From ‘Yes’ to ‘I Do’: Navigating the Exciting Journey of Engagement
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Congratulations on your engagement! This marks the beginning of a beautiful chapter in your life, filled with love, excitement, and anticipation. As you embark on this journey from the magical moment of saying ‘yes’ to the eventual ‘I do,’ there’s a whirlwind of emotions and decisions awaiting you. From planning the perfect celebration to navigating the intricacies of merging two lives, this is a time of joy and discovery. In this blog, we’ll guide you through the various aspects of being engaged – from celebrating the announcement to laying the groundwork for a lifetime of happiness together. So, let the adventure begin!
yOU’RE eNGAGED, NOW WHAT?!
What an exciting new journey you are about to embark on. I want to take a moment to say congratulations! This is one of the most important parts of your life leading to the big day! 🎊💍
It is easy to get overwhelmed with all of the emotions and decisions that are headed your way! Especially if you are planning a wedding in 7 months or less like me😅! But fear not I have already stumbled upon some information that would certainly help so you don’t have to be stumbling around wanting to pull your hair out from all of the information that gets shoved at you.
Whether you are engaged, or want to get some insight on planning beforehand (this was me), or are just curious for a friend you can benefit from the tips & tricks I have to share with you.
Here’s what we are going to cover so you will fly through your engagement journey!
Top 5 TIPS IN PLANNING YOUR ENGAGEMENT JOURNEY
- Taking time for yourselves/ enjoying your Engagement
- Sticking up for yourself and your Vision
- Setting the Tone
- Planning, organization, & Deals
- Creating a Strong Foundation for Marriage
1. Taking time for you/enjoying your engagement
I know you’ve probably heard it a million times already “Why rush, just enjoy being engaged”….. honestly I think that is some crap. Yes, you should enjoy this time together leading up to your most special day but I never understood when people say “Don’t you just want to enjoy being engaged what’s the rush?” We will enjoy being married too maybe even more since that’s the whole point of being engaged is getting MARRIED!😖😝
I can tell you I heard this a lot in the first month we were engaged mostly because we already had a venue, DJ, and photographer booked and everyone thought we were moving too quickly. But let me tell you a little secret… if you are planning a quick wedding you should’ve had everything booked yesterday! Unless everything lines up like us and all the “big” things are booked in a MONTH! All more going back to my point that people are going to tell you to relax and take some time to enjoy being engaged. Yes, you should soak in these precious moments but also get your booty🍑 into gear and start doing some research!
My tip on your engagement journey would be to not let outside forces control your thoughts. If you want to take some time and relax without having to decide whether you want chiffon or satin bridesmaid dresses or blue or copper colors then take the time you need girl! BUT it is also good to start thinking of what you would want you don’t have to go all gun-ho and have a binder full of different venues and color pallets (but if that’s your thing and you are type A then you do you) but it wouldn’t hurt to scroll on Pinterest and make a wedding board or even separate boards for decorations and cake ideas…. (let’s face it I already know you have a wedding board who doesn’t since they even heard about Pinterest 😝)
The main point here is to do what YOU feel is best. Not what your parents are telling you or your mother-in-law, just you and your fiancé. Wedding planning is already stressful with all of the decisions so why take some stress off your shoulders by taking some chill time but then getting right back into the planning process?
2. sticking up for yourself and your vision
Adding off of the points I made in tip #1 on how to navigate the exciting journey of your engagement would be tip #2 which is not letting others dictate your wedding planning process. This is especially important to implement right away in your engagement journey to ensure boundaries are set throughout your whole planning process through your wedding day.
During your engagement journey, it’s equally crucial to approach conflicts or differences with parents and in-laws with sensitivity and respect. Sticking up for your wedding vision does not have to be bossy or selfish. It is important to handle disagreements with empathy and respect. Here are some considerations for navigating interactions with parents and in-laws.
Communication is Key
It is important to have clear open and honest communication to ensure everyone hears each other’s visions and thoughts clearly without an interpretation getting in the way. Make sure you all understand where you are coming from and listen with an open mind and heart. Do not be afraid to voice your vision and concerns respectfully, we don’t want to be starting any family feuds here.
