What to Do After Getting Engaged: 10 First Steps for Planning a Los Angeles Wedding

Ricki Lewis Events
May 26
11 min read

Updated: Jul 22

You’re engaged—congratulations!

This is one of the most exciting seasons of your life. It can also be the moment when excitement quickly turns into a long list of questions.

What should you do first after getting engaged? Should you choose a wedding date, create a budget, start a guest list, tour venues, or hire a wedding planner? How soon should you begin booking vendors? And how do you know whether you are making these decisions in the right order?

Take a breath. You do not need to plan your entire wedding today.

The most important thing you can do at the beginning is create a thoughtful foundation. Your first decisions will influence your wedding budget, venue options, guest experience, vendor team, design, and planning timeline. When those decisions are made in the right order, the rest of the process becomes much easier.

For couples planning a wedding in Los Angeles, early preparation can be especially valuable. Los Angeles and the surrounding Southern California area offer an extraordinary range of wedding venues and vendors, but they also come with logistical considerations such as traffic, parking, valet, venue restrictions, load-in schedules, noise ordinances, rentals, transportation, and weather plans.

Here are the first 10 steps to take after getting engaged—and how an experienced Los Angeles wedding planner can help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

1. Take Time to Celebrate Your Engagement

Before you open a spreadsheet, schedule a venue tour, or create a wedding inspiration board, give yourselves permission to enjoy being engaged.

Share the news with the people closest to you. Take photos. Plan an engagement dinner. Write down how the proposal happened while the memory is still fresh. This is a meaningful chapter in your relationship, and it does not need to become a project immediately.

It is also helpful to talk about how you want to share your engagement publicly. Make sure important family members and friends hear the news directly before posting on social media.

There is no rule saying wedding planning must begin the morning after the proposal. Start when you both feel ready.

2. Have Your First Wedding Planning Conversation

Your first wedding conversation should not be about napkin colors, floral arrangements, or invitation fonts. Begin with the experience you want to create.

Ask each other:

How do we want our wedding to feel?
Do we imagine something intimate or grand?
Do we want a formal celebration or a relaxed atmosphere?
Would we prefer a hotel, private estate, garden, ballroom, restaurant, beach, rooftop, or another type of venue?
Do we want one wedding day or a full weekend of events?
Which cultural, religious, or family traditions matter to us?
How involved do we want to be in the planning process?
What do we want our guests to remember most?

Try choosing five words that describe your ideal celebration. You might select words such as elegant, joyful, colorful, romantic, modern, warm, energetic, timeless, intimate, or unexpected.

These words will become an early filter for future decisions. A venue, vendor, or design idea may be beautiful, but it should also support the experience you want to create.

3. Identify Your Top Wedding Priorities

Every couple has different priorities. There is no universally correct way to allocate a wedding budget or design a celebration.

One couple may care most about photography, food, and live music. Another may prioritize cultural traditions, floral design, and a comfortable guest experience. Some couples want a spectacular dance party, while others envision an intimate dinner centered around family.

Before you begin spending money, each partner should independently write down their three most important wedding priorities. Compare your answers and create a shared list.

Your priorities might include:

A meaningful and personalized ceremony
An unforgettable meal
Exceptional photography or videography
Live entertainment
Elaborate floral and event design
A particular Los Angeles wedding venue
Guest comfort and transportation
Cultural or religious traditions
Fashion and wedding attire
A weekend of events for traveling guests

Knowing your priorities will help you decide where to invest, where to simplify, and which options are not essential to your celebration.

4. Consider Hiring a Los Angeles Wedding Planner Before Booking a Venue

One of the most common questions newly engaged couples ask is whether they should book their venue or hire their wedding planner first.

In many cases, hiring a planner first is the more strategic choice.

Your venue affects almost every part of the wedding, including your budget, guest count, catering, rentals, transportation, design possibilities, vendor options, timeline, and weather plan. A wedding planner can help you evaluate the complete picture before you commit to a venue or sign a nonrefundable contract.

