Just Got Engaged? The 10 Things You Need to Do First

Gulmohar inc.
Apr 25, 2020
4 min read

He’s just popped the question - You said yes.

Or in Indian wedding scenarios, his parents popped the question to yours and you said yes!

Anyway, Congratulations! You’re now engaged and officially a bride to be.

Before you start planning anything – you should take a deep breath and read on for first steps on exactly what your moves should be if you just got engaged.

1. Take some time to just be happy together.

The moment you realize it’s happening. It’s happy news, and you’ll want to tell everyone you have ever met. But remember this: That electric moment of sheer, adrenaline-fueled, dopey love-drunkness you feel after your partner says “Will you? and you say “Yes”? That moment is one you can never reproduce. So soak in that “just got engaged” feeling for as long as you can, just the two of you. Don’t feel pressured to start calling people or making decisions right away—everything can wait. Instead, pop a bottle of Champagne, cry together, laugh together, celebrate… whatever! Just close yourselves up into your engagement bubble for as long as you want to and revel in the beauty of the moment. You’ll be glad you did.

2. Call Your Loved Ones

Yes, you want to post that ring on Facebook and shout about your everlasting love from the social media rooftops. But hold back - your family, close relatives, and friends should hear it from you. Make a point to call or text everyone who is close to you and tell them this happy news personally! You wouldn’t like to know that your BFF got engaged via social media, would you?

3. Perfect your proposal story for the GRAM.

Since he went down on his knees for you, everyone would want to know the story. So perfect your proposal story and make everyone go ‘awwwww’. A little sugar and spice on top never hurt anybody ;) Then Instagram the best 'Engagement ring' selfie ever. Be creative while taking that perfect ring selfie. #isaidyes

4. Have A Family Lunch

If your families haven’t met before, this is a great occasion to celebrate as well as meet the other side of the family. Have lunch or brunch where you all can relax and enjoy each other’s company. This is a great place to even start discussing engagement party plans or even wedding details!

5. Think about your wedding timeline.

Some couples might want to tie the knot immediately while some may want to wait for a year or more. Consult a pandit for an auspicious date as per your kundalis, in case you believe in that. While there is no right or wrong in this, you may want to discuss a tentative timeline that you both are okay with – say next December or maybe next summer – and then work from there!

6. Get inspired!

You don’t have to lock down any solid wedding plans until you’re good and ready, but it’s a great idea to start gathering inspiration and checking out wedding websites and magazines. With your partner, start identifying overall styles and themes you like, create a Pinterest account (you’ll thank us later!), and go wild! This isn’t yet the time to start narrowing things down, so anything that catches your eye should be archived. As the time to start buying and booking things gets closer, you’ll have a much clearer idea of your wedding vision, the more you see and explore the industry, and the inspiration available to you. This is the fun part, so have fun!

7. Throw a small party!

A small Roka ceremony or just an intimate engagement party at home after the proposal is a great idea. This is the best time to celebrate your happiness with your friends without having to break the bank! Enjoy being engaged before you get knee-deep into all the fun of budget spreadsheets, venue visits, and sangeet practices!

8. Book An Engagement Shoot.

If you love photographs as much as well do, go ahead and book yourself an engagement shoot! Engagement photos are an excellent opportunity to practice hamming it up in front of a professional photographer before your wedding day. Also, it’s a great chance to check out a photographer’s work that you have been eyeing to book for your wedding!

9. Create a Budget & Start a wedding fund.

Start your budgeting. It's very important to figure out what your parents are paying for and what you are paying for and start saving for that drool-worthy lehenga you spotted on Instagram or Pinterest. As a couple, you can even start a savings account and add a small sum to start. It’s a beautiful thing you can do as a couple looking forward to the day your lives will be joined forever.

10. Finally, Get To Planning!

Once you’ve spoken to the families, discussed tentative wedding details – start planning your wedding. Start shortlisting destinations, venues, guests and wedding planners, Create categories of what all you want from your wedding along with your spouse and divide the work so you both can be equally involved in the planning!