10 Things No One Tells You About Getting Engaged

Getting engaged is awesome, amazing, and wonderful when it's you and the person of your dreams focusing on spending the rest of your lives together.  Then there are the things that no one warns you about.  For those of you not engaged yet, WARNING:

1.  Prepare the date you are going to get married before you actually agree to get married.  I recommend this because if you tell someone 30 seconds after you got engaged that you got engaged, they will want to know when the wedding is, what your colors are, and whether there will be an open bar.

2.  For serial "yes" sayers like me, being engaged will either smother you into panic or teach you the "n" word.  Everyone wants to help, and that's awesome, but there are some moments that are going to be personal for me and I only want certain people involved.  Back off - because I don't want to feel guilty for not inviting you.  If you want to help, start a wedding fund or something.

3.  Everyone wants to know when you will start having children.  Hey, how about I get married first?  Also, I'm sorry, but did you just ask me when I am going to have sex?  Tomorrow, or never, mind your own business.

4.  Every conversation starts about being engaged, and this can get awkward.  I went to buy paper at a local office supply store that I have gone to for years.  The gal at the counter squealed when she saw my ring, asked about my fiancé, asked how it happened, asked about the wedding…blah blah blah.  Then she asked what I was getting and what I needed it for.  "I need nice paper to print programs for my mom's funeral."  "Oh my God I'm so sorry."  Mmmhmm.  Anything else you'd like to know about my life?

5.  If you are wearing an engagement ring, be prepared to be dragged around like your arm is a leash for a few weeks.  Seriously.  Do some shoulder work outs to be able to keep it raised for awhile because your hand no longer belongs to you.

6.  Get business cards with your engagement story printed on them.  This way, your story stays special and you remember the details.  After repeating it 500,000 times, it loses the glitz and glamour it had the first time you heard yourself say it.  For me, my engagement story is sweet, romantic, and really defines my fiancé and my relationship and I want to keep that special.  No - I am not really getting business cards printed, but I think it's okay to keep the memories between you and the people who matter.

7.  No matter how far off your wedding is, it feels like everything needs to be planned right now.  Advertisements on our clever computers, incessant questioning about what we are going to do, and my Type A personality make me want to get everything lined up and finished - even though my wedding is not for two and half years.

8.  Saying the "f" word for the first time is weird.  Not that "f" word.  Fiancé.  It took me a few days to even say it.  It's still sinking in.

9.  People treat you differently.  It's as if you have become an adult through this magical ring on your finger.  I'm still ME people!  I'm still immature and crazy!  I may know who I want to be with for the rest of my life but I did yesterday, too, otherwise I wouldn't have said yes.  Did you just not believe me before?

10.  Being engaged can be a stage in an of itself.  Dating then marriage doesn't have to be the way it is. I am still working on this (as I have only been engaged two weeks…) but why can't we slow down and just enjoy being engaged without worrying about a wedding and being married and having children?  I want to appreciate the fact that someone loves me enough to want to spend the rest of his life with me without jumping to that result.  I want to have fun being engaged and staying in love.  Sure, engagement is a transitional phase, but what's the rush?