Yay! You’re engaged! Now what..?

He proposed. You said yes! *victory dance*. And now here we are. There are probably a myriad of things going through your mind during this time, but take a breath AND our advice on our top 10 actions you and your new fiancé need to think about:

1. Share the news!
This momentous milestone is (hopefully) going to happen just once in your life, so it deserves a bit of attention. Some couples opt for sms’s, Facebook, twitter, or bbm statutes. Or you could go the old fashioned route and call everyone on the telephone.

Photo credit: etsy.com

2. Get your ring sized and insured
Ok, this is a bit of a schlep, but if that ring isn’t sized correctly or insured properly, you may have a problem down the line if it gets lost or stolen. Something to think about...

Photo credit: glamour.com

3. Save the date ... or not
So, right after congratulating you and asking “Let’s see the ring...”, you're going to be bombarded with "When is the wedding?". It’s ok to not have a specific date in mind, so give people a vague answer like “Probably the end of next year” or “It really depends on the availability of the venue we choose”.

4. Start gathering info
Nowadays, there are wedding blogs and wedding websites you can peruse in addition to buying a stack of wedding magazines. This is where you get an idea of what kind of wedding you want (winter, summer, outdoor, cocktail, champagne breakfast, themed, not themed – view our blog post on 2012 wedding trends for some ideas) and how many (if any) bridesmaids you want etc. Create a scrapbook with all your favourite ideas as there is a ton of stuff out there... even we get overwhelmed!

5.Set the budget
This is going to determine the guest list, the location, the food, the dress, and in essence the type of wedding you'll have. Chat to both sets of folks about the (often touchy) subject of who is going to contribute to what and what you as a couple can afford. One of the main aspects of weddings nowadays (due to the high cost of living and the recession) is that they've become smaller and more intimate, with more personalisation and DIY taking place. Those mammoth weddings that feel like corporate functions are a thing of the past. You can have the wedding of your dreams on a budget if you do your homework!

6. Work out the guest list
This is going to determine the size of the venue you need. So it'is imperative that you get both sets of parents' input and create a guestlist that takes everyone into consideration, especially if parents are contributing to the wedding. Here's a helpful flowchart you can use to get that 300 count down to a more reasonable number: todaysbrideonline.com

7. Venue, Photographer, Dress
The venue will probably determine your date. Once you know the date, you can organise the photographer. However, bear in mind that if there is a specific photographer you want to use, they may be booked on that specific date, so it can be a bit tricky. A good idea is to get a list of available dates from the venue and the photographer so you can get the best of both! And then start worrying about the dress. Finding the dress of your dreams is a little easier than finding the ideal venue which can accommodate your guest list and your date.

8. Bridesmaids and Groomsmen
Now you can go ahead and pick who want to share your special day with you. This can be tough...good luck!

Photo credit: blog.thepopes.com

9. Take it easy!
Calm down! Don’t panic! The last thing we need is a nervous bride who over eats, over drinks or over smokes herself to death.

10. Focus on the marriage
And this is the most important. Spend less time focussing on the wedding day and rather focus on the constitution of marriage. Your wedding is one day, a marriage is a lifetime. Invest time and money in pre-marital counselling and have date nights where wedding talk is NOT allowed!

Photo credit: bitrebels.com