you’re engaged! now what?!

If you’re newly engaged, wedding planning can feel overwhelming. Between Instagram, Pinterest and all the wedding blogs you might not know where to start. I’m also recently engaged so I know how you feel. Before you start generating ideas, here is a list of five things to do before you dive into wedding planning.

Tell the people who mean the most to you – in person if possible

It’s rare that we have the chance to share such electrifying, life altering news with the family and friends we care the most about. Before you post anything on social media, call your parents, siblings and closest friends. If they’re nearby, stop by and surprise them. A FaceTime call is the next best thing. Just remind them that you want to be the one to share the news with everyone first.

Kelly shows off her new engagement ring after Willy proposed on the Denver millennium bridge on Valentine’s Day

Celebrate with everyone

Once you get into wedding planning it can become overwhelming. Before all that starts, go out and have a drink. Let your best friend throw you an informal engagement gathering at your favorite restaurant or bar. You don’t have to start worring about the wedding just because you got engaged. Trust me, the one thing everyone will ask is “have you set a date yet?” Just tell them that you’re enjoying the engagement for now – which is what you should do.

Get the ring sized and make sure it’s insured

If you’ve never worn a ring, it takes some getting used to. The last thing you want to be worrying about is it falling off. If it doesn’t fit perfectly, take it back to the jewler and have them size it correctly. Don’t worry about leaving it with them for a couple days, that’s a great time to schedule a manicure. Regardless of how much it cost, the ring has unmeasurable centimental value. Insuring it gives you piece of mind.

Engagement ring in a custom made wood box

Create a wedding email address

Once you do decide that you want to begin planning you’ll realize that being organized is essential. One of the easiest things to do is to create a wedding email account that you both share. Occasionally you’ll want to delegate tasks to one of you but it’s nice to have all communication in one place in case the other person needs to find a contract or informational PDF. Something simple like GreenThompsonWedding2020@gmail.com is great. Remember, wedding emails can often end up in the spam folder, so MAKE SURE you check it regularly.

Begin to think about a guest list

Regardless if you’re heart is set on having a large wedding or an intamate gathering, the guest list will impact almost every wedding planning decision. And since you can’t choose a venue (and therefore a date) until you know how many people you’re inviting, you’ll need to create a guest list first.

Garden of the Gods Club Wedding