Getting engaged to the one you love is the most wonderful thing. As well as being a major milestone in your relationship and the beginnings of some very exciting wedding preparations, it’s a reason to celebrate your love for one another.
But before you rush to your preferred social media platform and start posting about your engagement, you may want to read the following pitfalls for newly-engaged couples.
1. Don’t post on social media right away
Social media is an excellent tool when used correctly, especially when you have some pretty big news to share.
But newly engaged couples shouldn’t underestimate the power of personal engagement announcements.
Before you announce your engagement on social media, spill the beans to your nearest and dearest personally. Your parents, grandparents, siblings, close family members, and best friends should always be the first to know.
Those with children from a previous relationship should also share the news in person first as The Knot explains:
“If you or your partner has children from a previous relationship, they should always be the first to know about your engagement. If they’re getting a new stepparent (and maybe a stepsibling or two) your family dynamic will change, and they’ll need time to process.
When you share the news, be sure to give your kids lots of undivided attention so they can ask questions and talk to you openly about the engagement.”
2. Don’t say “yes” to every wedding request now
With the average UK wedding taking 528 hours to plan, it’s safe to say that finalising the details of your wedding day is a long way off after you get engaged. A fact that means you shouldn’t ‘jump the gun’ with those early wedding requests.
Time and careful planning are two things you’ll need in abundance when planning the wedding day of your dreams.
This means your parents’ requests to have a say in your guest list and your bridesmaid’s grand plans for their own dresses can wait!
3. Don’t rush into choosing your wedding party
As we mentioned it takes a long time to plan a wedding, so don’t commit to choosing your wedding party right away.
Whilst there’s certain to be several VIPs that have always been there for you, you can never be certain who you’ll be close to when the business of wedding planning is all wrapped up in one to two years.
Other questions need to be answered before choosing your wedding party too. How big your wedding will be for example can dedicate the size of your wedding party.
Before you choose your wedding party, we recommend researching the duties of each role before deciding the perfect person for the job.
Here’s what to expect from your best man to get you started.
4. Don’t wear an engagement ring that doesn’t fit
After that all-important question has been popped and you’ve said “yes”, chances are you’ll want to keep that engagement ring firmly on your finger.
A poor-fitting ring that’s either too loose or too tight however isn’t a good look and won’t feel too great either. Your engagement ring should fit snugly. A great-ffitting ring should slide on easily yet require a little pull to remove.
Getting your engagement ring resized isn’t as difficult as you think. An experienced jeweller will be able to complete alterations to achieve the perfect fit in no time at all so it’ll be back on your finger as soon as you know it.
5. Don’t buy your wedding dress too early
There’s no harm in trying on wedding dresses after your engagement. In fact, many brides-to-be do this to celebrate their newly engaged status. But you should never buy your wedding dress during those early days of wedding planning.
Buying your wedding dress too early is likely to lead to dress regret.
Read our essential guide to avoiding dress regret for more top tips.
6. Don’t book suppliers before establishing the finer details
Those weeks after engagement should be enjoyed together, which means delaying wedding planning for the time being.
If you’re eager to get started, the early days should be used to gather inspiration and make the key decisions that will shape your big day. These key decisions shouldn’t include booking suppliers.
Use this time to agree your wedding budget, and decide on your wedding theme and colour scheme. Your wedding venue should be the first thing that you book.
Your venue defines your wedding size and ultimately your guest list, and can even influence your wedding theme.
Ready to kick-start your wedding plans? Book a Covid-secure on-site viewing or virtual tour of Bourton Hall, and tick that all-important to-do off your wedding planning list.
