I...am a long-engagement bride. It's not a common plan of action to wait 2+ years after getting engaged before finally getting married. But, I know I'm not the only one.I see that a lot of long-engagements (henceforth LEs) are a result of conflicts with schooling. People want to wait until after college to get married. It's why I'm waiting.
But I'm curious on the "action plan" of LE brides. The majority of brides on this site are quick to jump in and say, "Don't choose anything! How will you know what you want in x years?!". How does that make you feel? Have you taken their advice, or have you already got things planned out? Have you done more than just plan? What are some conflicts you have encountered with having a LE? Is it hard for you to see other brides planning/ordering items/etc.? Do you still feel like you are engaged, or do you feel like you are already a married couple?
I've been engaged since 2009, so my engagement has been VERY long-term (I know some brides have even longer engagements). But, since the beginning, we've had basics planned out. Date, time, dress, venue. Now that we're entering the two year mark, planning for us has begun in earnest. I seriously doubt we will change our mind about how things are going to be since my FI and I haven't yet. I will say that things have...evolved into a more complex and elegant state though.
I do get jealous of other brides who are actively planning. I know enough not to make a commitment to certain vendors just yet, so I get jealous of people who are able to do that. However, because I have done so much research already, I am relatively confident everything will go so smoothly when that stage begins for us. We have lists of 1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd, etc. vendors. If one goes out of business before we contact them, we have backups. We know what the price of everything should roughly be - with some wiggle room for inflation.
I definitely feel like we are married more than I feel like we're engaged! We're such an old domestic couple - haha! We get a lot of enjoyment from doing things like washing dishes or laundry together. But it's really pleasant.