Just got engaged? Here’s what to do first!
Celebrate. For crying out loud, could we just take a moment to pause and live in the moment? Unless you are getting married tomorrow, take a minute to celebrate. Celebrate that you found your forever love. Celebrate that you are starting your next chapter. Celebrate that you get to plan a party with all your favorite people. Celebrate that you are done dating (I know that was a highlight for me!).
This season is a short one and it will get stressful. However, if you start this season by celebrating and not launching yourself straight into planning, you will start your mindset off on the right foot. Your mindset is so important when you are entering your engagement era. It will help you navigate through all the endless decisions. It will guide you through stressful moments that are bound to happen. Your mindset will keep what is important at the forefront of your mind when you are planning your wedding.
You will feel this pressure to start booking appointments and researching all the things. Family, friends and people around you will start asking all the questions the moment you get engaged. “Where are you going to get married?” “When are you going to get married?” “What colors are you doing?” “What flowers are you going to have?” Literally you can be engaged for a week or less and these questions will start rolling in. It's okay to not have any of those answers and to just say, “Right now, we are celebrating and we will start to figure things out in the next couple weeks.” People mean well by these questions as they are excited for you too but it’s always a good idea to have a response ready if you’re not quite at the point to make decisions yet.
Let’s go over some ways that you can truly slow down and savor the moment.
Throw a party, big or small. It can be as simple as brunch with your closest people or an all out event at a venue. Whatever feels right for you as a couple.
Book an engagement photo session, not just to cross something off the list and get the save the dates ready, but to mark the season. Photo sessions can be fun and can capture so much love in an image. Make it personal to you as a couple and your story, not just what is trending right now.
Do something that is just the two of you. Maybe it's a weekend getaway. Maybe it's a cozy night at home with some take out. Maybe it's just writing letters to each other to open on your wedding day morning.
Purchase a keepsake. Maybe it’s a Christmas ornament or a picture frame. Start a journal or scrapbook.
What are we not doing right now? We are not stressing out about the guest list, the colors, the centerpieces, the favors, the vendors or the seating chart. It is okay to not have the answers to all the questions. It is more than okay (encouraged, actually) to slow down and just enjoy this short season. Give yourself the gift of presence before the planning. You are not behind. Everything will get done. The decisions will come. Everything will be beautiful.
Pop some bubbly and slow down to celebrate with your love.
Talk soon,
Nicole