Choose your Battles
Determine if it is worth starting an argument over or if it is something you can pray about for forgiveness and patience in your heart. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the heat of a discussion but I would advise you to take a breath and a step back and possibly ask to revisit the conversation at a later date so everyone can cool off. Sometimes compromising is key!
Involve your Partner
They’re not wrong about teamwork making the dream work. It is important to create a united front with you and your partner to better tackle situations that might come against your vision. After all, it is your special.
Be Empathetic
It is important to understand that most parent’s and in-laws’ input comes from a place of love. Try to put yourself in their shoes, understanding their emotions can allow you to have a better understanding of where they are coming from allowing a smoother approach to conflict and decision-making.
Stay calm and Respectful
Above all else, it is important to stay calm and respectful. As you embark on your engagement journey you may encounter many obstacles having to deal with parental and in-law input on your big day might just be one of them. I encourage you to choose love and patience while dealing with these situations for not to stir up arguments, which is the last thing you need on your engagement journey.
Remember, every family dynamic is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. It’s essential to find a balance between standing up for yourself and maintaining respectful relationships with parents and in-laws. Building understanding and fostering open communication can contribute to a more harmonious engagement journey for everyone involved
3. Setting the tone
Here’s another secret tip that I will go into of setting the tone. Have an open mind and heart that you might not get your dream venue. I always thought I would be way out in a forest and it would be so magical but ended up planning our wedding at a golf course 5 minutes from our house. Don’t get me wrong I am so excited and it’s going to be beautiful, but if you don’t plan a year or 2 to snag your dream venue you might not get it, or it might magically work out and everything will fall into place!
Long story short things might not end up exactly how you planned but in the long run, are exactly what should’ve happened.
Try to set the tone from the beginning by having an open heart and mind for whatever happens will happen. Maybe you won’t get the venue you’ve always dreamed of, or the best baker in town is on vacation ( idk just a thought anything happens in the wedding planning world!😅)
But everything will end up exactly how it should. Maybe the venue falls through allowing you to find a cheaper one closer to home that is even more beautiful than the one you wanted! I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and if you tick with that mindset your engagement planning journey will be a breeze.
Speaking from my own experience I knew right from the start I probably wouldn’t have my “dream” venue and that I might have only one choice between photographers, and a DJ just because we wanted our wedding as soon as possible.
Going into the planning process right from the start I had an open mind that I was not going to be picky because there might only be one option available then that has to be the one that I go with. I truly felt calm in this and was less stressed about decisions.
Setting the tone from the beginning of your engagement ensures calmness and less stress throughout your wedding planning journey!
4. planning & organizing
I will tell you this much If you are not organized or have at least somewhat of an idea of a plan all of your thoughts and decisions get muddled around in your brain.
What helped me is a family member bought me a wedding planner which was extremely helpful in the timeline of things like when I should have the vows written by and so on and so on. This planner allowed me to check the boxes off on what was already complete, for a to-do list girly and a checkbox girl this was essential in my engagement planning journey.
Try to limit your papers to one binder. At the start of our engagement, I had paper and bridesmaid swatches all over the place. Thankfully once I had the planner I was able to keep everything to that and ONE folder.
I have to give my parents a lot of credit as they were extremely helpful in researching things for me and helping me plan. Get yourself a great support team who can help you plan and stay organized!
5. create a strong foundation for marriage
This is by far the most important focus in your engagement process. Setting a strong foundation is pivotal to ensuring marriage success. One of the best ways I think couples can connect is by knowing and speaking each other’s love language.
Setting clear and consistent communication patterns is so important in creating a strong relationship.
If you are of faith, pray over your relationship and marriage and ask others to do the same.
It should not be painful to elevate your connection as you are already getting married which means you should already feel comfortable communicating your needs and wants in your relationship. Take this time to focus on each other and talk about what you want your relationship to look like. Whether that is speaking eachothers love languages more or saying you want to have weekly check ins on your relationship now would be the time to discuss these things!
What to do after you’re engaged!
Who hoo you’re engaged yay!💍🎊 Now you know the 5 most important tips and tricks I learned throughout my engagement planning journey that will help you along yours to create less stress and chaos.
I wish you the most luck on your wedding planning and wish you many blessings over your marriage!
Please don’t hesitate at all if you have any wedding questions I am here to help! 😊