Are you wondering what to do after your engagement? Here’s a step-by-step guide to start planning your wedding with ease.
Recently Engaged? Here’s What to Do After Your Engagement
Getting engaged is such an exciting milestone. You deserve to celebrate, soak in this chapter of your life, and start looking forward to everything ahead. But with that excitement can also come a bit of uncertainty about what happens next. If you’re wondering what to do after your engagement, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you ease into wedding planning feeling calm, confident, and excited!
Take a Moment to Celebrate Your Engagement
Before diving into wedding plans, give yourself time to simply enjoy being engaged. It’s such a special season in your love story and one that deserves to be savored. Spend some time being fully present with each other before the logistics begin. Laugh, hug, and let this moment sink in!
When you’re ready, share the news in a way that feels most you. Maybe that’s hosting a small celebration, FaceTiming your loved ones, or posting a cheerful announcement online. However you choose to share it, let it feel authentic and meaningful to you.
Begin Imagining Your Dream Wedding After Your Engagement
After you’ve celebrated your engagement, you can start dreaming big-picture about your wedding day. You don’t need to know all the details yet, but it’s smart to start imagining the overall vibe, the atmosphere, and the moments you want to experience! You might also consider whether you want to stay close to home or plan a destination wedding. This choice can shape your budget, guest list, and next steps.
If you’re attending any weddings soon, I recommend making a few mental notes about what you love and what feels less like you. Seeing a day unfold from a guest’s perspective can be an inspiring way to discover your own wedding priorities.
Lock in Your Key Vendors Early
One of the most important early steps after your engagement is to secure a few key vendors. Start with your venue and photographer, as these are often the most in-demand. If you’re drawn to a popular location or a peak season, it’s a good idea to reach out sooner rather than later to secure your spot. Booking your band or DJ early can also make a big difference, especially if the music is one of your top priorities!
As a New England wedding photographer, I find that most summer and fall Saturday wedding dates book about 12 to 18 months in advance. Destination weddings often fill even earlier, since they require extra time to account for travel. On the other hand, if you’re planning an off-season celebration or choosing a less popular day of the week, you may have more flexibility. They also tend to be a little more affordable, giving you extra room to splurge on the details that make your day uniquely yours!
Find the Photography Style and Photographer That Feels Right for You
Another thing to consider after your engagement is the photography style and experience you want. Don’t worry if you’re not sure how to describe it just yet. Instead of focusing on labels like “documentary” or “editorial,” think about how you want your photos to feel. Do you imagine them being romantic and soft, more posed and classic, or candid and spontaneous? Just sharing how you want your wedding photography experience to feel like during your consultation helps your photographer understand what’s most important to you.
A great way to start is by saving your favorite images on Pinterest or Instagram. Once you’ve gathered a few, think about what drew you to them. It might be how the couples interact, how the light feels, or what kind of emotion the images evoke.
It can also be really helpful to think about your personality. If you’re outgoing and love guest interaction, a documentary approach might suit you best. If you’re a little more reserved and want more intimate time with your partner, a hybrid or classic style may feel right. This stage is all about exploring what feels fun, comfortable, and most true to you!
How to Choose a Wedding Photographer
Choosing a wedding photographer can feel overwhelming, but browsing their website is a great place to start. Pay attention to what catches your eye. Think about their process, the experience they provide, and the resources they share. It’s also helpful to focus on the locations they shoot at, the overall feel of their photos, and whether it matches what you’re envisioning. Reading their testimonials, reviews, and guides is another way to get a good sense of what it’s like to work with them. Lastly, it’s helpful to see if they make sense with your overall wedding budget.
When it’s time to reach out to potential photographers, ask to see full galleries. This gives you a true sense of how they document the entire wedding day. It’s also helpful to see examples in different lighting, so you’ll know what to expect, rain or shine. If they haven’t photographed your venue before, ask to see work in similar settings, whether that’s inside, under a tent, or in direct sunlight. As you scroll through their photos, try to imagine yourselves in the images. Ask yourself if they feel like the kind of memories you want your wedding photos to hold.
My Personal Photography Style
As a wedding photographer, my style leans timeless and classic, with a soft documentary touch. I love a mix of elegant portraits and the quiet, in-between moments that happen naturally throughout the day. More than anything, though, my goal is to help you feel completely comfortable and confident in front of the camera. When you’re relaxed and at ease, your true connection fully comes through in your photos! You can learn more about how I do that below.
How I Help You Feel Comfortable in Front of the Camera
Reach Out Sooner Rather Than Later After Your Engagement
You don’t have to have every detail finalized before reaching out to your photographer or wedding planner. In fact, the earlier you inquire, the more guidance you’ll have. Wedding planners especially can connect you with a suite of other vendors that may fit seamlessly into your vision. As your photographer, I’ll help you shape a timeline that works seamlessly and serve as a resource to help make the day run smoothly. No matter which vendors you decide to hire, booking early also gives you one less thing to worry about, so you can enjoy this exciting time even more!
Optional: Book an Engagement Session
I always encourage couples to do an engagement session as a way to celebrate this exciting chapter in their lives! It’s also a great opportunity to get comfortable in front of the camera and build a connection with your photographer before the wedding day. If you’re feeling a little camera-shy, it’s a relaxed way to practice, commemorate your engagement, and capture playful, joyful moments that are all about you as a couple. If you want, you can read my full post about how to prepare for your engagement session!
Wedding planning can feel like a lot, but you don’t need to have everything figured out all at once. By starting small and focusing on the key details first, the whole process feels a lot more manageable. I hope that you feel much more comfortable about what to do after your engagement. It’s such an exciting time in your life, full of love, joy, and anticipation for the future. And if you’re ready to start planning your 2026 wedding, reach out! I can’t wait to create something beautiful together.
Looking for inspiration after your engagement? Read about these weddings below!
as seen on
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