The “Just Engaged” Checklist. Things You Should Do Today

Eight Things to Do and Read if You’ve Just Gotten Engaged

Getting engaged can be a joyful, but sometimes overwhelming experience. Planning a wedding is a great undertaking, but you don’t have to do it alone. Your fiancée, friends or other professionals can help. Here is a list of eight things to do and read to get you started.

Things To Do: Preliminary Planning

Start a savings account for money that will go towards your wedding, so you won’t have to worry about money when the time comes to start spending.
Make sure your beautiful engagement ring fits! Get it resized, if needed, and insured. Pick out your fiancée’s ring together, and your wedding band if needed, and insure those rings as well.
Start planning your bridal party, getting in touch with potential bridesmaids and groomsmen to see when they will be available to attend your wedding and accompanying meetings. Start planning your guest list.
Decide on a venue and make the reservation for your wedding date. Start looking for a dress, and decide who you will hire as your florist, caterers, musicians, or any other staff needed for the wedding. Send out wedding invitations.

Things To Read: Helpful Guides

These four pages will give you plenty of ideas on how to plan the perfect wedding!

TheKnot: TheKnot is your go-to guide for all things wedding, providing excellent ideas for rings, dresses, venues, hairstyles, cakes, wedding themes, and more! Customize searches by style preferences so you will get the most relevant results for your wedding needs.
Ultimate Wedding Planning Checklist: Real Simple: This helpful checklist gives a timeline over 16 months, the length of the average engagement in the U.S. For a shorter or longer engagement, adapt this guide to fit your situation.
Loverly: Wedding Inspiration, Wedding Ideas, Wedding Planning: This website is great for freeform wedding brainstorming. Search by term or color, browse the latest wedding trends on “shuffle,” explore by category (dresses, rings, décor, and more), browse wedding themes and photos, even read wedding blogs.
100 Sentimental Wedding Ideas You’ll Want to Steal: Click through this slideshow by the Huffington Post to get ideas for including your loved ones in the wedding, personalizing your wedding fashion, celebrating the special time with your fiancée, ceremony and décor ideas, incorporating family heirlooms, and how to commemorate your special day afterwards.

Happy planning!