Just got engaged!!!

avanteshivers

My fiancé and i are having a 2 year engagement. I'm ok with it and so isnt he. We just got enageged on Valentines day. I am so excited and ready to start planning its driving me insane bc as a little girl this is all you ever dream of is your wedding day. So is it A.) too soon to start planning? B.) Throw an engagement party? C.) Start wedding dress shopping? D.) is it a waste of my timem to keep buying books and etc with a 2 year engagement? I am so ready to get the ball rolling!

aloisk57

You will quickly find that the #1 no-no on this board is "When can we throw an engagement party?"  Etiquette says you can't throw yourself an engagement party - you have to wait for someone to offer to host one for you.

But congrats on the engagement!  And just take a few weeks or a month to enjoy the engagement before you start the planning.  Once you start, it takes over EVERYTHING.

mandi921vh

Congratulations! I agree with PP.

achiduck

Congrats and welcome!

turtledove24

Congrats! Im so glad there is someone out there like me! Fi and I decided to wait 2 years as well. First off I agree with the other ladies about your engagement party. However, It is never too early to get ideas (better than scrabbling last minute) or buy magazines!

shaina925

Congrats!!

Parnett99

Congrats! I am in the same boat with you, we are looking at planning our wedding for 2014-2015.

sonya+adam

Congratulations! I, too, am having a 2 year engagement. Take some time to enjoy your engagement. To answer your questions:

A. It's not too soon to set a date, figure out a budget, and start thinking about what kind of wedding you want. It is too soon to ask people to be in your wedding party (that shouldn't be done until a year - 9 months before your wedding), pick out attire, and all that jazz. Remember, you have 2 years to get all this stuff done. 

B. You cannot throw your own engagement party. But if someone offers to throw you one, no it is not too soon. Engagement parties are usually thrown promptly after the couples get engaged because, well, that's the reason for the celebration. 

C. A lot of people don't start shopping until a year out. I don't see the problem with going to try on dresses earlier than that, though. You never know when you'll find "your dress" and you never know when they'll discontinue them. That being said, I would make sure you ask about the discontinue date (if any), and if you do go try on dresses, don't plan on buying anything. Just as styles may discontinue, there are always new collections that are coming out, and you'll never know if you'll see something that you like better.

D. Yes. Most of those magazines and books just reiterate the same thing over and over again. You can buy a couple of them, but I wouldn't buy every wedding book out there, or subscribe to The Knot magazine or anything like that. It's just a waste of money.

Hope this helps! 

julib33

Congratulations!
I'm in the same boat, we aren't getting married until August 2014. It seems like a long time to wait but I think it will be less stressful. We haven't even been engaged a week but everyone is asking the same questions your looking to get answers too. Honestly, we've mostly figured out the wedding party and who we want for our ring bearer and flower girl. The only reason we have that figured out is because we've been talking about it for forever, lol.

I suggest you take some time to just be in love and enjoy the engagement. That is the best advice I've been given so far!