And what to do before you start sharing the good news.

 

Congratulations, you’re engaged! Obviously the first thing you should be doing is popping that champagne (or other bubbly drink of choice) and celebrating! “But I’ve never been engaged before, what do I even do,” you say. Well, you’re not alone. Lots of people have no idea what to do after getting engaged, me included (more on that below). There are a million articles out there that talk about planning but this is not a post about planning. Sure, planning is important (and we’ll talk about that another day). But planning a wedding can also be stressful so why rush into making decisions about flowers and invitations and whether or not you have to invite your parent’s friends that you met once like 10 years ago?

You and your fiancé just made a HUGE decision! Let that sink in… Whether a proposal was involved or you both got caught up in a spontaneous and romantic moment and realized that you want to spend the rest of your lives together (#soupsnakes), you’ve decided to commit to another human forever. I am sending you ALL the virtual hugs! And I’m sharing 4 things you should do after getting engaged that don’t involve planning:

1. Take a Minute to Yourselves Before Sharing

I know you are just bursting with excitement (and maybe you want to scream it from the rooftops?) but enjoy this intimate moment! It’s like you guys are sharing this super romantic secret, so indulge in it! There are some moments in relationships that are more special than others. This is one of those moments. Take a second to remember everything about it. You will have plenty of time to share so keep this moment for yourselves.

2. Take a Photo

No surprise here, the photographer thinks you should take a photo. When Ben and I got engaged, taking a photo wasn’t at the top of our minds but as luck would have it, someone walking by saw what had just happened and offered to take a photo of us. It’s not the best photo by any means, but I love it anyway because looking at it makes me happy. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll remember this moment whether you take a picture or not. But having a picture reminds me to think about that moment more often.

3. Tell Your Friends and Family

Whether you want to tell each person individually or just get everyone on a zoom call, let other people get in on the celebration! And try not to be offended if when you tell people you have good news, they guess that you’re pregnant (oh, did that only happen to me?)… The people that care about you will want to shower you with the all the love. So let them! Once you are ready to tell others, soak in all the positive vibes your friends and family are sending your way. Surround yourself with people that will truly share in your happiness and celebrate your good news.

4. Go Out and Celebrate!

Whether you are celebrating alone or with others, make sure you commemorate this turn of events by going out to dinner (or mini golfing, or ice cream, or whatever it is you two do to celebrate). Everyone loves going out but it’s so much more fun when you have a reason like, oh I don’t know, getting ENGAGED! Get dressed up, maybe wear that fancy outfit you never had a chance to wear (we all have one of those in our closet), and just really savor this moment.