Getting engaged is a more-than exciting time! You’ve got a beautiful new rock on THAT finger (diamond, emerald, sapphire, whatever that gemstone is, it’s gorgeous!!), a new pep in your step – it’s called bride-stride and it’s with you now until your wedding day, and a new glow about you that’s got everyone saying “oh yeah, that’s a bride right there”… and guess what? It’s a glorious thing, especially after the year we’ve all been having! That being said, once your bar cart starts running low on champagne and you realize your sparkler needs its first shine, it might dawn on you that it’s time to start getting serious about wedding planning! It can be stressful, sure, but that’s why best friend advice is only a text away and big girl diaries exist in the form of adorable adult journals. You can also use that stride of yours to head online and check out some fabulous Style Me Pretty best-for-a-bride buys. Guaranteed to get that wedding planning game of yours in high gear. It’s not always easy being a bride, but it doesn’t have to be hard, especially if you can lean into it with cute, helpful things that celebrate your single-no-more status!
Every pair of newly-planning partners has a preferred way to jump into planning, but we can certainly vouch for this way to get ready for the vows:
Get organized.
Once the dust has settled and you’ve stepped firmly into your new role as bride (or groom), it’s time to go all in on the planning front. We’re big believers in beginning the bridal journey with a binder – many of us even go back to our own planning binders from way back when, even just to remind ourselves that an organized altar-ego did exist at one time. And we’re not shy about bragging about ours… Our bliss-ensuring blush bridal planner kit comes with a TON of checklists, timelines, and worksheets to help brides stay buttoned up with all their I Do to-dos. We’ve made sure to include everything that couples need to get hitched without a hitch, with enough room for notes that might even make meaningful keepsakes for future brides.
Want some extra points to start? Instead of going into your planning process blindly, fill your binder with our brand-new Ultimate Wedding Guide Collection. We’ve enlisted the help of our amazing community of Little Black Book vendors to create these educational, step-by-step guides to walk you through every moment of your wedding journey.
Each guide was specifically designed to take the guesswork out for you, equipping you with the knowledge and inspiration you’ll need to truly plan your dream wedding like a pro. Just consider our guides your perfect planning companions – here to provide you with support and guidance as you navigate this unique, complicated, yet incredibly beautiful time. From deciding on your ‘I Do’ dream team to choosing your venue, hunting for your dream dress to figuring out your floral look, all the important know-how can be found here!
Update your cheering squad.
We get it, given how unpredictable 2020 has been, it’s been easier that it’s ever been before just to share things on social media and hope that news will travel to all your important parties thereafter. But keeping your VIPs (parents, siblings, close family, and best friends) up-to-date with your wedding developments as they occur is a really nice gesture and courtesy. Your tribe will be along for the [engagement] ride, so they’ll want to feel included in all the big things leading up to the big day. Zoom calls and/or FaceTimes work perfectly for pinging your special people when you’ve picked a date or landed on the place, tried on THE dress or scouted out an equally fitting save the date!
Take a ring selfie.
Now granted, a proper ring selfie, post-proposal, usually signals the start of your engagement, but with everything going on in our world these days, it wouldn’t be surprising for a ring selfie to get pushed to the ‘eh, this feels a little too me-me-me, doesn’t it?’ backburner. Self promotion on the Gram just doesn’t hit the same way when a global pandemic is still part of our reality. That being said, even if you don’t feel comfortable posting anything on Insta at present, you can still take a ring selfie and keep the pictures in your phone to look at and be reminded that ‘Yes, you’re SO engaged.” Whether it’s a photo of the two of you together (in all of your quaranteam glory) or something more lowkey like a silhouette of your ring box just showing off the glowing goods, don’t downplay the excitement you’re feeling – celebrate and cherish it in a way that feels right to you.
Ask your ‘maids!
Undoubtedly one of the most fun parts about the wedding planning process – it’s finally time to ask your best girls to be your bridesmaids! Before you start feeling overwhelmed by all the different ways you can go about popping the question – we’ve got plenty of bridesmaid gift ideas for you! How adorable are our bridesmaid headbands, “be my bridesmaid” cards and bridesmaid mugs? No matter what you surprise them with (and how you do it, be it with a drive-by drop off or a present-prompted virtual hang), we can guarantee they’re going to be so incredibly honored to stand by your side while you say “I do” to the love of your life!
