So, You Just Got Engaged. Now What?

The question has been popped, the bubbly poured, and toasts made. You’ve just gotten engaged and, as it all happens, your brain is forming one of those key core memories that you’ll relish for your whole life.

It’s true, the day you get engaged is red letter. It’s one of those moments where life simultaneously feels surreal and yet extremely real. Almost existential - in the best of ways.

Then, a few days go by. The confetti has settled and while the quiet joy remains - it’s time to think about what comes next. You start to consider numbers, like floral arrangements and your wedding DJ cost. But it’s okay. Breathe. We gotchu.

We’re going to spend a little time outlining the ‘what next’ of it all, step-by-step. Let’s dig in!

This is literally one of the most important things to do. Savor this moment! Call your loved ones and share in the joy and squeals! Be excited!

We say to savor it not because it immediately becomes negative, no sir, but it can be stressful to start planning a wedding. You’ll start getting hit in all directions. Guest lists, floral arrangements, venue selection and location, and making bridal party selection - whew. It’s fun, but it’s a lot!

Enjoy your partner’s company. Go out for a lovely meal. Celebrate! There’s no extreme rush - you have the rest of your lives.

Before you meet with vendors and secure your venue - you’re going to need a really firm date lined up for your wedding.

If you’re having a large guest list and bridal party, chat with your loved ones and see what dates work for them. Consider also that many vendors book up well in advance, so settling things sooner rather than later is ideal.

If you’ve set your date, it’s time to start vetting some vendors! Your wedding vendors will be pretty much everyone involved in the big day that’s making it all happen: wedding planners or coordinators, florists, caterers, photographers, and your entertainment.

Be sure to read reviews, ask for referrals from friends, and conduct an interview or two to get a good sense of who you’re hiring and how reliable they are.

At Toast & Jam, we don’t want you to be shy to ask to meet as soon as you have that date firmed up. We want to be able to sit down and get to know you and your partner - we’re friendly folks, and we want to know it ALL. Hobbies, sports, what you do for a living, and your taste in music. This paints a pretty picture of your personality and what makes you you - and is immensely helpful when framing out your playlist.

We’ll ask a lot of questions, of course, but don’t worry if you don’t have all the answers. We want to establish that first impression and get you thinking about the evening entertainment - and how we can transform your dance floor into an out-of-universe dance party.

Plus, frankly, if a DJ isn’t asking these questions - how can they possibly get a sense of what your style is and how your wedding will function?

Want to learn more about our process? We actually wrote a little piece on that here. Happy reading!

Entertainment is a huge part of your wedding. It’s what people talk about for years to come at family reunions - and you want to be sure you made a great impression and had a blast!

According to a recent survey from The Knot, almost 80 percent of couples say they wish they had bumped entertainment up to the top priority, and about 81 percent of guests say the entertainment is the most memorable part.

A good wedding DJ will work with your vendors to ensure everyone is on the same vibe and that everything will run smoothly. Key, granular stuff like cocktail hour location, ceremony start time, and where we’ll be situated within the venue.

Venues, especially popular and desirable wedding venues, will book up quickly.

Some venues will have additional requirements and funky configurations. The Toast & Jam team needs to know these things in advance, so we can properly plan your event. Depending on the venue and where we’ll be situated, we may need an assistant to help us with cues and moving equipment - this also helps avoid billing surprises!

Let’s say you’ve settled on one venue and then, suddenly, your dream venue becomes available. Great! But, you have to change your date. Consider whether it’s worth it, and consider which vendors you're willing to lose if you change your date even a day. Your wedding DJ may not be available, and when we’re booked - we’re booked!

Look, we know it can be pretty overwhelming, but as long as you keep yourself organized and follow these steps - you’ll be well on your way to having the wedding of your dreams. Plus, enjoy it! These moments are far and few in life, and our first step, savoring, is key to keeping positive and mindful about starting a life with your partner.

We’re Toast & Jam, the most poppin’ wedding DJs in Chicago, and we want to turn your wedding into a super-cool, super fun dance rager! We know music, and we love to turn it up.

Sound cool? Cool. Fill out our short little contact form here so we can get a sense of your needs, wants, and desires - and we’ll go from there!

Bonus: We exist on social media! Here’s our Facebook, and here’s our Instagram. Happy scrolling.