I'm Engaged. What Now?
A bride's guide to what to do after getting engaged
By Emily Brooks-Wilkening, a 2025 bride
The Moment it Happens
Getting engaged is one of the most exciting moments in life! The anticipation bubbles over into a burst of joy when the question is finally popped! You and your sweetheart should take plenty of time to celebrate and soak in the love and joy. When that moment has passed, though, what happens next?
Wedding planning is usually a long and stressful process. There are so many things to prepare, vendors to call, lists to make, and details to iron out before the big day arrives… where does a bride even begin? Don’t worry—coming from a recent bride, guidance is everywhere, you just need to know where to look. Here, I’ll give you some resources to check out, and I’ll impart some of the hard-learned lessons from my time as a bride.
Where to Start
Start with a budget
Alright, you’re engaged ans starting to wedding plan. The most important thing you should do to start is plan your budget. How much are you willing to spend on the overall wedding? Some things to consider when you’re deciding on a budget:
- Are you and your fiance paying for the wedding, is someone else paying, or are multiple people contributing?
- If there are others contributing to the wedding cost, how much are they willing to contribute?
- How many guests are you planning to invite to the wedding?
- Are you hoping to have a big or small bridal party, and how much of their costs are you covering?
There are more things to consider, but this is a place to start. Apps like The Knot and Zola have some budget planning tools that you can and should take advantage of if you need help!
Once you have your budget set, you can start breaking it down into the smaller parts. Here is an example of a common wedding budget breakdown, based on information from the knot:
If you’re looking for a place to physically keep track of all of your wedding planning information, like budget, guest lists, and mood boards for your designs, a wedding planning journal is a great resource. You can find tons of options on Amazon. Places like The Ceremony Club have options for planning journals and photo albums for every event along the wedding planning process.
Look for your Venue First
The wedding venue sets the tone for the whole event and the location for all of the other bookings and rentals you’ll need to make. This is arguably the most important part of the wedding planning process!
When you know your venue, you can decide what aesthetic you want your wedding to have, and tailor the details to fit the aesthetic you choose. As a pointer, Pinterest is a great place to find inspiration for your dress, decor, and other cool and unique ideas for your wedding day.
Find your Dress Next
Arguably, the dress is the second most important part of determining the overall aesthetic of your wedding. Your dress is a major factor in the aesthetic composition of your big day! It helps determine bridesmaids dresses, decor, and sometimes even the whole color scheme. It’s important, so make sure to start shopping for your wedding dress well in advance!
At Elegant Brides, we can help you decide which dress is perfect for you. Our certified bridal stylists are well versed in helping brides find dresses they love—sometimes, the one you choose surprises you!
Once you have your venue and your dress, the rest of your decisions will fall into place without too much friction.
Where to Start Your Vendor Search
There are resources all over the place! I recommend using The Knot or Zola to start searching for venues and other vendors. You can also take a more DIY approach by googling different options for venues and vendors in your area. In general, it’s a good idea to reach out to multiple vendors that look interesting, just in case the vendors you initially approach aren’t striking your fancy.
If you’re struggling to know what kinds of venues are for you or what kind of wedding aesthetic you’re interested in, The Knot and Zola both have quizzes to help you find out! You can also look on sites like Pinterest to see what kinds of styles interest you.
From the Elegant Brides team, congratulations on your engagement! We hope to see you soon!