Hit those follow buttons & create a Pinterest board!
This is probably one of our favorite parts of the early planning process – the Instagram follow frenzy – and luckily it can all be done from the comfort of your own home! You’re going to want inspiration in many forms, and staring at pictures of infinitely-pretty wedding things is a pretty great place to start. Explore different I-do-related hashtags, find a vendor that you’re mesmerized by and then hit follow on those “suggested for you,” or get familiar with much-loved wedding feeds like Style Me Pretty to see what’s currently trending in the space. If you plan on curating a lot for your big day, too, then take a peek at our Collection of details and accessories that bring that ‘as loved on Style Me Pretty’ vibe to your bridal suite, aisle runner, altar and ceremony setup, reception tablescapes, and more. And don’t forget to store all your fave inspo in a Pinterest board solely dedicated to all things wedding planning!
Plan your engagement party!
Whether it’s a Zoom celebration, a socially distanced drive-by or you’re waiting until the current craziness lifts… one of the best ways to remind yourself what all this wedding planning is about is having the most fun ever at your engagement party – celebrating your newly engaged status with your nearest and dearest! Even if that just means getting together with your MOH and MOB to sip champagne, gossip, and throw on some party pieces that feel particularly festive. It doesn’t have to be a party with tons of people, it can be intimate and still have you feeling like the guest(s) of honor that you are!
Stay energized.
And while we’re at it… if you’re vignetting your home office (that WFH life is the new normal with no end date in sight), you’ve got to have a cup runneth over with caffeine nearby – are we right?! We love something like our Sipping Pretty mug, which doesn’t outright say “BRIDE,” but still has a bridal vibe to it. It’s blush, the aesthetic is on-point, and it stands OUT for drinkware in the kitchen. Wedding planning requires vigilance, sharp-mindedness, and a marathon ability – for all of the things that need to get done, researched, paid for, etc. – so, if it isn’t already, #butfirstcoffee is about to become your 24/7 mantra and there’s only one soon-to-be-Mrs. who should be sipping out of this beauty…
Show off.
… Even if it’s just to impress yourself or your Zoom dates! You’re the bride, remember? It’s okay if you want to peacock it out while you’re in the planning stages. And by this, we mean getting into the part of the bride. Decorate your coffee table with some aisle-inspired hardcovers, like Abby’s Style Me Pretty Weddings book, rip out and post up your own glossy gown gallery in your closet (this feels so behind-the-curtain at fashion week to us!), and if you’re not having an engagement party, maybe do the next best thing and have some of your favorite engagement photos printed out and displayed throughout your home and strung up with pretty garland.
Prioritize your health.
Along with leveling up your energy throughout your engagement, you’ll also want to do your best to stay healthy. Engagement season coinciding with the winter/holiday season is sweet, but a new ring and the flu aren’t exactly the best combo (and COVID is still evermore a concern). Hydration is key, but make it fashion with a tumbler that says it all. We love the confetti and the gold calligraphed “Bride,” not to mention, just seeing that word on the regular is enough to incite smiles and consequent wellness (a happy bride is a healthy bride, after all). Be sure to keep it close by, even on your wedding morning, before your bridesmaids make you swap out water for some more spirited sips.
Get those ZzZzs.
Nightmares can happen when you’re in the thick of planning (yikes, we’re getting a little cringey just talking about it), but good dreams are even more delightful when you’re a bride. So, commit to those eight hours and you’ll find you’re in a much more restful position to get the details of the day done. If that means a comfier pillow, softer, more swaddle-worthy sheets, and a mood app to mellow out your mind before closing your eyes, then do it! In fact, take it one step further with a soft sleep mask from Style Me Pretty. Those eyelashes are just too cute!
Granted, there’s so much to do when you’re planning a wedding, but it will all get done (fingers crossed!). Prettily, too, if you plan with us – shop the Style Me Pretty Collection on site right now!