You're Engaged! Now What?

The moment you've waited for has finally arrived. The man of your dreams has asked you to be his wife. Whether it was sudden or a long time coming, it's what you've waited your whole life for: finding your other half. And it is definitely a time for celebration. It's also a very busy time.

Putting on a wedding is quite an endeavor. It can be quite time-consuming and many brides quickly find themselves overwhelmed and stressed out. But that need not be the case. With ample planning, allocation of time, and a hand tool-such as this one-to guide you, you can have the wedding of your dreams without turning into Bridezilla. This is important since many grooms-to-be report becoming alarmed by their fiancees in the throes of wedding planning madness. The last thing you want is your future husband re-thinking his proposal in the midst of planning your nuptials.

None of this is helped by the fact that within literal moments of the time you share the news with anyone else, people will be begin peppering you with questions. After everyone finishes asking you, 'How did he pop the question?' and 'Did he get down on one knee?' they will move quickly to questions about the Big Day. From 'Have you set a date?' to 'How many bridesmaids are you having?' your head will spin with the array of decisions you are now expected to make.

Often this is overwhelming for the new couple because they themselves have not yet begin considering these questions. Many betrothed couples first fight of their engagement period is provoked by questions by friends, family members, and coworkers. The bride-to-be turns to her intended and begins peppering him with the same questions she herself is being bombarded with and a conflict ensues as a result of the pressure both parties are feeling. Some couples know their timeline right away. Other couples just want to enjoy being engaged for a while before jumping into wedding planning.

When are facing questions that you and your fiance have not yet discussed or established clear answers to, simply smile and say, 'We're just enjoying being engaged right now.' This should be your answer even if you and your husband-to-be are in the midst of a knock-down-drag-out combat about timelines, locations, or colors, present a united front. You definitely do not want to stir up rumors or speculation about the future of your relationship. Additionally, you do not want to have someone mention your private conflicts to your future husband, who may feel betrayed that you've put the business of your relationship out for public consumption. So, it's best to simply leave other people out of the details of your wedding-at the very least until the two of you have definitively settled on them. Once deposits are made, you can consider decisions final. Let that be the clearance to share information with other people.

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