Love is in the air during the holiday season and it is one of the most popular times to pop the question. If you’re the lucky owner of a shiny new ring, congrats! Your heavy hardware comes with a few big lifts to get the planning ball rolling in the right direction.
In keeping with the holiday theme, we’ve created a 12 Days of Engagement list to keep you organized and get your planning off to a good start.
On the First Day of Your Engagement: Call your friends and family. If you’re lucky enough to live close, you’ll want to make a personal visit to immediate family to share the good news. A quick selfie with your sparkling ring in full view will start a social wildfire.
On the Second Day of Your Engagement: Protect the rock. It’s always advisable to get insurance on your engagement ring. Your partner may have already secured insurance through a retailer. If not, policies are available through your homeowner’s insurance or other vendors.
On the Third Day of Your Engagement: Take time to daydream. This is a great opportunity to look through magazines, blogs and websites to help you develop your wedding vision. Make a list of must-haves for your big day.
Today, you can also set the date. Start by identifying the season you wish to get married in and then get out your calendars to come up with a short list of preferred dates.
On the Fourth Day of Your Engagement: Get a planner. Whether you use an online tool or an old-fashioned notebook, find somewhere to jot ideas, phone numbers and important dates and deadlines. This will keep you on track throughout the planning process.
On the Fifth Day of Your Engagement: Start your guest list. In order to book a venue, you’ll need to know how many guests you’re planning to invite. Consult with your families and start putting together a list of guests. Make early decisions on children and plus-ones.
On the Sixth Day of Your Engagement: Talk numbers. This is a sticky subject but it has to be tackled. It’s important to have an idea of what you’re comfortable spending before you meet with venues and caterers.
On the Seventh Day of Your Engagement: Call in reinforcements. This is the time to decide whether or not you’re going to hire a professional wedding planner. If so, you’ll want to involve them from the beginning as they have experience in all aspects of your wedding event.
On the Eighth Day of Your Engagement: Book venue viewings. The very best venues are booking more than one year in advance. Make a list of your favorite venues and book consultations as soon as possible.
On the Ninth Day of Your Engagement: Plan your party. Your wedding party that is. Take some time to discuss who you’d like to stand up with you on this special day. Plan a creative way to invite these special guests to the party.
On the Tenth Day of Your Engagement: Book the pros. Make a list of professional services you’ll need for your wedding and make arrangements to interview key players, such as photographers, a DJ or other live entertainer.
On the Eleventh Day of Your Engagement: Dream about your dress. Your dress design may impact the overall theme of your wedding so you’ll want to have a vision for this special element early on and start shopping.
On the Twelfth Day of Your Engagement: Celebrate. It’s been a whirlwind few days and you’ve made many important decisions, you’ve earned some quiet time together. Plan an evening out on the town to celebrate.
While these twelve things don’t actually need to be done in the first twelve days, we recommend tackling them as soon as possible as they are the essential planning elements and decisions that will get your dream wedding on the road to reality!
