One of the happiest days of your life just occurred. He asked, you said, “Yes,” but what happens next? Chances are you may not know exactly what to do after he pops the question, so we at Bridal Spectacular put together the six steps a couple should take once you get engaged.
1) Announce Your Big News
First and foremost, you need to announce your big news! Traditional engagement etiquette recommends that a couple inform the bride’s parents of the engagement first (and let’s hope the groom-to-be already did his due diligence and asked the bride’s parents for permission before he popped the question). It is best if you can tell them in person; however if they live too far away try using Skype, FaceTime or a simple phone call as the next-best options.
Once the bride’s parents have been informed, then notify the groom’s parents immediately afterward, followed by your other family members, friends and of course those social media announcements and status updates! Once everyone has been notified, you or your parents may also choose to run an engagement announcement in the local newspaper.
2) Plan an Engagement Celebration
This is one of the most fun ways to celebrate your exciting news! Engagement parties can be as big as the wedding itself or you may just choose to invite your immediate family, the bridal party (if you’ve selected the members at this point) and close friends. Just be sure that you don’t invite anyone who won’t also be invited to the wedding.
In today’s wedding world, engagement parties can take place just about anywhere: dinner or lunch at a nice restaurant, a swanky cocktail party, or an outdoor barbecue. Choose a location that best fits you as a couple! In terms of hosting the event, traditionally the bride’s parents have hosted the first wedding-related affair, but many couples are opting to throw their own engagement parties nowadays. It is also ok to have more than one party. Perhaps you want to have a party for just your friends and close family and then your parents can throw a separate celebration with their friends and coworkers.
3) Attend a Bridal Show
With so much to do once you are engaged, it may be difficult to even know where to begin. Attending a bridal show is the perfect resource for a newly engaged couple to help you find all of your wedding vendors, such as venues, photographers, DJs and more. Bridal Spectacular’s next Bridal Show is just around the corner on August 15 and 16 at Cashman Center. Here, you’ll be able meet every wedding professional imaginable and get great ideas to help you plan your very own wedding!
4) Take Your Engagement Photos
Once you’ve found your photographer, it’s best to have your engagement photos taken early in your engagement. These photos are great to submit to your local paper with your engagement announcement, use on your save-the-dates and wedding website, as decoration at the wedding, and the biggest reason, it’s a great opportunity to test out your wedding photographer. If you plan to include these photos in your save-the-date announcements, have them taken eight to ten months before your wedding. This will give you enough time to get the photos back from the photographer.
5) Create a Wedding Website
The most modern way to do it! Many sites like TheKnot and WeddingWire offer easy-to-create personal websites that will help you communicate the story of your engagement as well as your wedding details to all of your guests. Once you’ve created a site, you can send an email letting your friends and family know the URL. You can also include this URL on your save-the-dates and wedding invites — which takes us to the next step.
6) Mail Your Save-the-Dates & Formal Invitations
Once you have announced your big news, gotten your engagement photos back and selected your wedding date, it’s now time to start working on your save-the-date announcements. If you are having a destination wedding (which Las Vegas is for many people) or getting married on a major holiday, you should give guests extra notice by sending your save-the-dates nine months to a year in advance. Otherwise, mail them at least six months before your wedding date.
Then, be sure to send your formal wedding invitations about eights before the wedding to give you time to count your guests’ RSVPs and continue planning one of the happiest days of your life!
For more wedding planning tips and inspiration, please visit http://www.bridalspectacular.com or follow us on Facebook, twitter and Pinterest. And, be sure to save-the-date to attend our Autumn Bridal Show August 15 and 16 at Cashman Center where you can meet Vegas’ top wedding professionals in person!
Receive $5 off admission when you buy tickets online! Click here and enter promo code: BRIDEBLOG14