An experienced wedding planner in Los Angeles can help you:

Establish a realistic working budget
Determine which venue types fit your guest count
Create a focused venue shortlist
Compare what different venue proposals include
Identify costs that may not be obvious in the rental fee
Understand catering, rental, parking, and staffing requirements
Evaluate ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception flow
Ask detailed questions during venue tours
Review important logistical and contractual considerations
Build a planning timeline based on your wedding date
Recommend trusted vendors who fit your style and priorities

A planner can also prevent you from touring venues that are outside your realistic budget or unable to accommodate the wedding experience you envision.

What type of wedding planning service do you need?

Not every couple needs the same level of support.

Full-service wedding planning is best for couples who want professional guidance from the beginning. A full-service planner may assist with budgeting, venue selection, vendor recommendations, negotiations, design, floor plans, timelines, guest experience, logistics, and wedding day execution.

Partial wedding planning may be appropriate when you have already made some decisions but want expert help completing the process, staying organized, or developing the design and logistics.

Wedding day management, sometimes called wedding coordination, is intended for couples who plan most of the wedding themselves but need a professional to organize the final details and manage execution. True wedding day management begins well before the wedding date; it is not simply someone arriving on the morning of the event.

Ricki Lewis Events currently offers full-service planning, partial planning, and wedding day management, allowing couples to choose support based on how much has already been planned and how involved they want to be.

5. Establish a Realistic Wedding Budget

Your budget is not just a spending limit. It is a planning tool that helps you make informed decisions.

Begin by discussing:

Who will contribute financially?
What total amount is everyone comfortable spending?
Is each contribution a gift, or does it come with expectations?
Which wedding priorities deserve the greatest investment?
Which areas are you comfortable simplifying?
How much flexibility or contingency should you preserve?

Avoid building your budget around the venue rental fee alone. The true cost of a wedding may also include:

Catering and bar service
Taxes and service charges
Rentals
Floral and event design
Photography and videography
Entertainment
Lighting and production
Delivery, setup, and labor
Wedding planning or management
Invitations and day-of stationery
Transportation and valet
Permits and insurance
Vendor meals
Hotel accommodations
Wedding attire and alterations
Beauty services
Overtime
Gratuities
Rehearsal dinner, welcome party, or farewell brunch

A professional wedding planner can help you create a category-by-category budget rather than relying on one general number. This gives you a clearer understanding of how each decision affects the rest of the celebration.

6. Create a Preliminary Guest List

You do not need a final guest list immediately, but you do need a realistic estimate before choosing a venue.

A wedding designed for 60 guests requires a very different venue, budget, floor plan, and vendor team than a wedding designed for 250 guests.

Begin by creating three groups:

Must invite: Immediate family, closest friends, and anyone whose presence feels essential.

Would like to invite: Extended family, friends, coworkers, and other meaningful relationships.

Invite if space and budget allow: Additional acquaintances, plus-ones, children, and guests whose invitation depends on final capacity.

Discuss important policies early:

Will children be invited?
Will all single guests receive a plus-one?
Are coworkers included?
How far into extended family will invitations go?
Are parents contributing their own guest lists?
Will the ceremony and reception have the same guest count?

Your preliminary guest count will help you understand which Los Angeles wedding venues are realistic and how much of the budget may be allocated to catering, rentals, transportation, invitations, and staffing.

7. Choose a Season and Date Range

You do not necessarily need to choose one exact date before beginning your venue search.

Selecting a preferred season and two or three possible dates can provide more flexibility. This is particularly helpful when a specific venue, planner, photographer, or entertainment provider is important to you.

Before choosing your date, consider:

Availability of close family members and VIP guests
Cultural and religious observances
Holiday weekends
School and work schedules
Travel requirements
Hotel availability
Expected weather
Sunset and available daylight
Transportation and traffic considerations
Major events near the venue
Venue and vendor availability

Avoid announcing or printing your wedding date until your venue contract has been signed and the date is officially secured.

