12 Things You Need to Do Right After Getting Engaged

Part 2/2: Wedding Pre-Planning

If you didn’t catch Part 1 of our guide on things you need to do right after getting engaged that focuses on the ring and announcements, go back and check that out! 

Otherwise, continue on here with Part 2 for some wedding pre-planning things you need to do right after getting engaged!

Here is the second half of our guide of 12 things you need to do right after getting engaged that focuses on wedding pre-planning:

7. Choose your bridal party and plan an engagement party
8. Consider a wedding timeline and possible dates
9. Discuss budget and guest list size
10. Decide if you should hire a wedding planner
11. Build a wedding website for updates
12. Start gathering inspiration

7. Choose your bridal party and plan an engagement party

Another one of the important things you need to do right after getting engaged is to start thinking about who you want to be in your wedding party. 

But before you start popping the question to potential bridesmaids, you need to have a discussion with your fiance about it. How many bridesmaids and groomsmen do each of you want? Is it okay if there is an odd number or do you need to narrow your list down to match? Are potential bridesman or grooms ladies okay? Remember that the more people you add to your party the more personalities you have to account for. Having a small bridal or groom party can be easier to manage.

You only need to nail down your wedding party right away if you want them to help you plan your engagement party. But if you don’t want an engagement party, or if you don’t mind planning one yourself (or getting your parents to do it), then you have more time to solidify your list and plan your bridesmaid/groomsman proposals.

And if you’re still deciding whether or not to have an engagement party, just go for it! It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or a burden on anyone. It’s just an excuse for your friends and family in the area to get together to celebrate this big decision of the two of you officially becoming a betrothed couple and congratulate you in person.

8. Consider a wedding timeline and possible dates

Among the things you need to do right after getting engaged is to start considering a wedding timeline and possible dates. 

You don’t need to nail down a date right away, but start getting an idea of when that might be. It’s up to you two how long you want to be engaged and how long you need to plan the wedding. You could elope, or you could be engaged for 5 years – it’s up to you. The average engagement lasts about 12 to 18 months, which explains why the most popular time to get engaged is in the winter, but the most popular time to get married is in the summer. 

But there are perks to deciding a date early, especially when it comes to snagging your ideal venues and vendors. If you have an ideal wedding venue in mind and it’s a popular one, it might already be booked as far as a year in advance or more. So if a popular venue is important to you, that could also determine how soon you can get married. And it would be wise to book it as soon as possible.  Your wedding date will also affect how many people will be able to come to your wedding.

9. Discuss budget and guest list size 

Your budget is going to be one of the major issues that affect your wedding. So one of the most important things you need to do right after getting engaged is to discuss your budget and the size of your guest list. 

First, you need to figure out who is paying for the wedding. Traditionally it is the bride’s side of the family that pays for the wedding.  However, if economic situations are better on the groom’s side, they may choose to take on the expense. Or both sides might take it on together. But as more couples have been getting married later in life, weddings have become more non-traditional in this sense. Many couples now choose to pay for their own wedding.

Obviously, the bigger the wedding, the more expensive it will be. So if you want a giant guest list, you’re going to need a budget to match. So this is a good time to start considering what is important to the two of you regarding your finances and what (and who) you want in your wedding. 

If you have a smaller fixed budget that’s non-negotiable the size of your guest list will have to reflect that. Most weddings have less than 200 guests, with the average being 167. But it’s more than okay to have a much smaller wedding if that’s all your budget allows or if that’s what the two of you prefer. 

10. Decide if you should hire a wedding planner

Before all the wedding planning starts, one of the things you need to do right after getting engaged is to decide if you will be needing a wedding planner or not. 

There are several things to consider when deciding whether to hire a wedding planner. First of all, can you afford one? Depending on the level of assistance, demand, and packages offered, a wedding planner can run anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. But if you’re planning an enormous wedding, a dependable and talented wedding planner could actually be priceless. 

Another great perk to hiring a wedding planner is all the vendor knowledge they bring. You can save yourself so much time and research and disappointment with a wedding planner who knows their stuff, and also knows where to get the stuff. They will champion your vision from start to finish, and take so much of the weight and stress off of what should be an exciting season for you.

You might want a small, simple wedding that won’t take much outside help. But before you take on the planning alone, consider how well you handle stressful situations. There’s always more to do and to plan than you originally think, and overwhelm can set in fast. So only tackle it alone if you are sure you have the time, mental fortitude, and planning skills to make it all happen.

If you are considering planning the wedding yourself but think you could use a little extra help on the big-day-of, it is also possible to hire a day-of coordinator. You can go ahead and plan the wedding yourself and save some money. But you can also have someone there to help out on your big day so you can focus on getting married. As you should. 

11. Build a wedding website for updates

Next on the list of things you need to do right after getting engaged is to start building a wedding website for updates. 

Modern wedding planning has gotten so much more streamlined with the advent of individual wedding websites. They are not difficult or expensive to create, and they make communication with all your potential guests so much easier. You can have pictures of the couple, links to the registry, important dates, times, and locations for the wedding and other pre-wedding events, announce any major changes, etc.  

And there are plenty of wedding website templates and builders out there that make the process super easy, and sometimes even free!

12. Start gathering inspiration

Last in our list of things you need to do right after getting engaged is definitely not least. And is one of the most fun! It’s time to start getting inspired.

You don’t have to decide on a theme or motif right away. But it is a good idea to start gathering inspiration as soon as possible. Start browsing some wedding websites, wedding blogs, wedding magazines, and definitely get on Pinterest. Not all the things you like or that inspire you need to go together yet. So just start making a file/board of anything that catches your eye that you like. And start sharing your ideas with your fiance and your go-to-gals.

You may have already been planning your wedding day your whole life and think you don’t need any inspiration. But there are so many tips and tricks and ideas out there to make the whole process easier, cheaper, and cuter. So it’s definitely worth it (and so much fun!) to take a look and see what’s out there!

We hope you found this guide of things you need to do right after getting engaged helpful! It’s okay for everything to be a blur and it’s really okay to be excited. But there’s no reason to be overwhelmed. Congratulations on your engagement and enjoy this season before the wedding planning begins!

Love this content and want more? Read more about wedding planning on our blog.

Still considering venues? Give us a call and set up a tour to see if Jennings Trace is the perfect place!