Congratulations, you’re engaged! After the initial excitement begins to settle, you might find yourself wondering, “What’s next?” Well, you’re in for an exhilarating journey of letting friends and family know, wedding planning and everything in between! From little details, logistics and next steps to planning your wedding, to choosing the right photographer and engagement photos, here are some essential tips and tricks to get you started on this new adventure!

1. Celebrate and enjoy being engaged

Before diving into the planning chaos, take some time to really enjoy being engaged together. Savor these moments, it’s only a short time that you get to be fiancés/eés. You could plan a little stay/vacation and really let it all sink in if you’d like!

2. Share the engagement news with your family and friends

Whether you’re facetiming your besties and immediate family right after or waiting till you see people in person, have fun announcing your engagement! It’s always so exciting to see everyone’s reactions! I highly recommend letting those closest to you know personally before announcing it to the internet world (if you go that route!) so that it makes it personal and special vs. them finding out online or from someone else that saw it online. You could even have a small engagement party if you want to celebrate with everyone in one place.

3. Take care of the little post-engagement details as needed

Ring insurance, sizing, shopping for/designing wedding bands and all of that fun stuff and logistics!

4. Start making wedding/elopement plans

After you’ve had some time to celebrate being engaged, it’s time to talk wedding! How you celebrate the start of your marriage is such a personal decision and should be made without outside influences. Sit together and really dive into the specifics of what you are both envisioning and see if you can align as much as possible or meet in the middle where you differ. Going one way or the other just to appease the other can lead to resentment and regrets about your day.
I’m a little biased because I’ve been specializing in elopements for many many years, but I have heard time and time again from many couples that they regret having a larger wedding vs. something more personalized to them. This doesn’t go for every couple of course, but that’s why this step is SO important. Rather than rushing into picking a date, talk about how you want the day to feel and go from there.

Talk about your vision

Questions to ask yourselves during this step:

• What do you want to feel on your wedding or elopement day?
• Where to you want to go/what do you want to experience and see?
• Who do you want to celebrate with?
• Do you want to include some traditions or create your own?

I have a brainstorming guide you can sign up for below if you’d like to dive in a lot deeper with a guided worksheet!

Once you’ve had conversations about what you have envisioned for your wedding day, it’s time to set some specifics.

Discuss your budget

Budget isn’t the most fun topic in this equation, but it’s an important one, determining how much you’d like to invest into these memories and how you’re saving up for it will be key in making sure you don’t spend above your means or make decisions you’ll regret later. Decide what each of your ‘top two’ wedding/elopement must haves or vendors are and build from there. This also helps you determine a date if you want to forecast ahead and see if you need to build savings and have your wedding a little later, or if you’re able to have it sooner.

This blog will help you breakdown building a budget.

Choose a date

I always tell me couples to come into planning with a season/timeframe in mind vs. an exact date, unless you’re choosing it for a sentimental or specific reason. Knowing you want to get married sometime in the summer, or July, or September will give flexibility when searching for locations and vendors so you can adjust course based on their availability.

Find vendors you love

Vendors you jive with are super important to the over all feel and stress free aspects of your day. If you have capable and experienced vendors you’ll be the most stress free, whereas if you’re constantly the go-to or fielding questions, your day will be a little more hectic.

Some vendors you might need:

• Photographer:
• Wedding/elopement planner
• Videographer
• Venue
• Hair and makeup artist
• Officiant
• Florist
• Entertainment
• Baker
• Stationery designer

Make a guest list

Whether you decide no guests some guests, or all the guests. The guest list is important and really has an effect on the over all feel of the day. My rule of thumb is if you haven’t seen them in the last 6 months or a year and wouldn’t take them out to dinner and pay for their meal, you probably shouldn’t invite them to the wedding. I know that seems harsh, but the reality of the matter is, you shouldn’t feel like you *HAVE* to invite anyone to your wedding.

