After “I Will” and before “I Do” – Steps to take after you get engaged.

Abigail Seymour Photography

A trip down the aisle requires a road map to get there. Here are the important things to consider, decide and ponder after the proposal.

Call your family to share the good news! Any close friends or relatives should receive a call so you can tell them the good news. You don’t want your little cousin telling your aunt that you’re engaged because they saw it on Facebook first.

Get a manicure. People will be looking at that rock. The last thing you want is peeling nail polish when so many people will be looking at your hand.

Set a date.This will most likely change depending on the venue availability, but it is helpful to have an idea of the season; even better, the month that you would like to get married.

Agree on the Guest Count. This will most likely change throughout the engagement, but the number is vital for knowing what size venue you need and acquiring quotes from vendors. A good way to get this magic number is to sit down with your fiancé and on a piece of paper, add family, then close friends and then people you would ideally like to be there. This should give you a good ballpark number.

Be sure to ask both sets of parents if they have anyone they would like to add. It’s better to know beforehand than later once you’ve committed to a venue and you will need to remove people from your list to accommodate people on theirs.

Choose Bridal Party. Ask your friends if they would be a part of your bridal party for your wedding.

Get a Wedding Planner.This is optional. You know yourself better than anyone. Are you organized and able to stay on top of things? Will you be able to balance work and planning? If you know exactly what you want and can handle all the planning, consider a day-of coordinator to take the reins and execute the details on the day of your wedding.

Nail down your personal style.This is the fun part! Grab bridal magazines, spend hours on Pinterest and get inspired. Do you see your wedding as traditional, eclectic, modern or vintage? Consider the smaller details such as the cake or centerpieces first and observe what sort of style you are drawn towards to get an idea of what this might be.

Register. Before the engagement party and bridal shower, go out with your fiancé and register at a few stores. That way people will know exactly what to buy you and can even buy your wedding gifts in advance when they are picking up your engagement/ bridal shower gifts.

Set a Budget. This will most likely change, especially because you may underestimate some wedding costs. You will have to sit down with each set of parents and figure out exactly what everyone is contributing and think of a reasonable number to get what you want within reason and without breaking the bank. If you decide to hire a wedding planner then they will help you with this. If not, be very meticulous of recording ALL expenses and checking to make sure you are staying on track.

The worst way to start your married life would to be in deep debt because you went $10,000 over budget!

Book the venue. Once you have set the number of guest and have an idea of your budget, start visiting venues. Go to a variety of places and have a list of questions to ask at each one. Try to picture your big day there and find what you feel is a good fit.

Book the Photographer. One of the most important parts of the day is getting amazing photos to remember it by. Start doing research into different photographers and set up meetings. Are you looking for candid shots, traditional shots, artsy shots? Photographers are booked a year or more in advanced, so make sure you don't wait too long to start looking and booking!

Get a Massage.This isn’t an official recommendation on many lists, but it is on ours! After all of the excitement, the planning will begin! Although the planning is still fun and exciting, it can definitely be stressful at times. Treat yourself to a massage so you can just relax and reflect on all of the excitement of your engagement.