Engagement

First Things to Do When You Get Engaged

Originally published on Meidän Häät website.

When Eerikki and I got engaged we were in Venice, it was something around 10.30pm, and we were both on quite endorphin high. Neither one of us really knew what to do and how to be and even though we hadn’t eaten anything since lunch, we weren’t even hungry anymore. I suggested that we go have dinner regardless, it would probably do us good. So we sat down at the restaurant and I remembered that Google knows everything and so I googled what to do when you’ve gotten engaged. 😀 We bent over the phone like it was a magic eight-ball and started reading what we should do next.

The article that we read, ”18 Things to Do as Soon as You Get Engaged”, you can find here and because in that moment it was such a great find, I decided to write my own ”First things to do when you get engaged” list.

Our first picture engaged

1. Enjoy the Moment Together

I don’t think I’ll ever forget the moment after we got engaged and we were just wondering together what just happend and what do we do now. That’s why my recommendation is that you don’t rush to call everyone but give yourselves time to be excited and really enjoy the moment together, just the two of you.

2. Take Pictures

You’re going to want to have pictures of this moment so try to take a few together. In the next days and weeks you can take pictures of the ring, pics together and why not an official engagement portrait with a professional photographer if you want to and your budget allows it. Some wedding photographers offer a portrait before the wedding as a part of a wedding photography package so you get to practice picture taking with them. That way you can get an engagement picture with no extra cost.

There it is… the ring!!! 😀

3. Tell Someone

You’ve had time to enjoy the moment together and now you’re bursting to tell someone! Whether it’s your parents, siblings, friends or the neighbor, you’ll be dying to share the big news. Remember that you won’t need to inform everyone at once but don’t announce the engagement on social media until you’ve told your family and closest friends personally.

4. Get a Manicure

If there’s ever a time to get a manicure, that moment is now as everyone will be looking at your hand in the upcoming weeks.

5. Announce the News on Social Media (and Newspaper)

Once your close-ones have been informed personally, it’s time to announce the news on social media and if you’re more traditional, why not on the newspaper as well. Here you can announce it on Helsingin Sanomat .

6. Get Your Ring Sized

You wouldn’t want to lose the engagement ring but that’s a risk if it is too big. Then again a ring too small sounds very uncomfortable. If you’re not ready to let go of your ring to get it sized, you can try to put a smaller ring in front of a large engagement ring to keep it from falling off and then have it sized once you’ve had a chance to show the ring to your family and closest friends.

7. Buy a Ring for the Proposer

In Finland both parties of the engagement wear an engagement ring. Start discussing what type of a ring your future spouse wants. Remember that the ring can take several weeks if it isn’t something off the shelf.

8. Celebrate the Engagement

It’s nice to celebrate the engagement but a big engagment party isn’t the only option. You can also just meet up with your families for coffee and cake or have an engagement picnic with your good friends.

9. Start Thinking About Who You Want as Your MOH/Bestman/Bridesmaid

They will have a large role closer to the wedding but already in the planning stage they can help you with choosing the venue and picking a theme, for example.

10. Join a Facebook Group

Facebook groups are a good channel to share ideas and worries and look for wedding services such as catering, bands and photographers.

11. Set a Budget

Set a budget that doesn’t add to your stress during the year of planning. Remember to also budget for honeymoon and unexpected expenses.

It’s morning and the ring is still exciting!

12. Start Planning Which Season (and Year) You Want to Get Married in

Choosing the season is a good way to start planning the wedding. If you don’t plan to get married right away, you can start thinking what year you’d like to get married in.

13. Book the Venue, Band and Photographer

If you do want your wedding within the next year and a half, you’ll want to book the venue, band and photographer as soon as possible. If you are getting married in a church, you should book that right away too.

14. Take Some Time Off

Especially if you start planning your wedding right away the first few weeks after the engagement will be quite intense. If possible, take a few days off to avoid stressing yourselves out.

15. Get Inspired

There’s so many great sources for wedding inspiration. Try Pinterest, online, books, magazines, TV shows and wedding movies.

16. Get a Wedding App or Another Planning Tool

Internet and appstores offer a lot of wedding planning apps and tools with To Do-list templates, budget tools and much more.

17. Book Wedding Dress Fitting

To get a wedding dress sized, and to implement any other changes you want, can take up to eight months. Also you may think you want a dress in a certain style but once you try it on, it doesn’t feel right anymore. So going to try on dresses early can be a good idea but unless you’re on a tight schedule don’t buy anything right away. If your wedding isn’t for a long time, you may change your mind or get bored of your dress by then.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

en_USEnglish