I’m Engaged! | 5 Things to do After Your Engagement

I’m engaged! It’s been such a whirlwind, and I’m over the moon. My fiancé (I can’t get used to that word!) popped the question at sunset on our favorite beach tucked away in Frankfort, Michigan. (About 45 minutes from Traverse City // 6 hours via Chicago). Frankfort was the first trip we took together, and it’s the most memorable to date. It’s simple, charming and everything in between. I’m always down for a good road trip, too! He proposed on the first night, so we could enjoy a weekend of celebration!  

I’ll save you the long version of our journey together: but to recap in a couple sentences — I met Kevin while playing basketball at my gym; our friendship soon became a love-story, and the rest is history! One unique piece to our puzzle was the timing. My mom was going through a series of unfortunate events: a bankruptcy, divorce and foreclosure all at once. (ouch). Since we couldn’t afford movers at the time, Kevin arrived early, eager to help. (Keep in mind, this was month 2 of our adventure) I’ll never forget that day; the painful memories, the raw emotions and  Kevin’s huge heart. Not just anybody would arrive open arms to pack-up a foreclosed home. (Oh, and he didn’t run away!)

Another unique layer is my sister, Amy. Amy is severely autistic, requires round-the-clock care — and, my single mom is her caregiver. I knew Kevin was the one when he went up to my sister, and gave her a big old squeeze! He also surprised her with a few Disney stuffed animals (her favorite) on her birthday. Those memories will never fade, and it shows just the kind of man I’m marrying!

Bonus: I’ve never had to open my car door! Kevin is charming, loving, giving, sweet, and one of the hardest workers I know. I feel like the luckiest girl in the entire universe, and my heart is full. (Sorry for the cheese!) Oh, and I know this sounds so cliche, but never settle. Chivalry is not dead, and you deserve the absolute best.

Now, I’m sharing 5 things to do after your engagement: (Hope you enjoy!)

1. GET A MANICURE: Seriously, there’s no better feeling than getting a mani fresh off engagement! I picked ‘She said Yes’ via Essie and I felt like a billion bucks! Show off your bling in style, girl!
2. ENJOY: Live in the moment, the very short moment. Wedding planning is stressful, and there’s no reason to jump head first. After-all, you just said yes to your forever, and ever (that’s got to be something to celebrate, right?!) It’s not about the wedding date, or the wedding theme/colors — It’s about living on cloud 9 for a bit, and enjoying each other. (Something I need to do more of at this time!)
3. BRAINSTORM: Go online (aka Pinterest!), and start sharing your wedding vision with each other. Dream a bit, go over the top and picture your big day. Personally, I envision a country wedding (since that’s a big part of our love story). It’s so much fun envisioning your big day!
4. SET A DATE AND VENUE: One of my BFF’s says the most important piece to the wedding puzzle is picking a date/venue. No need to rush, but start thinking about a date since most venues are booked at least a year in advance. Once you do this, everything else will fall into place, and you can take your time with everything else.
5. STAY ORGANIZED: I’m literally day 2 into the venue-search, and I’ve already realized the importance of organization! I’m keeping an excel document filled with my favorite details (and my Pinterest board for inspiration — to hopefully show my vendors down the line). It’s important to keep things organized (with finances) so you save yourself from one giant migraine down the line! PS: Have fun! This is supposed to be a magical time, not a stressful time. It will turnout perfectly, I just know it! XX