If you’ve finally got a ring on your finger, you’re probably wondering what to do next. The pressure of making dozens of planning decisions may already be weighing heavily before you’ve even had the chance to celebrate. Despite the fact that you may be feeling like there are hundreds of things to do, there are really just six things that you should be focusing on right after you get engaged. Wedding planning is all about taking things one step at a time, so use this post to figure out what your first steps should be!

Share and Celebrate the Exciting News With Your Family

Before anything else, enjoy this moment! You’ve dreamed of this day for years, and it’s finally here. Celebrate, take pictures, and spend time with your family and friends. After that (and only after that!), there are a couple of tasks that should be first on your to-do list.

Insure Your Ring

Get your new gem insured ASAP, and have your ring resized if need be. If you already have homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, call and have your ring added to your policy. An appraisal may be necessary, so contact your insurance broker first to find out if any paperwork is needed.

Pick a Date or Season

The first thing people will ask after congratulating you is “when is the wedding?” Having an answer will help you to avoid a lot of headaches. Even if it’s a vague answer like “we’re shooting for early next year” or “we like the idea of a fall wedding,” it’s better than nothing. Figuring this out will also help you to narrow down venue choices and color schemes.

Discuss Budget

No one likes talking about money. However, you can’t really move forward with wedding planning without at least a rough idea of your budget. In addition, the answer to the budget question will help you to determine a number of factors. These include the season/month of the wedding, the venue, the number of guests, the bridal party size, and the cost of the wedding dress, among others.

You can also open a wedding savings account. Once you do, begin depositing a set amount into it every paycheck that will go toward wedding-related expenses only.

Determine Guest List and Size

The size of your guest list will help you to determine which venue will be the best fit. Begin by making a list of the family and friends that you would both like to invite—it can be helpful to do so in an Excel spreadsheet. Then, ask both sets of parents whom they’d like to invite. Have them prioritize their wish list by breaking it into tiers, with their most wanted guests at the top. This will help you with making any necessary cuts to the list later on.

Keep in mind that as a general rule, roughly 20% of your guest list will decline to attend for any number of reasons. And, out of those who do RSVP “yes,” about 5% will not show up. Things happen sometimes!

Book Your Venue

Choosing and booking your wedding venue should be done sooner rather than later. Depending on the time of year that you plan to get married and a venue’s location, dates may book up quickly. To help you narrow down to the best choice possible, it can be helpful to start a spreadsheet to organize all of the relevant information you collect. Items to include could be location, capacity, availability, type (indoor/outdoor/both), rates, restrictions, parking/transportation, facility extras, catering, bartending, and rentals.

The time after you get engaged is so exciting, and I hope that this post helps you to navigate it. Before long, you won’t believe how far you’ve come from square one. Enjoy the process, and, again, don’t forget to celebrate!

When it comes time to select your wedding stationery, I would love to create a custom or semi-custom design for you. To inquire with me, just fill out this quick form here. Let’s add a sweet personalized touch to your day!