January 14, 2020
The holidays are the perfect time to get engaged—perhaps your S.O. just met your family or the joy of the Christmas season was the perfect backdrop for a proposal. If you’re one of the lucky couples who got engaged over the holidays, congratulations! You’ve just embarked on the adventure of a lifetime!
If you’re not sure what to do next, don’t worry! The first step is to just take in all the joy that comes with being newly engaged. Once you’ve had time to breathe and share a moment of bliss with your partner, then you can start checking off boxes.
Here’s what you need to do next after you get engaged:
1. Announce to family and friends
First on your list of priorities is to announce your engagement to family and friends. The people closest to you will want to share in the happy news so they can congratulate you!
You don’t have to spread the news immediately—it’s totally up to you! You could wait a week or so to tell family, perhaps if you’ve been on holiday and want to announce the news in person. Or you could call your closest family and do a simple announcement on social media to let the rest of the world know.
Whatever you decide, just make sure to get the word out to those you love about your awesome news—then they can get excited to celebrate with you on your big day!
2. Decide on a budget
Settling on a budget for the wedding is one of the first things you and your spouse-to-be need to do. Are you the sort of couple who would prefer to have a small-scale wedding with just a few dozen people? Or do you know hundreds of people and want to go all out on your marriage celebration? Of course, the bigger the wedding, the more it will cost, so it’s important to plan your budget early.
Setting a budget ahead of time can help reduce stress in the long run and make sure all the paying parties are on the same page when it comes to spending limits. After all, you want to keep things running as smooth as possible during wedding planning, especially with your significant other—pre-marital harmony is just as crucial as marital harmony.
3. Choose a venue for an engagement party and the big day
The next step is to choose a venue for your engagement party (if you decide to have one), and for the big day itself.
When choosing a venue, make sure you research your options and ensure you find a space within your price range that fulfills your vision for your wedding. You’ll want to find a venue that meets logistical needs like location and size but that also accommodates your style, entertainment, and more.
Marinaj Banquets and Events in LA is a great venue option that offers a range of wedding venue options and accommodations. Couples get a choice of differently-themed ballrooms or a lush outdoor veranda space alongside a bar, kitchen, and a host of amenities like private lobbies, parking, VIP suites, and private entrances.
4. Choose your bridal party
The next step is to figure out who will be in the bridal party—the group of people that will be helping you with every detail from early wedding planning to keeping the event running smoothly on the big day itself.
Your first decision will be to choose the maid (sometimes called the matron) of honor. She will be the bride’s primary support for the day. At root, the maid of honor is a person the bride knows and trusts to handle crucial details of the wedding. She will be with the bride in the dressing room as they get ready, provide personal assistance when required, and usually host the bridal shower.
Next, you’ll want to pick the best man. Typically, this is a person that the groom has known for a long time. The best man can have several responsibilities, such as throwing the bachelor party, making a toast, and passing the ring to the groom during the ceremony. After that, it’s just a matter of deciding on the bridesmaids and the groomsmen that will provide additional assistance and support along the way.
5. Choose a wedding planner, vendors, a photographer, and more.
The final stage is to delve into the detailed planning of the day itself. The wedding industry is enormous, and there are thousands of vendors offering everything from elaborate custom cakes to professional flower-arranging. It is your job as the couple to decide which wedding planners and vendors will best help make your wedding dreams come to life.
Choosing a wedding planner is a great option because they have several connections with different vendors, photographers, and chefs and can give excellent recommendations that fit your style and vision. They understand all the ins-and-outs of wedding planning down to the very last detail, so they’ll make sure you don’t miss a beat when it comes to achieving the perfect wedding day.
As you plan for these special moments leading up to your wedding, don’t forget to indulge in the pure happiness that comes with committing to life with your best friend. You’ll be glad you took some time to enjoy being with each other during the hustle and bustle of wedding planning!