Congratulations, you’re engaged (and probably can’t stop staring at the gorgeous new ring on your finger)! This is one of the most exciting, unforgettable moments you’ll ever experience in life, so chances are you’re not thinking too much about what your next steps are. So what do you do after you’ve agreed to marry the love of your life?

1. Enjoy the moment. An engagement is a big deal. You’re likely feeling a variety of emotions right now including happiness, love, surprise, and gratitude. Take some time to process all of those emotions. This is an exciting time in your life and for many people, an occasion that will only happen once, so savor the moment with your partner and enjoy your newly engaged status.
2. Tell all of your closest friends and family. After you’ve been able to process the life-changing event you just experienced, you’re going to want to share the happy news with all your friends and family. Make sure to inform your closest family members and friends first before announcing it through social media. They’ll want to hear about the exciting news from you directly and not through a Facebook or Instagram post.
3. Get a manicure. Chances are you’re going to be showing off that new engagement ring a lot in the next few weeks, so make sure your fingernails look their best when you do. Whether you visit the nail salon or touch them up yourself, you’re going to be glad your fingernails look as good as they do when everyone starts grabbing your hand to look at the ring.
4. Have the engagement ring insured. As with any valuable item you own, it’s a good idea to insure the ring in case it’s ever lost, stolen, or damaged. Doing so will give you piece of mind, which means you’ll be able to enjoy your new ring without worrying about damage or loss. You can insure your ring by adding it to your renters or homeowners insurance or going through a jewelry insurance company, like Jewelers Mutual. Just make sure that the insurance plan you select will cover the entire value of the ring so you can easily replace it if something tragic does happen. Also make sure you have a detailed jewelry appraisal, one that mentions all of the key characteristics of the ring and gemstones and includes a picture.
5. Resize the ring if needed. Hopefully your new engagement ring is the perfect fit, but if not, you’re going to want to bring it to a local jeweler to have it properly resized as soon as possible. If the ring is too loose, you risk the chance of it falling off your finger and losing it forever. And if the ring is too tight, you may cut off blood circulation and may not be able to take the ring off, which brings us to our next tip…
6. Take proper care of your new ring. If you’re like many recently engaged brides-to-be, you probably never want to remove your beautiful new engagement ring from your finger. However, wearing your ring 24/7 is not a great idea. There are certain activities and times of the day when it’s best to leave your ring in a safe place and not on your finger. Making sure you properly care for your engagement ring means you’ll be able to enjoy wearing it for many years to come and won’t have to spend as much money on repair and maintenance costs later on down the road. Follow these 10 engagement ring care tips to make sure your engagement ring is properly cared for and remains as beautiful as the day you got engaged.