The moment you have been waiting for has arrived!! He has popped the question, and you have said yes!! Congratulations! Soak it all in and celebrate with family and friends with whatever vibe fits your style.
Here are the first 10 things to do after you’re engaged.
1 - Talk to Your Fiancé
Layout the basics together. How do you envision the day? Is it big, small? Formal, casual or somewhere in between? Take just a bit of time to look at some inspiration pictures together. Pinterest is great for this. Just be careful to keep it realistic for your style and budget! Discuss what is most important to each of you. What are your priority “must haves” on wedding day?
2 - Get Your Ring Sized
You want to be sure that beauty fits just right so you are comfortable showing it off and don’t have to worry about losing it! Also a good time to look into getting it insured.
3 - Set Your Budget
Talk with anyone who might be contributing so you have an understanding of what finances are available up front. The sooner you have these open conversations, the easier it is to plan. Know who is paying for what so you know who to go to when it’s time to make those decisions. Unsure how to go about these conversations or what a wedding budget might even look like? No worries, your Wedding Planner at Memory Makers Wed Co can help you right from the start. Contact us today so we can get started!
4 - Think About a Date
Discuss what season you want to get married in. Think about weather conditions and what your outdoor scenery will look like during that season. Pay attention to holidays and other big events that might make it challenging for those who need to travel.
Are you open to having your wedding on a day other than Saturday? Many venues charge a lower rate for a Friday or Sunday and even less if you select a Thursday.
Make sure you select multiple dates so that as you start touring venues, you will be prepared with options if your number one date is already booked at the venue you fall in love with!
5 - Choose Your Destination
Are you staying local or do you envision a destination wedding? If you are staying local, do you want to be in town, closer to airports, or are you ok with going outside the city? This could depend on how many people you have traveling in by plane. If you are dreaming of a destination wedding, what type of setting will you be looking for?
Will you be getting married in a church and having your reception in a separate space? Or do you want your ceremony and reception in the same location? Will you need hotels nearby for out of town guests?
Dreaming of an outdoor ceremony? Be prepared to ask about a plan B when you are on venue tours. If your vision is to have a full set reception with full place settings or possibly a band, you may want to consider what would be involved if they needed to “flip” the room from ceremony to reception because you needed to move to plan B. This can get costly very quickly if you don’t have an option for an indoor ceremony in a separate space. You will want to know your options up front.
6 - Determine Your Guest List Size
Drafting up your “must-haves” guest list will give you a minimum head count. Adding in everyone else will give you your max head count. Now you know what size venue you need and have a better idea on what a catering cost could be.
7 - Discuss Wedding Party Size
How many Bridesmaids and Groomsmen do you want? Do you want Flower Girls and/or Ring Bearers? You will want to be sure you pick a venue that has enough room for everyone in the ceremony space as well as the bridal suite and groom’s room. Don’t forget that you may have parents and grandparents wanting to be in these spaces as well and the ladies will most likely have Hair and Makeup Artists in their suite. If you have a larger crowd, usually 150 or more, you may also want to consider having a House Party and/or Ushers. Depending on which of these roles you choose to receive florals, will also impact your floral budget.
8 - Book Your Venue
Start researching venues that meet all of the things you have talked about in numbers one through seven. Look at other weddings done in their galleries or on Instagram. Review pricing and maximum head counts before taking a tour if at all possible. Narrow your list down to your favorites and schedule tours. Bring your list of questions and be prepared to check the dates available for the ones you like. Once you find the one that checks all of those priority boxes and you are in love with it, book it!!
9 - Have an Engagement Party
Whether you want to do this yourself or pass it off to parents or friends is totally up to you! Not everyone has an engagement party, but if this is your style, go for it!! Whether it’s in a backyard, at your favorite bar, or the private room of a restaurant, celebrate and soak in all the love!
10 - Hire Your Priority Vendors
First, take a breather and be sure you have taken some time together before jumping right into full planning mode. Have a glass of wine and gaze at each other over dinner! After you have done this, then you can focus better on why you are doing all of this in the first place. If you would like help contacting vendors for quotes and negotiations, then be sure to reach out to your Dallas / Fort Worth Wedding Planners at Memory Makers Wed Co right away so we can help you from the very beginning. Having a wedding planner on board early can eliminate a lot of unnecessary stress!
If you wish to curate your own team of vendors and work on negotiations with them yourself, then by all means, dive in! We love it!! We would still love to provide you with a Wedding Day Coordinator! Our goal is to make sure your planning process is as smooth as possible and that you get to relax and be fully present on your big day. So no matter what point you reach out to Memory Makers, we are here for you and can’t wait to celebrate with you!!