7 Things People Don’t Tell You About Being Engaged

Jared and I have been engaged for one month and it’s been wonderful. It’s been a whirlwind of emotions and planning andI think it has finally sunk in that we are getting married! I’ve learned a lot over the last month and I wanted to share my initial thoughts with you as I move into this new stage of life.

Over the last month, there are 7 Things People Don’t Tell You About Being Engaged.

1. Saying fiancé is really weird

I have been calling Jared my boyfriend for over 4 years, so it’s really hard to change that. I catch myself saying boyfriend and and don’t even realize it until someone corrects me. It’s also just a little strange because saying fiancé seems so formal or like I am trying to brag about our relationship. However, I’ve found that when I talk about my fiancé people are excited to ask me about being engaged and getting married.

2. We’re  just happier

Initially nothing felt different after being engaged, until I realized we were just happier. We laugh more, love more and generally enjoy each other more. There are no more secrets from him about the proposal and there is no more tension or pressure to get engaged on my end. Everything is in place and it has made us a better couple.

3. Weddings are EXPEN$$$IVE

Sure this is no surprise, but when you sit down to start planning things it’s shocking how expensive things become. I’ve been saving for a wedding for a while now and my parents are graciously chipping in to help with the big day, but to spend a whole year’s salary on one night seems financially irresponsible. So technically our wedding is considered “low budget” in society’s eye but in no way is it low budget to our bank accounts. Keeping a balance of cutting costs while not letting my guests know it may be a tough, but I have a few DIY’s up my sleeve…stay tuned! 😉

4. Everyone wants to know everything! …especially the wedding date.

Hours after I got engaged my grandma texted me wanting to know our wedding date. Luckily by now, we have our date and venue booked, so I now have the answer to that question. Additionally, people want to know the wedding colors, bridesmaids, venue, flowers, cake, etc. I love talking about wedding planning, but it can be a little overwhelming at times and gives me anxiety thinking about how much I have to do the more questions people ask.

5. You won’t be able to stop staring at your hand

I catch myself just staring at the sparkling gorgeousness on my left hand. I can tell you the best places in my life to see the sparkle at it’s finest. Lately I haven’t even been wearing bracelets on my left hand, because I don’t want to take the attention away from my ring. (I know I am rolling my eyes at myself.) Also, when I’m taking Instagram pictures I frequently send them to Jared showing him how beautiful my ring looks…it’s kind of obnoxious, but he loves it.

6. People will come out of the woodworks

Moments after I posted my engagement on Facebook the messages started rolling in. People from college, high school and other randos started messaging me saying “I’m a photographer and I’d love to help with your wedding” or “In case your looking for a pianist, I wanted to let you know I play the piano”. These are very helpful but soliciting your services moments after my engagement aren’t exactly the most welcoming congratulations.

7. Planning is fun but don’t forget the purpose

Planning is super fun, but the whole point of the event is to celebrate the love between Jared and I. I am tryyyyying to keep a level head about everything and not sweat the small stuff. I think it’s working? (knock on wood) I recently decided on a caterer, it was the first one I looked at adn the price and food were right so boom done. Jared said “I’m surprised you are more stressed about it and didn’t look at more options.” The food is pretty low on my list, I would rather spend my energy on flowers or centerpieces.

One of the first things Jared and I did when we started planning was we both picked one thing that were non-negotiable things for our wedding. For me it was the prefect gown and his was amazing photography. Then we both decided on one non-negotiable together, which was our venue. Since we have these three core items, everything else is something that isn’t worth stressing about, which allows us to make compromises and not get too wrapped up in the whole process. (fingers crossed. I’ll let you know how it’s going in a few months.)

Being engaged has been amazing so far and I am excited for the future months of engaged life. So stay tuned for future wedding endeavors.