Congratulations. Before the spreadsheets and the group chats, the first thing to do when you get engaged is nothing at all: tell the people you love and enjoy it.
When you are ready, here is how to begin, and how to mark the moment with an engagement party if you would like one.
There is no rush, but a few gentle first steps make everything later easier.
An engagement party is lovely but entirely optional. It can be as simple as drinks at home or a meal with both families meeting for the first time.
Keep it relaxed and inexpensive; save the budget for the wedding itself. Its real value is bringing the two families together early.
Pick a date a few weeks or months out, a relaxed venue or a home, and a simple guest list of the people closest to you.
You do not need favours, a seating plan or formality. Good food, a few words, and the people you love is the whole event.
What should you do first when you get engaged?
Tell the people closest to you and enjoy it. Then, when you are ready, agree a rough budget and the kind of wedding you both want before booking anything.
Do you have to have an engagement party?
No. It is entirely optional. If you do want one, keep it relaxed and inexpensive, and save the budget for the wedding.
How soon after getting engaged should we start planning?
There is no rush. Take a little time to enjoy it, then start with budget, guest count and a rough date when you feel ready.
From We Do, a wedding planner for every kind of wedding. The couple who sent you this is planning theirs at saidwedo.com, and this guide lives at saidwedo.com/guides/how-to-plan-an-engagement-party-uk if you would rather read it on a screen.