10 Things to Do After You Get Engaged (Central Florida Wedding Planning Tips)
- cintiaally
- Jun 3
- 4 min read
Here Are 10 Things to Do After You Get Engaged (After You Stop Staring at Your Ring 💍)
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS!! Whether it happened in an amazing location, at home in your pajamas, or during the holiday chaos surrounded with family… you’re engaged!! This is such a special, once-in-a-lifetime season, and before you jump straight into planning mode, let’s talk about what actually matters first.
1. Celebrate (like, really celebrate!)
This is your moment. Don’t rush past it. Call your people, pop some champagne (or sparkling cider), take way too many photos of your ring, and just soak it all in. Go out to dinner. Have an engagement party. Or stay in and relive the proposal story 47 times. You don’t get this season back. Let it be joyful and a little unproductive at least for the first couple weeks! If you’re probably working on a short timeline, give yourself at least a couple days to celebrate!
2. Talk about your budget (the not-so-glamorous but very important part)
Once the excitement settles just a tiny bit, sit down with your fiancé (and anyone who may be contributing financially) and talk numbers. No need to break it down into categories yet. Just figure out a total number you feel comfortable with. This will guide every decision moving forward (and save you from falling in love with things wildly out of budget… we’ve all been there).
3. Dream up your guest list (in two versions)
Start with your “dream world” list: everyone you’d invite if money and space didn’t matter. Then split that list into two groups:
Your must-have people (A list): People you would be devasted if they couldn’t come.
Your would-love-to-have people (B list): People you would love to have at the wedding, but wouldn’t be devastated if they couldn’t make it.
You’re A list people is your guest list. A venue that fits this number of people is what you’ll be looking for as you start looking for a venue.
4. Talk about your vision (what do you want your day to feel like?)
Before Pinterest takes over your brain, pause and ask: what kind of day do we want? Big party? Intimate and slow? Outdoors? Elegant? Fun and relaxed? Focus on the feeling first and everything else builds from there.
5. Pick a rough timeline or season
You don’t need an exact date yet, but having a general timeframe helps everything else fall into place. Think about weather (especially here in Florida 🫠), guest travel, and how long you want to be engaged.
Now that you’ve got the foundation, here’s where planning starts to get real:
6. Book your venue (this is the big one!)
The 6th out of 10 things to do after you get engaged is to book your wedding venue. This is one of the most fun, and most stressful parts, of the wedding planning process. Your venue determines your date, your guest count, your overall vibe, and it unlocks everything else. Once this is booked, everything starts to feel official.
But not all venues are created equal, and this is where things can vary a lot:
All-inclusive venues: These typically include catering, tables, chairs, linens, and sometimes even coordination and other vendors. They’re great if you want a more streamlined, less stressful planning experience.
Venues with basic inclusions: These might provide tables, chairs, and maybe a getting-ready space, but you’ll still need to bring in your own vendors for catering, décor, and more.
DIY or blank-slate venues: Think barns, outdoor spaces, or private properties. These can be beautiful and flexible, but they often require you to rent everything like tables, chairs, restrooms, lighting, catering… all of it.
None of these are better than the others, it just depends on how involved you want to be in the planning process and how you want your day to feel.
✨ Want help knowing what to ask before you book? Check out this blog post on questions to ask during your venue tour: https://www.cintiaallyphotography.com/post/wedding-venue-questions
7. Book your photographer and videographer
These are the people capturing your day, and they tend to book out quickly, especially for popular dates (Peak wedding season in Florida take place between October and April). Once you have your venue and date, reach out sooner rather than later. (And yes, this is your sign to find someone whose work feels like you.) If you're in Florida, I'd love to be concidered for your photo/video team! Here's more information https://www.cintiaallyphotography.com/weddingselopments
8. Lock in your planner or day-of coordinator
If you’re planning to have help (highly recommend!), now is the time to book them. A planner can guide you through the entire process, while a coordinator helps everything run smoothly on the day. Either way, future you will be very grateful! Trust me!
9. Secure your key vendors: catering, DJ/band, and florist
After your venue and top-tier vendors are booked, move on to the rest of your core team:
Catering (sometimes included with your venue!)
Entertainment (DJ or live band)
Florist (especially if flowers are a big part of your vision 🌸)
These vendors play a huge role in your guest experience and overall vibe.
10. Start thinking about the details (but don’t rush it)
Now you can start having fun with the smaller pieces like your dress, color palette, invitations, décor, and all the little touches that make your wedding feel like you. But remember: you don’t have to figure it all out at once.
At the end of the day, wedding planning will come together piece by piece. But right now? This is your “we just got engaged!!!” era, and it deserves to be full of joy!
So go celebrate one more time… just because you can. 🤍
Other blog posts with wedding tips and tricks:
Comments