I Just Got Engaged! Now What?

You just got engaged and you're starting to come off the high of that special moment, and the reality that you have to start planning a wedding is starting to sink in. Where do I start? What's the first thing I need to do? How do I let people know I'm getting married?

For starters, one of the first things you need to do is to decide on a date! I know that sounds easy, but when you look at the calendar you might find a lot of other things already competing for your time. Once you decide on a date, you should probably both agree on the city and state in which you are going to be married. It has been customary for the couple to get married in the bride's home city and state, but with so many people moving off together, you might decide to get married right where you live now. Be considerate of your guests in your decision, taking into account how easy or difficult it might be for people to travel to you.

Once you've decided on the date and location, you're ready to order your Save the Dates. This is an important thing to remember, because today people have many more obligations and you want to make sure people reserve your date so they don't schedule something else. Since it is most likely that your wedding date is going to be a year or more away, we highly recommend that you order save the date magnets, as opposed to just a save the date card. Save the date magnets can be placed directly onto the refrigerator so people won't lose your card and forget the date.

When ordering save the date magnets, consider choosing a company that offers a way to include your photo into the design. Many people that you are going to invite may not have even met your bride or groom-to-be and this is a great way for them to see you two together. Including a photo on your save the date magnet also makes keeping it on the fridge a more natural thing. It is much more fun for people to see the two of your faces on the fridge as opposed to a boring announcement with just words. Believe it or not, many people will also place your save the date magnet into a scrapbook as a keepsake to be remembered years from now. Choose a save the date magnet printed on photo card stock with a magnetic striping on the back side to ensure that it is archival quality. Many floppy magnets will not last over time and cannot be scrapbooked.

Once you have the save the date magnets ordered, now it's time for the two of you to just enjoy each other for a few weeks and share your dreams and hopes of your life together. Don't rush into searching for your dress, worrying about tuxes and planning the menu. You'll have plenty of time for that. Take a few weeks to just be with each other and talk about how each of you would like your wedding to be. Once you both have a good understanding of each other's expectations, now you can start the planning process and it will be more fun with less conflict because you took the time to communicate before going into a planning frenzy!