8. Begin Your Los Angeles Wedding Venue Search Strategically

Los Angeles offers an enormous variety of wedding settings, including oceanfront properties, private estates, luxury hotels, historic homes, gardens, museums, ballrooms, rooftops, restaurants, and modern industrial spaces.

That variety is exciting, but it can also be distracting. Do not create a list of every attractive venue you find. Create a focused venue brief first.

Your venue brief should include:

Estimated guest count
Preferred location or geographic area
Overall venue budget
Desired wedding date or season
Ceremony and reception needs
Indoor versus outdoor preferences
Preferred style
Parking or transportation needs
Accessibility requirements
Cultural or catering requirements
Required getting-ready spaces
Weather backup expectations

Questions to ask during a Los Angeles wedding venue tour

When touring venues, look beyond the photographs. Ask:

What is included in the rental fee?
How many event hours are included?
What are the setup and breakdown windows?
Can the venue comfortably accommodate the guest count with a dance floor, bars, catering stations, and entertainment?
Are tables, chairs, linens, dinnerware, or other rentals included?
Is there an exclusive caterer or preferred vendor list?
Are outside vendors allowed?
What are the noise restrictions and curfew?
Is parking included, or is valet required?
Is there a reliable weather backup plan?
Are there separate spaces for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception?
Are there adequate electrical and production capabilities?
Is security required?
What insurance coverage must vendors provide?
Are there additional staffing, cleaning, kitchen, corkage, cake-cutting, or overtime fees?
Is the property accessible for older guests and guests with disabilities?
Where will vendors load in and unload?
Are there restrictions on candles, hanging installations, confetti, open flames, or amplified music?
Are there comfortable getting-ready spaces?
What is the payment and cancellation schedule?

The most affordable rental fee is not always the most affordable venue. Compare the total estimated event cost, including everything you will need to bring into the space.

9. Create a Wedding Planning System

Wedding planning generates a large amount of information. Establishing an organizational system early will prevent missed deadlines and scattered communication.

Create:

A dedicated wedding email address
A shared digital folder for contracts and proposals
A master budget
A guest list and address tracker
A planning calendar
A vendor contact sheet
A payment schedule
A list of questions for each vendor
A folder for design inspiration
A running decision log

When reviewing vendors, save complete proposals rather than relying on screenshots or social media messages. Make sure you understand what each price includes before comparing one company with another.

A professional planner will typically build and maintain a more detailed version of this system, but creating a central location for information is valuable even before your planning services officially begin.

10. Make a Plan for Your First 30 Days

You do not need to book every vendor during the first month of your engagement. Your goal is to make the foundational decisions that allow later choices to happen in the right order.

Week One: Celebrate and envision

Enjoy the engagement, share the news, and talk about how you want the wedding to feel.

Week Two: Discuss priorities, budget, and guest count

Identify your three most important priorities, create an initial financial framework, and estimate the number of guests.

Week Three: Research wedding planning support

Schedule consultations with Los Angeles wedding planners. Discuss your wedding vision, expected guest count, potential date range, budget, and how much help you need.

Week Four: Create a venue strategy

With your planner, develop a shortlist of venues that fit your vision and practical requirements. Begin requesting availability and scheduling tours.

Once the venue and date are secured, you can begin booking the next group of priority vendors based on availability, style, and your planning timeline.

Common Mistakes Newly Engaged Couples Should Avoid

Booking a venue before establishing a guest count

A venue may be beautiful but completely wrong for the size of your celebration. An overly large venue can feel empty, while an undersized venue can compromise comfort, service, and the floor plan.

Falling in love with the rental fee instead of calculating the total cost

A venue with a lower rental fee may require outside catering, extensive rentals, valet, security, lighting, power, or other services. Always compare the complete financial picture.

