What To Do After You Get Engaged: Think About the Money, Honey, and Nail Down a Budget!

So, you’ve got a shiny new rock weighing down your left-hand and you’re wondering what to do next?

I’m writing a 4 part series about what to do after you get engaged! Follow this advice and get the hard part out of the way first! Then, you can move on to the fun stuff! We’ll talk about that in the next post!

Well, as soon as the newness of the word fiance wears off and you finally stop staring at your finger every time you put your hand on the steering wheel--it’s time to get to work! The first stop...YOUR BUDGET!

I know it sounds dreadful, but the truth is you can’t start dreaming about your engagement photos, go dress shopping, or pick out flower arrangements until you know how much money you have to spend. If you’re ready to do that now (and if you want to get to the fun stuff, I’m guessing you are) I have a few little pointers for you.

Source your wedding funds

The first step to nailing down your wedding budget is to figure out where the money will come from. Now is the time to consider how much you have saved or can afford, if your fiance is able to contribute, and if your families have planned to help you in any way. It might take a few conversations, but knowing how much money you have to spend up-front will save you a lot of headaches in the long run!

Consider ALL of the costs

It might take you by surprise, but there is more to planning a wedding than buying a dress and hiring a DJ. You will need to hire an officiant, consider transportation for your guests, and if you are planning to get married outdoors---don’t forget the toilets! In fact, there are even pre-wedding costs to calculate as well. Make a list of all your costs, and then be prepared to pare it down.

Write down your list of must-haves

Is the donut wall you pinned on Pinterest last week calling your name? Is hiring a great photographer at the top of your list? Would you die to have daisies flown in from Holland? Whatever it is you can’t live without you need to write down and set aside the money you are willing to spend. Then, once you see what you have left...choose what you are willing to leave out!

Keep it all organized

In order for your wedding budget to work in your favor, you need to keep track of your spending. Luckily, there are a couple of apps you can use to make that job a little easier. One app I really like is Wedding Happy. With Wedding Happy, you can use to stay on top of all things wedding including your budget without losing your mind. Enter your to-do list and all of your spending so you always know where you are and don’t have to stress going over budget. Of course, there are also other apps like Pocketbook and Track My Spend that you can use as well to make sure your cash isn’t going too quickly.