The more guests you have the more your wedding day will revolve around them and their timeline for events and when things need to happen. When dinner needs to be, how long you have for photos, when to have the ceremony, etc. Your budget will also play a role in making a guest list, because for traditional weddings it’s estimated that it’s around $300 per guest for food and decor.

Build a wedding website

This might be optional for you depending on what you end up deciding. I know some couples that are eloping still make a website so people who want to learn more about it can still be in the loop and/or contribute to a registry or something, but again, totally optional if you don’t have information you need to pass along to anyone.

5. Plan Your Engagement Photos

No matter how you choose to celebrate your wedding day, engagement photos are a great way to kick off this adventure! They not only create some lasting memories but can also be used for save-the-dates, wedding websites, or a photo display at your elopement or wedding.

Here are some steps to planning the best engagement session:

Choose the right photographer after getting engaged

Selecting a photographer is one of the most crucial decisions in your wedding journey. Building a relationship with someone you feel comfortable being yourselves around is super important so your photos truly reflect who you are as a couple. This goes for if you’re just hiring them for your engagement photos, but ESPECIALLY if you’re hiring them for engagement and wedding/elopement photos.

Here are some tips to ensure you pick the perfect professional to capture your engagement and wedding day:

• Look at Portfolios

Start by reviewing potential photographers’ portfolios to get a sense of their style and quality. Do their images resonate with your vision? Are their photos well-lit, well-composed, and emotionally capturing the subjects?

• Read Reviews & Hop on Consult Calls

Online reviews can provide insights into a photographer’s professionalism and ability to handle the pressures of a wedding day. Look for comments about how they interact with guests and manage the day’s flow. Once you narrow down your choices, set up consultations to see if you connect with them on a personal level. It’s important that you feel comfortable and relaxed with your photographer, as this will reflect in your photos.

• Discuss Logistics

Talk about your expectations, desired styles, the number of photos provided, turnaround time, and the rights to the images. Also, understand their pricing structure and what the package includes to ensure there are no surprises later.

• Trust Your Gut

After meeting with them, trust your instincts. The right photographer will not only have photos you love, but will also make you feel confident and excited about your big day.

This blog on How to Find an Elopement Photographer has more indepth details as well!

Select a Meaningful Location and activity

Think about locations that are meaningful to your relationship, and consider incorporating activities that you enjoy doing together.

Location ideas:

• Where You Met
• First Date Spot
• Proposal Site
• Favorite Hangout
• Scenic Landscape
• While on a trip

Activity ideas:

• Include a hobby or something you both enjoy doing together
• Try something totally new together
• Go on an adventurous tour like a helicopter, trailride or kayaking
• Stick around home, play games in your living room, build a fort

Coordinate Your Engagement Photo Outfits

Choose outfits that complement the activity and location while reflecting your personal styles. Stick to things you feel comfortable in, coordinate colors and styles vs. matching (unless it’s for a very specific purpose!). Incorporate fun accessories, layers and textures for variety.

Communicate with Your Photographer

• Discuss Ideas & Lean into your Photographers Expertise and Tips

Let them know your preferred style, and the activities you plan to include. The more your photographer understands your vision, the better they can really nail the look you have in mind. They can also add their own artistic flare which is always fun! Be flexible and open to your photographer’s creative ideas, which can enhance your photo session as well!

Relax and Have Fun

Your engagement shoot should be fun and memorable, just go with the flow and enjoy eachothers company!

If you want more specifics, this blog post on How to Plan The best Engagement Session is great!

6. Dive into more fun details!

Go shopping for your attire, taste foods or cake, book your honeymoon or your destination wedding tickets, dream up other adventures you want to go on, the sky is the limit!

Enjoy Your Engagement and Consider Your Options

Now that you’ve had time to celebrate getting engaged, remember that this engagement ‘era’ if you will is about dreaming together and deciding what suits your personalities and love story the best. Reflect on what feels right for you both, discuss your ideal scenarios, and let those ideas guide your next steps. Remember, this is your journey—cherish and enjoy every moment as you plan for a future together.