They knelt down and popped the question… and you said YES! Whether you are reading this recently engaged or you’ve been engaged for 6+ months and are just starting to think about wedding planning, Congratulations! We love to celebrate over here and you are in the right place. Today, we are going to talk about what to do after getting engaged (some things even before hiring a wedding planner!). As wedding planners, we know that getting engaged is often SUCH an exciting time, but it doesn’t take long before the overwhelm starts creeping in (even for the most organized couples). So instead of jumping right into hiring your vendors, we have broken down the very baby steps walking you through what to do after getting engaged!

Georgia Wedding Planners

We always like to start with a quick intro so you know where you are getting your advice from. We are a team of wedding planners based in Georgia serving couples getting married at wedding venues in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond. We have been in business for 9+ years and have bustled A LOT of dresses. If you are looking for wedding planners who will help you design and execute a wedding day as unique as YOU, learn more about you wedding planning services here.

(not pictured: the newest addition to our team – Jaya!)

Tell Your Friends & Family About Your Engagement!

This might seem fairly obvious but your nearest and dearest should not find out about your proposal on Instagram! The FIRST thing you should do (after celebrating with your new fiance!), is calling your closest family and friends to break the news! After you’ve talked to everyone, feel free to post that shiny new ring pic all over social media (your new ring is gorgeous, by the way!).

Consider Different Wedding Locations : Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Beyond?

You don’t need to have everything figured out the second you get engaged (hopefully this brings a small sense of relief!) but you should consider whether you will be getting married locally (wherever that means to you), a weekend trip away (anywhere over 2+ hours), or having a destination wedding abroad! We HIGHLY recommend having a general idea of location – you don’t need to have a wedding venue yet – before inviting your closest family and friends to be a part of your wedding party!

And now that we mention it, if you are considering somewhere in Georgia and North Carolina, make sure to check out a few of our favorite wedding venues here for a little inspiration.

Creating Your Budget & Guest List

We have talked a lot about this on the blog, but creating your budget and guest list are two of the first things to do when you start planning your wedding (even before looking for a wedding planner!). Setting your budget and guest list early, will ensure you don’t book a wedding venue that will restrict you logistically and will also prevent any wedding faux pax’s (like inviting someone to your engagement party and not inviting them to your wedding!).

If you are not sure how to create your budget, make sure to check this post out here about setting your budget by your guest list (it can be incredibly eye opening if you’ve never planned a wedding or large event before!). Instead of picking an arbitrary number, we highly recommend not only looking at what you are comfortable spending, but how that correlates to your guest list. As wedding planners, we can’t stress this enough: the easiest way to cut your budget is by cutting your guest list. Lucky for you, micro weddings are the new best thing (and if you are curious, read more about planning a micro wedding here!).

Gather your Wedding Party

As you stand at the alter and exchange vows, who do you want standing beside you? Although we love the new trend of gift baskets, and knot bracelets, you don’t have to be too formal with this. When you ask them to stand with you, make sure to ask if there are any date conflicts to be aware of! Although you shouldn’t attempt to please everyone throughout the wedding planning process, asking your VIP’s for potential date conflicts can prevent a lot of distress down the line!

Enjoy Your Engagement Party!

Whether you throw your own engagement party or have someone else host for you, ENJOY! After a year of limitations, we can’t afford to not celebrate every single thing. You and your love story deserve to be celebrated every step of the way. If you are looking for a space for up to 50 guests, don’t forget about our rental space in Georgia! We have an absolutely gorgeous event space right here in our wedding planning headquarters perfect for engagement parties, bridal showers, cooperate luncheons, the list goes on and on!

If you are looking to celebrate, we are here for it. These are the VERY first steps to getting engaged, but the NEXT thing you should do is hire a wedding planner – yes, even before you start to look at wedding venues. If you aren’t yet convinced, make sure to check out this post on why a wedding planner should be the very first thing on your official wedding planning task list. If you think we might be the right fit (and want to learn more), get in touch here.