12 Practical steps to conquer now that you are engaged

First off, a great big Congratulations to both you and your fiancée!  YOU ARE NOW ENGAGED!  You have so much to look forward to.  Here at A Wedding Journey, we know how thrilling a proposal is. But we also understand how quickly things can suddenly become very overwhelming.  Here at A Wedding Journey, we care about our couples and want to provide thorough wedding advice, direction, and unique accessory selections to make your personal “Wedding Journey” as smooth and fun as you want it to be. Every wedding is different.  So, before making any big decisions, take some time to relax with your partner. Then, once you are ready,  let us at  A Wedding Journey, From Ring to I Do, be your wedding resource to show you all the possibilities for finding your way to the most important and thrilling day of your life to this point.

1. Celebrate each other! Take time to soak in that “just got engaged” feeling for as long as you can,  just the two of you, together.  Do not let the pressure of telling everyone just this minute get in the way of the adrenaline-fueled, over-the-moon feeling you both have right now.  This proposal will be one of the most exciting moments of your life to date, so don’t rush it.   
2. Announce to immediate family and closest friends FIRST! I know you are ready to push that Facebook button and do that ring selfie right now.    You both must tell your respective families first.  If you are local, you need to do it in person with both of you present.  If not, then a phone or zoom call with both of you on the line, no texting.  Next up, your best friends.  Think of the people you’ll end up asking to be part of your wedding party, and then follow on down the friendship line.
3. Once those essential people have been notified of your engagement, NOW, post that ring Selfie!!
4. Get a manicure! Yes, I know that sounds trivial,  but believe me.  That sparkle of that showroom ring will fade quickly if your hands are not sparkling themselves with a fresh manicure.  From now on, you will undoubtedly be showing off that left hand and that gorgeous ring, so it’s essential to give your hands some much-needed love.  Especially in this time of Covid and hand sanitizers,  our hands dry out so fast. So make a conscious effort to make sure your hands stay moisturized, and your nails are filed and smooth.  It’s something to consider.
5. Get that ring sized if needed and insured. If your ring is not sized perfectly for your finger, take no chances.  Get it sized ASAP.  It isn’t worth wearing a too-big ring that could slip off and get lost. 
6. After that ring is snug on your finger, it’s essential to have it insured. Reach out to your insurance provider and see if you can have the ring added to your current policy or if you’ll need to take out a new, separate policy.  Some providers will require a certified appraisal from your jeweler.   Or search for a jewelry insurance company that will insure just your ring.  That way, if it is lost or stolen (yes, sadly, it does happen), you are covered.
7. Get a Ring Holder (or a few)! Of course, it’s up to you when you decide to take off that gorgeous engagement ring.  But, experts recommend taking your engagement ring off while playing sports, swimming, showering, sleeping, or doing any other activity that may damage the ring.  So, to avoid misplacing your ring or sitting it down and having it slide down the drain, purchase a trendy beautiful ring box to put around your home (near the kitchen sink, in the bathroom, on your nightstand), so you always have a safe place to keep your precious gem!
8. Think about the big picture. You are still celebrating that proposal, but you can now move on to some wedding planning.  Get inspired!  You don’t have to lock down anything yet, but it’s a great idea to start gathering inspiration and checking out wedding websites with your partner.  Start thinking about the seasons, the different times of the day and the mood of the event you would like to experience.  Here are some questions you should ask yourself.  Do you and your fiancée want an intimate wedding or a large wedding? Will you have a theme and or a color scheme for the big day?  As the time to start buying and booking things gets closer, you will have a much clearer idea of your wedding journey’s vision.
9. Get Engagement Photos. You should start your search for a photographer.  Booking a photographer early on is brilliant because the best ones are worth every penny, and their most popular months book up over a year in advance.  Engagement photos are an excellent opportunity to try out the photographer of your choice and see examples of the angles and views they use within their work.  In addition, you can then use the pictures from your engagement photo session to create  “Save the Date” cards that you might want to send to family and friends that will be on the wedding guests list.
10. Pick your wedding party. How many attendants you have to stand with you will also help you determine the budget goal for your wedding.  You will need thank you gifts for each of the attendants on the brides’ and grooms’ side.  Some brides will include purchasing all bridesmaid’s jewelry for the wedding as their parting gifts.  Groom, you will need to do the same on your side. Give your groomsmen thank you gifts, maybe specialized cuff links to go along with your wedding theme.  (One of my sons-in-law purchased Star Wars cufflinks as a whimsical touch to their passion for the movie series.)  So as you choose your Rockstar bridal party, choose responsible honor attendants.  Remember, they all have wedding duties to help you and your fiancée get to and through your wedding day. 
11. Now might be a good time to start considering your favorite times of the year and turn that into a wedding date. Talk to your partner about how long or short engagement you both want.  There are certainly advantages to both, and the general engagement length you choose will impact your planning timeline.  Due to recent Covid-19 wedding cancellations during 2020,  the wedding industry is experiencing vendor and venues with backlogs.  A comfortable scenario at this point in 2021 might be an  8 to 12- month engagement or longer.  But don’t be discouraged if you are hoping for a shorter engagement.  It turns out that 19 percent of couples plan their wedding in six months or less.  Planning for your shorter Wedding Journey willneed a bit more attention to detail sooner.  When you are ready to start planning,  follow A Wedding Journey’s six-month planning timeline to help you get started.
12. Once you and your partner have picked a wedding date, the wedding journey time clock has begun. Time to have your “Save the Date’ announcements printed! You need to send them out 6 to 8-months away from your wedding.  That allows enough time for potential out-of-town guests to book their travel, save money and ask for days off work.  The only information you need on the Save the Dates is your names, wedding date, city, and state of the wedding.  You do not need to have picked your venue yet.  Include your wedding website on the Save the Date if you have completed that step.  Your wedding website will contain so much helpful information, including your wedding registry.  Your future wedding guests will appreciate the information to decide on gifts they want to send for bridal showers and wedding gifts. 

There you have the first twelve steps to take to be on your way to the big day.  Look for our next 12 steps publishing soon. Take this time to start narrowing ideas down, identifying the styles and themes you both would like to see on your big day. Next, start writing down anything that catches your eye for the wedding day in your wedding planner. Then, start looking at venues you might want to have the wedding and reception, keeping in mind your wedding guest headcount and budget, of course. Most of all, Enjoy your Wedding Journey!  Until next time!