Engaged? Now What?
March 10, 2021
So you’ve found that special someone and are ready to take the next big step: getting married! Now that you’re officially engaged, you’ve posted a beautiful picture of you and your significant other, a picture of the wedding ring, and shared the news with all your family and friends. Now it’s time to start planning.
Wedding planning can be overwhelming to many, so breaking it down into more manageable pieces is important for every couple starting the process. At Kate Elizabeth Events, we want to be with every step of the way! So without further adieu, here’s our list of nine things you’ll want on your post-proposal list.
Celebrate the good news, plan an engagement party
Yes you’ve likely shared the good news of your engagement to everyone, but now you’ll want to consider setting aside time to celebrate the occasion. Planning an engagement party doesn’t have to be grandiose. Something simple and intimate is the perfect way to celebrate.
Brides.com shares 55 different engagement party ideas that can help start things off.
Though state officials are no longer regulating private gatherings, they still recommend limiting them to the number of people in your household. This is important to keep in mind if you’re considering not having an engagement party. 2020 is unique to most in that it’s not a faux pas to make things virtual, or cancel events altogether.
Whatever you plan, engagement party or not, remember to keep it safe and light. This is your time to celebrate and plan the wedding of your dreams.
Get your engagement ring sized correctly
Being engaged means you get to show off some of the love your partner has for you through a flashy engagement ring, but a fitted ring could be the difference between it sliding off your finger into a snow pile, never to be seen again, or staying snug and safe with you at home. “Loosey goosey” is not the kind of description we want for your engagement ring, so getting it to the right size is extremely important.
It can take about two weeks to resize jewelry, so it’s also better to get this step done sooner rather than later.
Depending on where your fiancé bought your ring, this could be a very easy step. Many jewelers will resize complimentary. If you don’t know where to go, Yelp shared 10 of the best places to get your ring resized in Salt Lake City.
While you’re getting your engagement ring resized, selecting a wedding band will help you accomplish one more item on your to-do list.
Find your wedding Pinspiration
If you’ve never looked at Pinterest for inspiration, now is the time, and Kate Elizabeth Events already has a wedding board to get you started! From venue inspiration to garlands, it’s important to nail down a visual aesthetic for your wedding.
After you’ve created a Pinterest board with your favorite looks, start sharing your ideas with your soon to be spouse and any others assisting you with planning. Most importantly, your wedding planner will be able to use these visuals to better understand your vision, likes and dislikes.
Visual goal setting through Pinterest or any other creative visual media site will help your dream wedding become a reality. Every couple at Kate Elizabeth Events has a customised portal with a designated design studio. In this design studio we create color palettes and design boards for every detail of your wedding day.
Select a wedding date
Every engaged couple needs a wedding timeline. No matter how long or short you plan to be engaged, it’s important for you and your partner to plan for a specific date.
It’s helpful to take a look at your inspiration for this. Do you want an outdoor wedding in Park City’s snowy mountains? Or a beach-themed ceremony? Though determining the time of year to get married is just as important as location, it becomes just as important to have a solid deadline for major decisions. So after you decide your date, break things down into monthly or even weekly deadlines. You will thank yourself for this when you can actually enjoy your beautiful wedding day and week instead of stressing.
Plan out a budget
We know, we know, this isn’t the fun part of being engaged, but whether your budget is one million or one thousand, planning it out is a necessity. Determine where your budget is coming from, who is contributing, how much you’ll be able to spend, and how much time you’ll have to save.
To figure out how much time you have to save, you’ll need to determine when deposits are due for venues, photographers, caterers, etc. This is where the next step of finding a wedding planner becomes handy. At Kate Elizabeth Events, we will assist you with allocating your budget based on standard percentages spent on each vendor in the industry. These budgets will be ball-park estimates until the final design is solidified, but it is a great starting point.
Find a wedding planner
Deciding whether or not you want to hire a wedding planner depends a lot on your initial budget and what you need help with. Wedding planners can cost anywhere from 5% – 15% of your total budget. Most of our couples who have Kate Elizabeth Events plan their entire wedding celebration spend 10% of their budget on planning and design services.
If you’re going for a stress-free engagement, a wedding planner may be the way to go. Coordinating with a planner can take the weight of decision making and research off your shoulders. Here are some of the benefits we offer at Kate Elizabeth Events!
- Budget analysis
- Event design and coordination
- Creating a guestlist
- Referrals to the best in the wedding business
- Wedding timelines and deadlines
- To-do lists to help your wedding dreams come true
Still not sure if a wedding planner is for you? No worries! Check out our blog post, Do I need a wedding planner? before making an official decision.
Research wedding venues
Think back to your Pinterest board. What setting do you imagine you and your fiancé getting married in? Now think about where you’ll realistically hold your wedding.
In Utah, there are so many beautiful places to get married to your significant other. From the State Capital to Montage Deer Valley, there are endless possibilities. For the outdoorsy couple, Utah’s many landscapes provide a beautiful background for any wedding ceremony or reception.
Beyond the traditional venue, you can rent a beautiful Airbnb or even keep things intimate by hosting at your own home. Find a location that feels right and move forward.
Pro tip: instead of searching “wedding venue,” try “event spaces.” Sure, you might find a lot of boring conference rooms, but you could also find a space you wouldn’t have thought of before. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box!
The main things to focus on in your venue research are your guest list size, budget, and of course, you and your fiancé’s wedding style.
Find a photographer that fits your style
Wedding pictures are everything. Years from now, it’s the memory holding photos you’ll be sharing with friends and family. So finding a quality photographer that will capture your special day is a must.
Here is a list of some of our favorite photographers in Utah:
Wedding Photographers
Relax and enjoy being engaged
Planning a wedding can take a toll on any couple, and yes wedding planning is important, once you’ve gone through all the big stuff, you can focus back on what really matters. You and the love of your life. You are engaged! Congratulations! Now is the time to enjoy every moment of it.
