Congratulations! You’re engaged and it’s time to start planning your wedding. As a Boise wedding photographer I’ve been to many different beautiful weddings, but wedding planning is a lot! According to an American Wedding Study survey, the average American wedding costs $32,641. And that doesn’t include some of the more popular expenses like engagement rings and honeymoons. There’s no doubt about it – weddings are expensive! If you want a small gathering or want a big bash with 500 family members and friends. We’ve got you covered. There are ways to save money while still enjoying your special day. Here is my list of 6 essential things to do after you get engaged.

Spend Time Together – Enjoy Being Engaged

After you get engaged, it’s important to take time to enjoy your engagement. You’ve been waiting for this moment all your life. Now you can finally relax and be happy with the person that makes you happy. Here are some things that will help:

• Plan a date night or weekend away. It’s easy to get caught up in planning the wedding and meeting with vendors, but don’t forget about each other! Go out on dates together and enjoy being engaged.

• Celebrate with friends and family. Have fun celebrating your engagement with those closest to you. Consider throwing a small party or just having dinner out as a couple. Celebrate this time together and remember why you chose one another. This is added to my list of essential things to do after you get engaged because this season of life needs to be enjoyed.

Decide on a Wedding Budget

Now that you’ve decided to get married, it’s time to decide how much you can afford. Your wedding budget will help determine the size and style of your wedding. Before making any final decisions about your big day, sit down with your partner. Discuss what is important to each of you. Are there financial limits? Do either of you have a specific dream in mind? Is there anything in particular that must be included in the planning process? Once these questions have been answered, write down all expenses. This will make things easy for both of you to see at once when looking at different vendors or venues.

If after setting up this initial list, it becomes clear that there aren’t enough funds available for everything on your wish lists, pivot. Couples should try not only to look into ways they can save money. Consider picking your top three must haves for your wedding, after that let the rest fall within budget.

Create your Guest List – Essential Things to do After You Get Engaged

The first thing you should do after getting engaged is create your ideal guest list. I don’t think you should go through and get into the nitty gritty of it, but get a general idea. This can be a daunting task, especially if you’re not sure how many people to invite or who exactly to include.

The first step is to make sure that all of your family members and friends are included in the process. That means parents and siblings too! You’ll want them there on your big day so they don’t feel left out or forgotten about in any way.

As far as deciding who else gets an invite goes, think about those people whom you would like at the wedding. Oftentimes we think we need to invite everyone we know, however, more guests equals a higher budget! Finally, consider whether any potential guests could cause drama on such an important day. This is supposed to be a day full of enjoyment and happiness.

Run To Pinterest for Inspiration

Pinterest is a great place to find ideas for your wedding. You can look at other people’s weddings and get inspiration for the things you want. Or even just browse through pictures of dresses that you think would look good on you.

Of course, Pinterest isn’t the only place where you can find inspiration for your big day–but it’s an excellent one!

Decide Where You’ll Get Married and Hold the Reception

Once you’ve decided to get married, the next step is deciding where to hold your reception. The venue should be a reflection of who you are as a couple. It should also accommodate your guest list and be located in an area that is convenient for everyone attending. Not just those who live nearby or can afford travel expenses.

The most important thing when choosing a location is affordability. Once guests have RSVP’d yes, it’s unlikely that anyone will cancel at short notice if they have already made plans around their attendance at your wedding. Remember: You don’t need an extravagant setting for your big day!

Book your Vendors – Essential Things to do After You Get Engaged

Next on your list of essential things to do after you get engaged, book your photographer and florist and caterer. Book your photographer. One of the best ways to ensure that you have great pictures from your big day is by booking your photographer early. This way, they can get to know you and help plan out how they want to shoot the various moments throughout the day. As well as make sure they’re available on the day itself.

Book your florist and caterer. Once you’ve found someone who can do what needs doing at a price point that works for both of you, book them right away! This will prevent any last-minute scrambling if something falls through or gets too expensive due to demand or weather issues. It also ensures that those vendors will be available when needed most–during wedding season itself.

Congratulations on your engagement! We hope that this has inspired you with some ideas for what to do next. Of course, there are many more things to consider as well. If you need help planning your big day, feel free to reach out.