He Popped The Question! Now What?
He Popped the Question! Now What?
Congratulations on your new fiancé status!
Being engaged is an exciting time. You get to celebrate with family and friends, enjoy the proposal, and start thinking about your wedding. But once the celebrations are over, planning can start to feel overwhelming.
Most guys are clueless about the wedding machine that starts moving the moment he proposes. Even brides who have some idea what the engagement season will bring are usually surprised by how quickly the questions, decisions, opinions, and planning details begin to pile up.
Engagement can be chaotic, so take it one day at a time. Before you try to plan the whole wedding in one weekend, start with a few simple first steps.
1. Insure the Ring
Before anything happens, get a warranty and insurance for your engagement ring.
Ask the jeweler about warranty options. A warranty may cover things like diamonds or gems falling out, the band getting bent, cosmetic damage, resizing, or regular cleanings. Every jeweler is different, so make sure you understand what is included and what is not.
In addition to a warranty, be certain to insure the ring as well. Insurance can provide coverage for theft, loss, or damage. Call your insurance company and ask about adding the ring as scheduled personal property. They will likely need a bill of sale, appraisal, and photos.
This may not feel like the most romantic first step, but it is one of the wisest.
2. Tell Family Before Social Media
Before racking up likes and congratulations from your social media following, do not forget to tell family and close friends before they see it online.
This helps prevent drama or hurt feelings, even if they would be unintentional. The people closest to you will likely want to hear the news from you first. A phone call, FaceTime, or personal message can make the moment feel much more special.
Wait to post until the people who love you most have heard from you.
3. Buy a Wedding Planner
No matter your style, pick up a wedding planner from Amazon, a bookstore, or a local shop.
A planner helps you keep everything in one place, from vendor notes and ideas to photos, timelines, and receipts. Even if you use an app, having a printed planner or folder can be a big help.
Wedding planning has a lot of moving parts. Keeping your notes together saves you from digging through messages and sticky notes later.
4. Establish a Budget
Get with your fiancé, talk with family if they are helping, and create a concrete wedding budget before you start planning.
It can be easy to get swept up in the fantasy of an expensive wedding. The venue is beautiful, the dress is perfect, the flowers are stunning, and the upgrades sound small until they all get added together. But it is no fun having to cut back later because you realize the wedding you started planning is not the wedding you can actually afford.
Save yourself some heartache by planning within your budget from the beginning. No one wants to rack up credit card debt before starting married life together.
A budget does not ruin the fun. It gives you freedom to make decisions with confidence.
5. Decide on the Length of Engagement
The first question everyone will ask is, “When is the wedding?” You may not know the exact date yet, and that is okay. The date may change because of venue availability, family schedules, budget, or the season you prefer. But try to decide on at least a general season and year.
Choosing a season, like spring or fall, helps you and your fiancé start planning and gives you a simple answer when people ask about your wedding date. It also helps you figure out how quickly you need to plan. A six-month engagement is very different from an eighteen-month one.
6. Set up a Wedding Email Address
To keep your inboxes organized, set up a shared email just for wedding plans. This way, both of you can keep track of vendor contracts, RSVPs, and other important details.
7. Plan a Way to Celebrate
Some couples want engagement photos taken. Others prefer an engagement party, dinner with family, a weekend away, or a simple date night to enjoy the moment.
Whatever suits your style, plan something fun to look forward to. Do not rush into wedding planning so fast that you forget to celebrate being engaged. Take a step back and enjoy this special time together.
Engagement is a short and special time. Wedding planning will come soon enough, but before you get caught up in the details, let yourselves celebrate this moment. Congratulations again, and happy engagement!
Blog post written by my daughter, Elizabeth Squirek. Check out her blog at https://somethingtoowineabout.wordpress.com/
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