Wedding Wisdom
Top 10 To Dos After Getting Engaged
Hello lovelies and happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed safe and healthy holidays and are now feeling, as I am, glad to see the back of 2020 and hopeful for 2021. Whether you’re a regular follower of Chic Vintage Brides, a friend, new visitor or fleeting passer by, it really is lovely to have your company as we start the new year.
If you are a new visitor, then an extra warm welcome to you! And if you have stumbled across these pages today as an excited, newly engaged bride-to-be wondering where to begin, a hearty congratulations – this post is especially for you! These are the top 10 to dos after getting engaged….. well, the top 10 after saying yes, shedding some tears, jumping up and down screaming, telling all of your loved ones, posting a ring selfie on Instagram and updating your Facebook status of course!…..
Photography by Q Avenue Photo
1. Choose Your Engagement Ring
Of course it might be that your exciting first job on the wedding planning path will be picking your pretty sparkler! And if it is, I don’t mind admitting to being more than a little envious. Because what could be a better way to begin the new year than shopping for your engagement ring?
You might want to start by swooning over these 21 stunners – that include diamonds, colored stones, budget friendly sparklers and unique settings….
Or, if you are really looking for something a little bit different, to take a peek at these 16 alternatives to the traditional diamond – because who knew sapphires came in teal??
Or if you have your heart set on an heirloom vintage or antique ring, then you must start by having a read of these Top Tips for buying a Vintage Engagement Ring from industry specialists and purveyors of pretty Trumpet & Horn….
Oh and to peruse a selection of my favourite engagement rings pop across to Chic Vintage Brides Pinterest board – there are some absolute stunners!
2. Find Your Ring a Home
For when it isn’t sparkling away on your finger, you will definitely be wanting somewhere pretty to keep it safe, so have a look at these 22 ring boxes for something befittingly beautiful for your engagement ring.
I am firmly of the belief that ring boxes shouldn’t be boring (and most definitely not cheap plastic!), in fact they should be almost as lovely as the precious cargo they carry. And I think these velvet ring boxes inspired by eras past could be just the thing for your vintage engagement ring!
The Mrs Box // Photography by Jose Villa
3. Follow A Few Wedding Blogs
Long gone are the days when brides-to-be were limited to subscribing to expensive and often un-inspiring, advert filled wedding magazines. Today the world wide web is awash with beautifully unique (and free!) wedding blogs to fit every imaginable wedding style, size, theme, budget and location. So find and follow a few, choose those whose voice and aesthetic you love and just see how quickly the ideas start flowing.
A few of my own personal favourites are Green Wedding Shoes for unique real weddings, Hey Wedding Lady for beautiful inspiration boards, and Magnolia Rouge for just plain gorgeous photography. Or head to Aisle Society – a hub of wedding inspiration from the very best wedding blogs around the world!
For more ideas, take a look at this carefully compiled list of the Top 100 Wedding Blogs (on which CVB is proudly listed!)…..
Oh and its not just inspiration blogs can help you with! Find the right blog for you (one that suits your style, theme, budget and wedding location) and check to see if they have a directory, like CVB’s Little Book of Chic. These hand-selected lists of some of our favourite wedding vendors are guaranteed to help you find just the right people to bring your dream wedding to life.
4. Set a Date
After “Congratulations!” and “Ooooh, let me see your ring…” you will be asked “When’s the big day?” A LOT! So, set a date – even if COVID means all you can do for now is narrow down a year and season! And you can always start looking at Save the Dates if it is too soon for invites. But don’t rush into it, remember these are your guests first impression of your wedding, and we all know how important first impressions are!
The above 4 lovelies all came from CVB fave Minted who always have the most fabulous collection of cards, magnets and minibooks!
5. Treat Yourself to a Manicure
For the next month or so all eyes will be on your ring finger, which makes getting engaged the perfect excuse for a spot of pampering. Take the opportunity to spend some time with the girls (because there will be p-l-e-n-t-y of time to spend with your new fiance over the coming months, or years, of wedding planning) and book in a manicure for you and your Mum, sister or/and besties.
Photography by Greg Finck Photography
6. Book an Engagement Session
If I could change one thing on my own wedding planning journey, it would be to have made the time to organise an Engagement session before our big day! Your engagement is an event well worth celebrating and capturing, so with all the excitement of wedding planning and dress shopping don’t forget to record it.
Photography – The Ganeys
Plus, an engagement shoot is the perfect opportunity to get a little practice in front the camera with your photographer! Photographer Emily Ganey shared these words of wisdom about the benefits of using your wedding photographer for your engagement shoot.
Oh and if (or when) you do decide to plan your engagement shoot, do pop back here as I will be sharing some great engagement shoot advice posts over the coming weeks; including ideas on what to wear, where to go, and some beautiful must have shots!
7. Say Hello to Pinterest
I wonder now how I ever managed to plan our wedding without it, so if you haven’t already, create an account and embrace Pinterest. It makes collating, bookmarking, organising and communicating all of your ideas so much simpler.
To start with though don’t focus too much about the specifics, don’t worry about finding THE dress, perfect gifts for your bridesmaids, or your dream centrepieces; just let the inspiration wash over you and be prepared to get lost in all of the pretty! Pin everything wedding (or even non wedding) you love, anything at all that makes your heart skip a beat or your hands tremble and see if a pattern, theme, scheme or look emerges….. but be warned, it is seriously addictive.
8. Follow Chic Vintage Brides on Pinterest
With a board for every wedding detail as well as every theme, colour, decade and style of wedding (or if there isn’t, let me know and I will create one!) I promise you will find something you love, so pop across, peruse some of the 56,000 pins (I told you it was addictive!!) and join 4 million brides-to-be, brides, wedding professionals by following Chic Vintage Brides here…..
Did you know Chic Vintage Brides was also named one of 10 Pinterest Boards to follow by Vogue Paris no less!
You will also find Chic Vintage Brides on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google+
9. Agree On A Budget
This number will affect every decision and purchase you make, so before you start planning (or even looking – for there is nothing worse than falling in love with a wedding dress only to find it is way out of your price range!) set a budget and agree with your groom to stick to it!
But don’t be pressured into thinking a beautiful wedding will break the bank and cost the earth, just take a peek at this beautiful bride and her budget friendly DIY wedding!…… Or here for more budget friendly weddings and money saving ideas.
10. Celebrate!
Most of all, if you are basking in the glow of a proposal popping New Year, bask a while longer. Yes, it’s true you have a lot of decisions to make in the next few months but, for now, take some time to enjoy being engaged. You may not be able to book a weekend away with your fiance, throw a party, or have a family meal right at this moment; however, before you start down the wedding planning path, just take a breath and enjoy being engaged!
Click here to see all the photos from this speakeasy inspired shindig. Photography by Chris Spira
Oh and of course, do stay a while and familiarise yourself with these pages! You will find lots to love including beautiful real weddings, advice and wedding planning tips from real couples, inspiring styled shoots, perfect colour palettes and inspiration boards, and more helpful hints and top tips to see you through your wedding planning journey.
Amy
x
