The race is on when your hubby-to-be drops down on one knee and pops that all important question. But as with all life’s social occasions, there are some important dos and don’ts when you’re newly engaged and these are some of the don’ts.
Don't start house hunting
Many engaged couples can get carried away once they announce their engagement, by throwing themselves full-force into their future together; but if you think you’ll lose the odd strand of hair with stress over planning your wedding, then prepare to lose an entire head of it if you add a house move into the mix. The optimism of a newly engaged couple is touching, yet focusing on one project at a time is far more realistic. Committing yourself to one person for life is a major decision itself so if you try to house-hunt and/or change jobs at the same time, you’re heading for a bridal meltdown. Plan a budget for your wedding and focus solely on making it the most special day possible, after all, you have the rest of your life to spend with your husband-to-be and many decisions to make together….there really is no hurry.
Don't put everything online
We know how exciting being engaged is but we’ve been through this before. Don’t announce your happy news on Facebook before letting your family know. Decide who is most important to you and inform them in person or by phone before making the full online announcement. Once it’s been announced, refrain from putting every little detail of your wedding on Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat. For a start, your social media friends will definitely get sick of hearing about it, especially the ones who aren’t invited. But secondly, you don’t want the whole world knowing everything about your wedding before it’s time for you to walk up the aisle. Watch out for other Facebook minefields when you get engaged.
Stop looking at dresses
They say that once you’ve found the dress, you’ll know instantly, so don’t torture yourself by continuing to browse bridal boutiques once you’ve flashed the plastic and bought one already. Buying more than one gown has become somewhat of a trend for modern-day brides yet it is not necessary. Of course there will be aspects of other gowns you adore but trust your instincts and stick with the one you really love, and saving yourself the pain of going over-budget or falling out of love with your own.
Stop browsing
Once you have chosen the overall décor for your wedding day (which is half the battle), log off Pinterest, resist purchasing bridal magazines and try to avoid wedding day talk for at least a month. As excited as a bride-to-be is about her upcoming nuptials, browsing for months on end can throw too many ideas into the mix and the non-stop confetti and meringue dress chatter can really bog those down around you who are forced to listen. Going cold turkey on the planning process for an entire month will remove some of the stress from your wedding planner, groom and stop you from becoming a major bridezilla.
Don't sweat the small stuff
The truth of the matter is, you can make the wedding planning process as easy or as difficult as you choose – the first option sounds good to us. Don’t get caught up in a strict and miserable wedding diet, bridal planning feud or pressuring yourself into throwing the wedding of the year. Being engaged is all part of your memorable journey and is part and parcel with how special your wedding day will be. So the only thing left to do is sit back, relax, get a manicure and show off that sparkler on your left hand to anyone who’ll pay attention.
- Michelle Storey
Image credits: Scrabble pieces: Crystal Image Photography via Bridal Guide | Couple: Kerri Lynne Photography | Dress: Pinterest | Bridesmaids: Kelly Hornberger Photography | Ring box: Pinterest