Uh oh, 7 Things Newly Engaged Couples Forget

You’re engaged yay!! So now what?

First

of all

congratulations!

You are about to start the journey of a lifetime, and the best part of all is you will do it with your best friend.

We feel honored that of all places you are on our wedding blog after your engagement 🙂 Now that the idea of planning a wedding is setting in, you are probably wondering what is next.

we cover what you should be doing in terms of wedding planning & when

Luckily for you, we are experts in the field. We are going to share with you the best ideas to help navigate this newly engaged phase.

Share Your Engagement… Privately

Once engaged you instantly think…

• sharing the news with your loved ones

• taking a ring photo & posting it all over social media

Our best advice is to call or visit your closest ones before shouting the news to everyone that follows you online. The last thing you want is to upset any family.

Your parents might not be thrilled to find out you are taking such an important step in life through a social media post.

life is made of precious moments & you are experiencing one that will never come back

The close family includes your parents, grandparents & anyone else you love. Once they know, it is time to post it & share your ring shot with the rest of the world.

You need to prepare yourself for all the positive feedback. Expect tons of comments & phone calls with people congratulating you.

Enjoy this Moment

Before you start scrolling endlessly on your preferred source of inspiration, take a moment. Enjoy the present and just relax. There will be enough time to stress about when to hire vendors & how to select your wedding party later.

Right now, you need to focus on being thankful for finding love in an era when so many are looking all over. Enjoy sharing dinner with your family & telling your friends how the proposal went.

Take a trip down memory lane and find the first picture of you together. Remember how magical that first kiss was or how nervous you felt about meeting your partner’s family? Remember those memories & make them last as long as possible.

Buy Wedding Ring Insurance

Before you start to plan a bachelorette party, you need to get insured. We are talking about insurance for your brand-new rock.

If your partner guessed the size of your ring, you might need to resize it. Do that first so you can start showing it off. Once it is sized to fit your finger you need to buy engagement ring insurance.

ask your insurance agent if it is possible to add it to your home insurance policy, which is not that expensive

Wedding jewelry insurance can cover a variety of events. Have you ever wondered what happens if you lose your ring? What about if it gets stolen? You might accidentally damage it when cleaning your ring. Many things can happen don’t leave this to chance, trust us.

now you are ready to show off your ring on social media… pro tip get a manicure first!

Set a Wedding Budget

Once your feet are on the ground again it is time to begin wedding planning. This includes discussing your finances. We know talking about money isn’t the most romantic way to start planning your reception. This is the only way to set a realistic wedding budget.

if you don’t have a number settled before hiring pros, then you might go over budget

We have heard of stories of couples starting their marriage with debt from their wedding. This is no way to start your life as a married couple. So, grab a coffee (or a glass of wine).

Discuss with your fiance how much of your savings are available for the wedding fund. How much can you save from your monthly income? Ask your relatives if they can help contribute to your celebration.

If your parents or your in-laws are helping out, don’t make the mistake of assuming they will pay for the whole thing.

Expect only the amount if they clearly say it. Some couples make this wedding budgeting mistake & do not know how to pay for services they didn’t have plans to pay for.

Breakdown of Vendor Costs

Now that you have taken care of budgeting, you know what size event you can afford. Let’s further break down the percentage of how your budget is divided among the most commonly hired vendors.

• 40% wedding venue & catering

• 10% wedding photography

• 10% decoration

• 10% entertainment

• 10% wedding flower garlands

• 5% wedding attire

• 5% wedding cake and favors

• 5% transportation

• 5% stationery & misc

We recommend you leave 3% for extras. Sometimes venues have hidden fees that include set-up, tear-down, cleaning, or service. If you see the number quickly rising, consider renting DIY kits.

This is an affordable way to create a beautiful look with simple rental setups. You can save a lot with wedding pipe & drape, wireless led up lighting & gobos for a wedding.

a great alternative to paying a vendor for setup is to do it yourself which saves money

The best way to budget your wedding while newly engaged is to organize your priorities. Write a list placing the above vendor categories in order of importance.

Put money where it is most important for you as a couple. Then you will know how much more or less you can spend on hiring a photographer, caterer, or DJ.

Pick a Potential Wedding Date

So let’s recap, you are engaged, have a budget set, determined the size of the wedding you’re planning & set your priorities. The next thing to do before interviewing wedding vendors is to set a possible date.

set a date before you head out the door & meet with potential vendors for quotes

Picking a wedding date can be a difficult task, but it is important to take your time and consider all of your options before making a final decision. Here are a few tips to help you pick the perfect wedding date after getting engaged:

• Consider the Seasons:
• Check your availability:
• Consider the weather:
• Venue availability:
• Budget:
• Time of year:
• Check the significance of the date:
• Be flexible:

Vendors will all start by asking you the date to check their availability. They also need your number of guests, venue location, start/end time & décor style information.

Plan Your Engagement Party

You need to celebrate the news of your engagement. Start planning your engagement party & drop the wedding plans for a moment. Engagement parties differ from bridal showers because engagement parties celebrate a recent engagement.

This is a great way for you and your fiance to meet the other family. Gather with your friends & family to enjoy the present. Talk about your upcoming reception & get their feedback. Share ideas for what you might do for your wedding.

Your wedding is not even close to happening! Don’t worry, this is what happens when you get engaged.

You first get butterflies then life gets real and you start talking about insurance & money. Congratulations and please let us know if there is any way we can help you with your big day 🙂

do you feel you forgot anything while engaged, tell us what it was in the comments