Signing multiple contracts before hiring a planner

A planner cannot undo a signed agreement. Bringing a planner into the process early allows that professional to help you compare options before deposits become nonrefundable.

Asking too many people for opinions

Family input can be valuable, but too many opinions can make the process confusing. Establish your priorities as a couple before inviting outside feedback.

Beginning with design before establishing logistics

Colors, flowers, and décor are exciting, but your guest count, budget, venue, and planning support should come first. Good wedding design works within a strong logistical foundation.

Assuming the venue coordinator is your wedding planner

A venue coordinator and a wedding planner serve different roles.

The venue coordinator generally focuses on the property, venue policies, included services, and the venue’s responsibilities. Your wedding planner focuses on your complete celebration, including the vendor team, personal details, timeline, design, wedding party, family needs, and overall guest experience.

Both professionals can be valuable, but one does not automatically replace the other.

Frequently Asked Questions About What to Do After Getting Engaged

What is the first thing you should do after getting engaged?

Celebrate before immediately turning the engagement into a planning project. Once you are ready, have a conversation about your wedding vision, top priorities, preliminary budget, estimated guest count, and how much professional planning support you may need.

Should you hire a wedding planner before choosing a venue?

For many couples, yes. A wedding planner can help determine whether a venue fits your complete budget, guest count, vision, and logistical needs. Hiring your planner first can also help you avoid spending time touring venues that are not a realistic match.

How soon after getting engaged should you start wedding planning?

Begin when you both feel ready. Couples with a specific venue, season, or high-demand date may benefit from starting earlier. The appropriate timeline depends on the wedding’s location, size, complexity, traditions, vendor availability, and number of events.

What should we prepare before meeting a Los Angeles wedding planner?

Bring whatever information you currently have, even if it is incomplete. Helpful details include:

A preferred date, season, or date range
An estimated guest count
A preliminary budget range
Your top three priorities
Venue ideas
Inspiration images
Cultural or religious traditions
Planned wedding weekend events
Questions about the planning process

You do not need to have every answer. Helping you define those answers is part of a planner’s role.

What is the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator?

A wedding planner helps build the celebration, often assisting with budgeting, venues, vendors, design, timelines, logistics, and decision-making. A wedding coordinator or wedding day manager usually becomes involved later and focuses on finalizing plans and executing what has already been created.

The exact scope varies by company, so review each package carefully.

Do we need a wedding planner if our venue provides a coordinator?

A venue coordinator generally manages matters related to the venue. Your personal wedding planner manages the broader event and represents your needs across all vendors, locations, and details. Ask the venue for a written explanation of what its coordinator will and will not handle.

Can a wedding planner help us create a budget?

Yes. An experienced planner can help divide your total investment into practical categories, identify commonly overlooked expenses, compare proposals, and understand how one decision may affect other parts of the wedding.

Is full-service wedding planning worth it?

Full-service wedding planning can be especially valuable for couples with demanding careers, complex family logistics, multiple events, cultural traditions, large guest counts, extensive design, private-estate weddings, or limited time to manage vendors and contracts.

The value is not limited to the wedding day. It includes the organization, experience, vendor guidance, problem-solving, design development, and logistical planning that occur throughout the engagement.

Begin Your Los Angeles Wedding Planning Journey With Confidence

Your engagement should feel joyful—not like an immediate list of deadlines.

Begin with the decisions that create clarity: your vision, priorities, budget, guest count, date range, and planning support. Once those foundational pieces are in place, you will be able to evaluate venues and vendors with greater confidence.

At Ricki Lewis Events, we help couples transform ideas, questions, and moving pieces into a celebration that feels organized, personal, and completely their own. Whether you are looking for full-service wedding planning, partial planning, or wedding day management in Los Angeles, our team is here to guide you from the first conversation through the final moments of your wedding day.

Ready to begin planning your Los Angeles wedding? Contact Ricki Lewis Events to schedule a complimentary consultation and reserve your date.