Just Engaged

Maybe the candle is still burning. Maybe you keep catching the ring in the light, as if it belonged to someone else. So, it happened. There was a question, there was a ring (or a very good placeholder), and now there's a new word in your vocabulary: fiancé. Congratulations - truly.

Also, a gentle heads-up: within about 48 hours, someone will ask you about the date. You don't need an answer yet. The first weeks after a proposal aren't for planning a wedding. They're for enjoying being engaged - and quietly setting things up so the planning feels lovely instead of overwhelming.

The short answer: After getting engaged, enjoy the moment first, then tell your closest people, take care of the ring, talk about the kind of wedding you both want, set a rough budget and guest count, choose a season, find your style - and give all the details one beautiful home, like a wedding website. Here's how, step by step.

1. Do absolutely nothing (for a little while)

Before you open a single spreadsheet, give yourselves a pause. A weekend, a week, maybe a month. Go for dinner, replay the proposal story until you both know every detail by heart, and let it sink in.

This isn't procrastination - it's the part you'll miss most later. Planning will happily wait for you.

One small thing worth doing, though: write the proposal down while every detail is still fresh - where you were, what was said, what you were both wearing. Keep it somewhere safe, like a letter to your future selves. And if there were flowers, press one.

2. Tell the people who matter most - in person

Some news deserves to be heard, not typed. Before it reaches the group chat, call or visit the people you'd want to hear it from you directly: parents, siblings, grandparents, your closest friends. A voice cracking with excitement on the phone beats a heart reaction on Instagram every time.

A small tip: make a quick list of who you've told. In the happy blur of those first days, it's surprisingly easy to forget someone - and that someone is usually your favourite aunt.

3. Take care of the ring

The unromantic but important bit: get the ring sized if it needs it, and add it to your insurance or take out a separate policy. Rings slip off in cold water, in gloves, in sand. You'll wear it every day from now on - it deserves a little paperwork.

While you're at it, book that manicure. You know why.

4. Share the news your way

Once the important people know, you can tell the world - or not. Some couples post one perfect photo, others send something more personal: a little animated announcement, a handwritten note, a photo-booth strip from the night of the proposal.

There's no rule here, except one: do it in a way that feels like you. If you'd like a few ideas beyond the classic ring close-up, we've collected our favourite ways to announce an engagement.

5. Talk about the wedding you actually want

Before Pinterest, before venues, before anyone else's opinion: sit down together and talk about the feeling. Small or big? City or countryside? Long dinner or dance floor until 4 am? At home or somewhere new?

A simple exercise we love: each of you writes down three words that describe your dream wedding - without showing each other. Then compare. "Intimate, warm, candlelit" and "wild, sunny, Italian" are both beautiful. They're just very different weddings - and it's good to know which one you're planning.

6. Have the money conversation (with snacks)

Not the most romantic chapter, but probably the most freeing one. Talk honestly about what you'd like to spend, what you can spend, and whether family will contribute. Then decide on two or three things that matter most to you - the food, the photographs, the music, the guest experience - and let them get the bigger share.

A clear budget early on doesn't limit your wedding. It gives you permission to say "yes" to the things you love and "no" to everything else without a second thought.

7. Sketch a rough guest list

You don't need names yet - just a number. Thirty? Eighty? A hundred and fifty? This one number shapes almost everything that follows: the venue, the budget, even the mood of the day.

Start with three circles: the people you can't imagine the day without, the people you'd love to have there, and the people you'd invite if space and budget allowed. You'll be surprised how quickly the first circle defines the whole feeling.

8. Choose a season before you choose a date

Instead of hunting for the perfect date straight away, pick a season - and maybe a year. A golden September wedding feels completely different from a candlelit winter one, and knowing which one you're dreaming of narrows everything down beautifully.

Once you have a season, shortlist a few possible dates. The things that book out first - usually your venue and your photographer - will help you choose. And as soon as the date is set, it's time to think about save the dates. (We've written a whole guide on exactly when to send them.)

9. Find your look

Now comes the fun part. Start collecting images that feel like your wedding - not just dresses and flowers, but colours, textures, places and light: the weight of good paper, the softness of old lace, the way candlelight falls across a long table. Your parents' or grandparents' wedding photos can be surprisingly good inspiration, too. After a few weeks, patterns appear: maybe it's always deep plum and olive, always linen and candlelight, always a little bit vintage.

Here's a trick we love: take one photo that captures the mood you're after - a place you love, a bouquet, a sunset from your last holiday - and pull your colour palette straight from it. Nature is a wonderful designer. Every LOVE, JUNE collection starts exactly like that.

10. Give your wedding a home

Within a few weeks, the questions will start: When is it? Where is it? Can I bring someone? What should I wear? Where do we stay? Answering all of that in twelve different chats gets old very quickly.

This is where a wedding website comes in. It's one beautiful place for everything your guests need - the date, the location, the schedule, travel and stay, the dress code, your RSVP - and, ideally, a little bit of your story. Many couples launch it together with their save the dates, then add more details as the plans come together.

And it doesn't have to look like a form. The best wedding websites feel a little like a love letter you send to everyone you love at once: designed to match your invitations, made with your guests in mind, and - with a little care - something you'll want to keep long after the day itself. If you're curious what belongs on one, we've put together a complete checklist.

Take your time - the good part is just beginning

There's no prize for planning the fastest wedding. The couples who enjoy their engagement most are usually the ones who start slowly, decide what matters to them early, and let everything else fall into place.

So pour yourselves a glass of something nice, start your three-word list, and enjoy being engaged. Keep the note. Press the flower. The rest can wait. And when you're ready to give your wedding its home, we'd love to help - with a wedding website that feels like a love letter, a photo booth your guests won't forget, and memories you'll keep long after the last dance.

With love, June

FAQ

How soon after getting engaged should we start planning? Most couples take a few weeks to simply enjoy the engagement before planning anything. Once you're ready, start with the big decisions - budget, guest count and season - because they shape everything else.

How long is a typical engagement? Many couples are engaged for around one to one and a half years, but there's no right or wrong. Shorter engagements work beautifully for smaller weddings; popular venues and photographers may need more lead time.

When should we send our save the dates? Usually six to eight months before the wedding, and earlier - closer to a year - if guests need to travel or you're planning a destination wedding.

Do we really need a wedding website? You don't need one, but it saves you (and your guests) a lot of messages. A wedding website gathers the date, location, schedule, travel tips, dress code and RSVP in one place - and when it's designed with care, it becomes part of the experience rather than just an information page.

Should we post our engagement on social media right away? Only after the people closest to you have heard the news directly. After that, share it whenever - and however - feels right for you.