Can’t stop staring at your left hand? Getting engaged feels pretty damn exciting – but before you start planning the fun stuff, there are a few practical things you and your fiance should organise first.
Planning a wedding is a big responsibility, which means you’ll want to lay out some solid foundations for peace of mind along the way. From insurance and budget planning to choosing your bridal party, keep reading for 7 practical tasks to action after your engagement.
Get Your Ring Resized and Insured
It’s safe to say losing your engagement ring would put a major dampener on your love bubble, so get your new bling resized and insured ASAP post-engagement!
Engagement rings can be easily resized at your local jeweller, while insurance can usually be added to your existing home insurance policy for a relatively inexpensive fee.
Consider Wedding Insurance
Speaking of insurance, it’s probably a good time to consider taking out wedding insurance before making any big decisions or signing contracts.
Wedding insurance essentially covers you for any unforeseen events or emergencies that could otherwise put you seriously out of pocket. For example: a close family member falls ill and you need to reschedule the wedding; your venue is impacted by a natural disaster and you have to relocate to a new location; or a rowdy guest damages expensive hire furniture.
Wedding insurance isn’t essential, but it can be reassuring to know you’re covered!
Create a Savings Plan
It might not be the most exciting conversation you’ll ever have, but it’s super important to establish a realistic savings plan with your partner post-engagement. The sooner you two can start putting money aside for the wedding, the less financial stress you’ll be dealing with closer to the day.
Sit down with your partner and have an upfront conversation about your budget expectations. How much do you feel comfortable spending? How much will you need to save on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis to achieve this? Will you both be contributing equally? Have any family members offered to contribute, and how will you navigate this?
Establishing a savings plan doesn’t have to be overwhelming – an excel spreadsheet or budget calculator are great tools to easily map out your spending.
Not sure how much everything should actually cost? Check out our wedding budget breakdown guide here for some helpful estimates.
Choose Your Bridal Party
Soon after your engagement, it’s your turn to pop the question – but this time, to your bridal party! Our tip: don’t rush into this decision without any deliberation, because your bridal party members will be playing a key role in your memories from the day. You can read our guide on choosing your bridal party here.
Once you’ve chosen your wedding crew, you’ll need to figure out how to ask them. You can keep it casual with a coffee date, go the sentimental route with a handwritten card, or put together a “will you be my bridesmaid” gift box – the options are endless!
Sort Out Your Timelines
While there’s no pressure to make any major wedding decisions just yet, wrapping your head around your wedding timeline is a good first step. Do you guys want a short or long engagement? Is there a particular date, month or season that appeals to you? Who are the priority wedding vendors that you want to research and book first?
Once you have a rough timeline and priority list in mind, we recommend putting this into a digital wedding checklist so you don’t become overwhelmed.
Plan An Engagement Party
Once you break the news to your friends and family, they’ll be dying to congratulate you in person! Throwing an engagement party is a great way to celebrate this exciting milestone with your loved ones, while also allowing you to introduce both sides of the family before the wedding. We share everything you need to know about engagement party etiquette here.
Book An Engagement Shoot
Capture those “just engaged” feels with an early engagement shoot! Not only does an engagement shoot help you feel more comfortable in front of the camera, but you can also use the imagery throughout your wedding invitations and wedding website.
Many wedding photographers will offer a complimentary or discounted engagement shoot as part of their package, so it’s worth doing your research.
Pop the Champagne
Now that the practical details have been sorted, it’s time to dive into the fun stuff! Planning a wedding can feel seriously overwhelming, so ease your way in with these 8 things every couple should do after getting engaged.
You can also find a bunch of modern wedding inspo and practical planning tips over on our @wedsites Instagram feed!
