You’re engaged. Congrats! I’m so excited for you as if I know you personally. As in, every time one of our readers tells us they’re newly engaged and they just had an unbelieveable proposal, I get excited for their wedding as if it was my best friend’s. Or even my own.

Have I told you how much we love this stuff?

Anyways, if you’re reading this you are probably newly engaged with a gorgeous ring on your finger and newly manicured nails and you’re wondering what the heck to do next. You’re like me, because after I got engaged I wondered the very same thing. What am I supposed to be doing? I don’t know what I’m doing. Am I missing something? Am I making a mistake early on? Oh no, was I supposed to do this instead? Does this sound like you? Relax. The first thing you’re supposed to do after getting engaged? E N J O Y I T.

Let the joy settle in. Don’t be so quick to post on Facebook. Call your loved ones first. Your closest, nearest and dearest to your heart. Celebrate with your fiance. Get used to that feeling of a ring on your previously naked ring finger. Feels good, doesn’t it?

And once the confetti is on the floor and those champagne glasses are empty and your Facebook status moves from In a Relationship to Engaged and you’ve smiled so hard that it hurts to laugh, you’re ready to do what’s next. So, get to it, bride-to-be: you + me + our team at Emmaline Bride are going to have so. much. fun. planning your wedding with you.

I just know it.

This list will help you, whether you’re basking in the newly-engaged-ness…

… or getting right down to business…

… there’s a little something here for everyone. :) Enjoy.

What to Do After Getting Engaged

1. Get to know us.

Find out why we’re the wedding planning blog you’ll want to follow. We are different because we are here to help. If you email us with a question, we’ll write you back. If you need advice, we’ll solve it. Think of us as your wedding BFFs, like your bridesmaids but without having to bore them with all the tiny details. Because, after all, we live for this stuff.

2. Subscribe.

Subscribing to as many blogs as you’d like will give you the opportunity to have inspiration straight to your inbox. Every day. This will save you time. Plus, it’s totally free. You can subscribe to ours here.

3. Get Inspo in Print.

One of the greatest gifts ever was when my husband’s aunt subscribed me for wedding magazines once she found out we were getting married. They came to my doorstep every month and it was so much fun getting the newest copies right to my door. This one is a favorite, oh and this one, too. Plus, a subscription is WAY cheaper than newsstand prices.

4. Get a notebook.

It can be super small and inexpensive. Take it with you and jot down things you think of, either brands you see or dresses you like or places and vendors that people mention.

5. Grab one of these cute sweatshirts.

Wifey. Sweatshirt. Love!

6. Start Your Online Wedding Registry.

I know it seems early, but if you start an online registry you can add items to it as you find them online. We love Amazon’s online registry because they not only have everything all in one place, but you can download their toolbar and add items you find from other sites to your registry (like the Marketplace). Check it out here.

On a personal note, I also recommend you sign up for Amazon Prime and add it to your budget. You get free two-day shipping on nearly everything. I have it and love it. It’s so helpful for those craft projects you’re working on or when you want to buy mason jars in bulk or anything. It saves you time from running to the craft store and, hey, we could all use a little more time, no? It’s also great for shipping bulky items to you RIGHT TO YOUR DOORSTEP, like this gigantic life size Jenga. I wouldn’t normally even know where to find one of these, let alone want to lug it to my car.

7. Snap some photos.

Do you want engagement photos? If so, it’s never too early to book your photographer and get a date scheduled to snap some photos.

Furthermore, you’ll want to explore 20 Best Engagement Photo Ideas to inspire you. Then, you’ll want to find a photographer for your engagement photos with whom you can work with and hopefully also book for your wedding. You’ll have beautiful engagement photos at the ready for when you send save the date cards.

8. Pick a wedding theme.

Planning a wedding is SO MUCH EASIER when you pick a wedding theme right off the bat. Explore seven gorgeous themes here + check out our master list. And this will help you plan a wedding unlike anyone else’s.

9. Set a budget.

Determine your budget right from the get-go. Here are tips to help. And don’t forget these budget items that often go overlooked.

10. Check out some venues.

Explore wedding venues in your area. Check on availability. Decide on when and where you’d like to get married. Once you find it, check dates, pick one, and put down that deposit.

11. Send Save the Dates.

Once your engagement photos are ready, use them in your save the date designs. Here are some ideas to get you started.

12. Get Social.

Find your favorite wedding blogs and sites and companies on Facebook. Follow them. Follow us. Go on Pinterest and search for wedding ideas, pinning them to one of your boards so you can reference it later. Go on Instagram. Follow bridal gown designers you love, handmade artists, wedding planners. Follow wedding blogs. Snap your own photos to look back on later. Get on Twitter. See what’s trending in weddings. Follow people you’d like to keep up with. It’ll be so helpful later on.

We hope this list helped! Please do let us know how we can help you as you plan, and stay in touch. We’d love to join you on this wonderful adventure together!

xo
-E.