Photo: The Collection Photography

This is the moment you've been waiting for. Holy moley, you have an engagement ring and you're getting married! It's so surreal, yet definitely happening, and like it or not, the hours, days, and weeks following that proposal are guaranteed to be a whirlwind.

There are so many things to think about, so many people to contact and so much to get done. Don't be overwhelmed. You have plenty of time to plan the rest of your lives but if you're like most newly engaged girls, you'll be itching to share the news with all your girls and dive into the actual wedding planning part headfirst.

Pinterest boards, bridal magazines, blogs, dress shopping, venue hunting…the list goes on and on. Years of watching wedding movies couldn't have prepared you for what's to come (trust us, it's totally different). While the average engagement lasts a year to a year-and-a-half< , there are certain things you'll want to get done stat — no matter how long you plan on being his fiancée.

So where do you get started? Obviously, you have to spill the beans to your parents. After that, there's no strict order to follow as long as you tackle these immediate to-dos. Committing the rest of your life to the love of your life is scary and amazing and the best kind of stress, however, it's a major, major milestone, and planning a wedding together is the icing on the cake — we promise!