So you’re finally engaged, and not sure if you should spend all day staring at your new bling or jump head first into planning your dream wedding!  And the perfect next step is little bit of both! 

Here are my top ten tips to both enjoying and making the most of your engagement! 

1.  Take some time to enjoy this season before wedding planning takes up all of your mental and emotional bandwidth.  Don’t feel pressured to make a million phone calls, or announce on social media, or start making big wedding decisions.  You will only have those “OMG WE JUST GOT ENGAGED” feelings once in your lifetime, so soak it all up and just focus on each other for a little bit!  Maybe pop a bottle of Champagne, stare at your bling and spend some quality time with your fiance (whoop whoop!). 

2.  Announce to family, friends that are like family, and then the world! 
In a day when social media sees everything first, make sure your family can share this exciting moment with you before your followers do.  This might seem like common sense, but I say this from experience! My MIL posted about my engagement on FaceBook before I even had a chance to call my mother, and I wish I could’ve done things differently to prevent that. 

3.  If your ring is not a perfect fit, now would be a good time to get it sized.  Go ahead and get it insured, so that you can wear it without worrying – it’s affordable, and the peace of mind is worth it! 

4. It’s time to start planning your engagement party!  Whether you want a casual get together at home, or a fancy evening out, having an engagement party is such a fun way to commemorate this special time and really soak up all the butterflies and well wishes. 

5.  Now would be a good time to choose your wedding party.   If you’re undecided, of course you can ask them later into the process.  But picking your party earlier actually benefits you, because you have that many more people to help with tasks, you give them a head start in asking off of work, foregoing making their own non-refundable travel plans, etc.  

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6. CHOOSE YOUR DATE. And this is when it gets real 😉 

7.  Book the most important vendors first.  Venues book anywhere from next month to two years in advance, so claim your date ASAP and book your venue.  Next comes your photographer, because they can also book up to two years in advance.  Once you have booked your photographer, you can start chatting with them about your engagement session!

8. Depending on how long your engagement will be, scheduling an appointment with a bridal shop is also of utmost importance. Finding your dream gown and having alterations done takes time, and if you cut it too close that will only add a lot of stress to your planning process. Better to have it done earlier so that you can check it off your list, and make adjustments in case something goes wrong. 

9. Get a wedding planner. Whether that’s a checklist from the Knot, a paper planner, or a vendor you hire to help you, this will ensure that you have a realistic timeline of when you need to get everything done, and a checklist of some sort so that you don’t overlook any tasks. 

10. Build your wedding website! I personally used Zola and LOVED it! We had our website, registry, and checklists all in one place and it made our planning process streamlined and fun. Plus, with a Zola registry, you can add items from any store and collect all of your favorites on one registry! It was very easy to use, and when your wedding is over, you get 20% off of all the remaining items on your registry … for up to a year. 
Other good options are The Knot, WeddingWire, and Minted. 

Hopefully you found these ten tips helpful!  And last but not least, 
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU GET TO MARRY YOUR BEST FRIEND!!!

Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can see your bling-bling selfie with your new fiance! I’m in your corner, rooting for you, and doing everything I can to make sure your engagement and wedding is what you’ve always dreamed of.