Congratulations! You’re newly engaged!

We are guessing at this point you shared a photo of your ring on Instagram, and changed your status on Facebook. And of course took time to personally share the good news with the important people in your life.

But what do you do next?

Well, today on the blog we are sharing our 4 tips on helping you make the most of your engagement before you even start tackling the big wedding planning checklist. Yes, what to do before your start planning, and forget to enjoy the moment.

1. Celebrate, just the two of you

Once the reality sets in, and phone calls stop pouring in, it’s important to take time for the two of you to celebrate taking the next steps in your relationships. Plan an evening or activity for the two of you without your phones to celebrate. Before you know it, everyone will be offering to help with wedding planning, so soak in the moment and the love you feel. It’s important to keep doing little things like this throughout the planning journey so you remember why you’re getting married in the first place!

Not only will this time together be enjoyable when life gets busy during wedding planning. But, looking at some of these things can help you find details that reflect you and make your wedding more personalized.

2. Insure the Ring

We know you’re going to want to show of that new and shiny bling on your finger, but remember that this is going to be your forever accessory. At this point in the process insurance for your shiny new engagement ring is a MUST. Rings slipping off your hand, or diamonds falling out of the setting are sure ways to sour your wedding planning.

Call your local car insurance company - they tend to have a personal property insurance that is very affordable and easy to insure when you first purchase your ring. We also recommend getting your ring sized so that it fits properly and, treat yourself to a manicure if you haven’t already - because everyone is going to want to see your bling!

3. Discuss the vision for your wedding day

Before you involve any external parties in your wedding planning, it’s important to sit down and discuss what you both want and how you envision your wedding day. This can include budget, design, and any things that you absolutely want to have. Together, as a couple, look at the big pieces of your wedding that are important to each of you. Is a religious ceremony a big part of your life? Are you looking at a larger wedding or maybe a smaller destination wedding?

Each of you can make a list of three things that are most important to each of you. It might be an awesome band that fills the dance floor, it could be more low key with an incredible dining experience paired with wine. Knowing what is important to each of you is a big piece of getting started, especially before involving external parties.

4. Money and People

Everyone’s budget looks different, and that’s okay! It’s important to sit down and discuss a rough budget so that you can look for vendors and designs that will fit your budget and style. It’s never an easy conversation, but it is important to involve any parties that might want to contribute to your wedding day! The biggest thing is finding out who is contributing what and how much that is in dollar signs. Now a days, it is very common to see the couple put in a certain or majority of the cost. So take the time to look at your own finances before your meet with the external parties.

Once you have an idea of how much you have to spend, it’s important to look at who you want to invite. We suggest making more than just one list, but breaking them into A,B, and possibly even C categories so that you can ensure you’ve got everyone on a list. Then look at what you can afford, and which people from the list will make it. Be sure to also ask your parents and any other parties involved if there are people that they think need to be there. Of course, weddings can be costly, so its most important to have the people that you want in the room on your special day, and when in doubt, focus on the ones you know will be in your lives 5 years from now.