Needless to say, getting engaged is easily one of the most exciting moments in a couple’s lives together. From choosing the ring, to popping the big question, an engagement is an unbelievably exciting and memorable experience for couples.
If you’ve come across us here at Larkspur Lodge because you’re recently engaged, congratulations! Whether you’re in the process of planning a wedding and looking for a unique venue, or you’ve just stumbled across us out of curiosity, welcome – we’re here to share our top tips for what to do first after getting engaged.
1. Enjoy the moment
Wondering what the first thing you should do when you get engaged is? The answer is to enjoy the moment. Getting engaged is a rare and very exciting experience – and chances are, the partner that proposed put a lot of thought into how they’d do it.
So, the first thing you should do after getting engaged is to celebrate the experience and enjoy it together – after all, it’s a moment you’ll remember forever!
Whether you’re on a nice holiday, out for a romantic meal, revisiting your first date spot, or relaxing at home, you should take the time after getting engaged to really appreciate the moment rather than worrying about what to do now that you’re engaged.
2. Announce your engagement
After the initial excitement of saying “yes” and celebrating with your new fiancee, the next step is to share the wonderful news with your loved ones. But who do you tell first? Well, that’s entirely up to you! Some people choose to tell their parents or closest family members first, as they are often the ones who have been eagerly waiting for this moment.
Others may prefer to tell their closest friends, who may have helped in the proposal planning process, and have been there throughout the relationship.
Whichever you choose, the important thing is to share the joy with those who mean the most to you.
Once you’ve shared the news with your nearest and dearest, you may decide to take it a step further and announce your engagement on social media. This is a great way to let your wider group of friends know about your exciting news. Whilst it’s not essential, and many couples may opt to just tell friends and family directly, posting a picture of you and your partner can be a great and convenient way to share your happy news with those who don’t stay in touch as regularly.
Announcing your engagement is a special moment, so take your time and think about who you want to share this news with first. Remember not to leave anyone important out, and cherish your loved ones’ reactions to your engagement!
3. Host an engagement party or celebration
Another great way to fully immerse yourself in the happy period of being engaged is by celebrating with an engagement party or get-together.
Whether you opt for a big party, a small gathering or a nice meal out, an engagement party is all about celebrating your happy news and getting excited about planning your wedding day with your loved ones.
4. Set a budget
Once you’ve celebrated your engagement and shared the news with your friends and family, you might feel that it’s time to start planning your wedding. Whilst it can be tempting to jump right into choosing the perfect wedding venue and thinking about flower designs and bridal party dresses, you may find that it’s easier to start by setting a budget.
Setting a budget before the major wedding planning and preparation begins means that you have a limit you know you must work within, and will help you to prioritise what means most on your big day.
Plus, when you start out knowing your full budget ahead of booking anything, you then have a better understanding of how much money you have to allocate to each area of wedding planning, making it easier to prioritise what’s most important to you and your partner for the big day.
5. Discuss potential wedding dates
Ready to get into planning mode? Often, the first step is choosing when you’d like to tie the knot – even if it’s just an idea of a month or season that you both fancy for your wedding day.
However, you might find it difficult to choose an exact date ahead of selecting a wedding venue, which leads us to our next step…
6. View different wedding venues
Whether you’re set on a summer wedding or dreaming of a winter wonderland, one of the first things you’ll need to do is select your wedding venue – then, you’ll be able to book your wedding date and start your countdown!
We’d recommend first considering any specific criteria you’d like as part of your wedding venue as this can help to shape your search. You might want to start by searching different wedding venue types or aesthetics, and saving anything that particularly interests you. Then, when you’ve got an idea of what you’d like your day to look like, you can start searching for similar venues near you.
If you’re looking for countryside surroundings, rustic vibes and a unique setting, why not come and view Larkspur Lodge, our Cheshire wedding barn? Located just outside of Knutsford, our beautiful exposed beams and quirky features make us a popular venue for weddings all year round.
7. Think about your wedding theme
Once you’ve secured your dream wedding venue, you can fully enjoy planning your wedding theme and decorations!
You may find that finding your perfect colour scheme, flower arrangements and decorations is much easier when you know what your venue looks like. It also means that if you find a supplier who you’d like to use, such as a florist, you can then discuss your wedding date and venue with them.
8. Choose your wedding party
Another exciting thing to do after getting engaged is selecting your wedding party. It’s a chance to get the people that you love and trust most all together, and ask them to stand by your side on one of the most important days of your life.
Your wedding party won’t just support you emotionally – they’ll also play a significant role in helping to plan and execute your wedding. From being your bridesmaids or groomsmen, to helping with your Hen or Stag, they will be there every step of the way.
So, when choosing your wedding party, make sure to mark the special moment by spending some quality time together and making sure that your closest friends know how much you appreciate them.
9. Plan the guest list
Once your close family and wedding party know about your planned wedding date, it’s then time to discuss the wider guest list together and send out save the dates.
It’s for this reason that setting a budget early on is important – as this will allow you to set a realistic number of guests ahead of time, and discuss numbers when booking suppliers such as caterers.
10. Look at potential suppliers and caterers
You’ve secured your ideal venue, set the date and thought about the guest list. Now, as you enter the full planning mode, you’ll want to start thinking about your suppliers.
Wedding suppliers include but aren’t limited to: caterers, florists, a band or DJ, photographers, videographers, wedding cake bakers, makeup artists, hairdressers… The list goes on – so it’s important to try and book these in plenty of time so that you don’t miss out on a supplier you’ve got your heart set on.
Rustic barn wedding venue in the heart of Cheshire
Dreaming about a rustic, unique wedding venue in Cheshire? Our wedding barn is the ideal venue for couples searching for a timeless venue full of charm.
If you’d like to find out more about Larkspur Lodge, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or download our brochure today, we’d love to be a part of your special day.
