé is already on it, awesome! If not, you should be able to get a ring insurance policy easily through your insurance broker. If you don’t have an insurance policy for your house or apartment, your jeweler will likely have some solid recommendations.

Photo:Jose Villa

4 / 13

Celebrate With an Engagement Party

Odds are, once you’re engaged, your dearest friends and family will be chomping at the bit to throw a party. Engagement parties are typically casual affairs, like a rooftop pool party or backyard barbeque, and they’re one of the most fun parts of being newly engaged. Check out 30 Engagement Party Venues That'll Make You Want to Propose ASAP →

Photo:The Grovers

5 / 13

Draft the Guest List

Jotting down a guest list is the first major step in wedding planning, taking the fantasy party into a reality of guest counts. Be sure to include each of your families in this bit, as they’ll likely have a wishlist of guests to add. And don't forget to share 10 Ways for Parents to Help Keep the Happy Couple Stress-Free →

Photo:Christin Hume

6 / 13

Set a Wedding Budget

You can only start wrapping your head around what’s involved in planning a wedding once you have your budget sorted out. This is a complex stage of the planning, but it makes all the difference in where you decide to host your celebration. So, go ahead and get those conversations started with your families and draft up a budget that’s feasible.

Photo:The Venue Report

7 / 13

Gather Inspiration

Now it’s time for the fun part! Gathering inspiration for your wedding mood board might include many hours spent on Pinterest and Instagram, scouring blogs and flipping through wedding magazines. Don’t be afraid to take ideas from outside the wedding industry too! Fashion, art and interior design rags are all great for finding interesting color combos, cool textures, wild installations and more. Get inspired on The Venue Report's Pinterest →

Whitney Port’s Wedding Photographer: Hannah Costello

Photo:Brooke Lark

8 / 13

Think About a Date

You don’t have to pick an exact date until you find the venue that best suits you and know their availability, but it’s helpful to get a head start on the time of year and maybe even the month that works best.

Photo:Jose Villa

9 / 13

Research & Select Your Venue

We’re obviously partial to this step of the wedding planning process because there are so many amazing venue options around the globe to choose from. Once you’ve narrowed it down to a barn, loft, gallery, beach resort, garden, yacht, or winery, pop in your search requirements and we’ll walk you through the rest. Start your venue search →

Register for Gifts

It’s never too early to kick off registering for wedding gifts (and honeymoon travel!), especially because people will want to buy you a little something as an engagement gift. We love Zola because they carry 50,000 gifts including some of the best brands, and the registry comes with a free wedding website that integrates the registry right into it.

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Photo:rawpixel

11 / 13

Build a Wedding Website

On that note, now’s as good a time as any to start working on your wedding website. You’ll want to have this up and running by the time you send out your save-the-dates so your guests can go to the website and get all the detailed information they need about your wedding weekend. This is something you’ll likely continuously update throughout the planning, so no need to get it perfect before publishing.

Photo:Jose Villa

12 / 13

Get a Wedding Planner

There are tons of wedding planning books and blogs out there, but having a handheld planner or calendar for your to do list is crucial for keep yourself organized. There are some great apps out there that help with this too, and of course, hiring a human wedding planner is great too if it’s an option.

Photo:Blake Hogge

13 / 13

Find Your Wedding Photographer

One of the best ways to get comfortable with a photographer is to book them for an engagement photo session so you can see if your energy aligns. If all works well, hopefully you can bring them on board for your wedding too. Get inspired with 24 Breathtaking Spots to Take Engagement Photos →