13 Things That Every Couple Experiences After Getting Engaged
Which one of these typical newly-engaged moments do you and your partner resonate with the most?
Although every couple is totally unique, there are some things that every couple experiences once they get engaged - it's like a right of passage!
Along with planning the engagement party, choosing the perfect engagement photo outfit and deciding what engagement caption you're going to use, there are a number of other things you will experience as a newly engaged couple that are unavoidable.
From the joy of bridesmaid proposals and creating your Pinterest board, to the influx of opinions from friends and family and feeling slightly overwhelmed, there are a number of emotional stages of getting engaged that are completely normal.
13 Things Every Couple Experiences Once They Get Engaged
If you and your partner have experienced any of these things since you posted that engagement ring selfie - know that you are not alone.
1. You'll Be in a Bubble
The 'newly-engaged bubble' is totally a thing, and almost every couple will experience it when they first get engaged. Newly engaged couples tend to consist of one person who got the best surprise of their life, and the other who is over the moon that their partner said yes. Why wouldn't you be in a complete bubble of happiness?
This phase of your engagement will feel amazing, you'll be on cloud nine - but when things start to feel real, don't panic. The bubble doesn't last forever, the wedding planning journey starts to get real, and that reality can feel a bit much.
2. Your Hand Feels Different
Even nearlyweds who are a sucker for an accessory will feel strange for the first few weeks, or even months, when wearing their new piece of bling. You're not wearing just any ring, you're wearing an engagement ring - and that's a big deal. Forget purse-first, even right-handed fiancés will suddenly be entering every room left-hand-first without even realising it.
There's no accessory quite like it, so being completely obsessed with your engagement ring is totally normal - don't feel any shame about it.
3. You Finally Get It
Never again will you roll your eyes at that friend who doesn't stop talking about their wedding or re-telling their home proposal story. You finally get it. They aren't being self-centred or annoying on purpose, they're just over-the-moon excited - and now you understand that too.
Don't get us wrong, it's good to maintain a level of self-awareness when you're talking about your wedding or proposal. Sometimes it can be a lot for people who maybe aren't feeling so positive about their own lives or relationships. Sometimes people just find it a little uninteresting.
Whilst it's good to be aware, you go for it! It's your story and experience to tell, and friends who know you well enough will have no problem telling you when enough is enough - and you'll also have a lot more patience for your friends or family members who do the same.
4. You Assess Your Friendships
Speaking of friendships, getting engaged can really get you thinking about your relationship with your closest friends and family members.
As exciting as it is to ask someone to be a bridesmaid, or pop the question to your best man, making those decisions can be difficult. It might be that you have a huge circle of BFFs to choose from - a nice problem to have, of course - or it could be that you're worried about choosing between friends and siblings.
Alternatively, having to consider who in your life should play these super important wedding party roles makes you feel overwhelmingly grateful for the people you have around you. Whatever end of the emotional spectrum you are on, getting engaged will have you all up in your feels about your friendships and relationships.
READ MORE: Bridesmaid Duties...Explained!
5. You Become Wedding Judges
When we say this, we absolutely don't mean that you'll become judgemental about other people's weddings - no one needs that kind of energy in their life!
What we mean by you and your partner will become judges, is that whether it's when you attend a wedding, read about a celebrity wedding online, or watch a romantic wedding film, it's now absolutely impossible to not debrief about what they did at theirs, and whether or not you want that at yours.
It's like you put a pair of wedding-tinted sunglasses on and suddenly look at everything wedding-y in a completely different light - because weddings are now your reality as well.
6. You Develop a Pinterest Obsession
Even couples who nave never set foot into the world of Pinterest will have a wedding Pinterest board within the first month of their engagement - we guarantee it. And if you don't we're sure you'll have something similar like an Instagram board or, if you're really taking it seriously, an in-person wedding mood board - there is no shame in committing to the assignment.
Seeing as (sadly!) you can no longer come home from your weekly shop with a huge stack of wedding magazines in the UK, Pinterest and other social media platforms are a great way for couples to get inspiration for their big day - and there's no better time to dive into the world of wedding inspiration than the second you get engaged, right?
But we wouldn't be your wedding planning gurus without giving you a little word of warning... It's so easy to get wrapped up in the world of picture-perfect and sometimes unattainable weddings. If you know you are planning a £3,000 wedding, don't get bogged down by looking at all three of Priyanka Chopra's celebrity wedding dresses. Inspiration is nice, but take it for what it is, just inspiration.
READ MORE: Body Positive Influencers You Need to Follow
7. You Adjust to Your New Titles
"Let me just call my girlfr..., wait, I mean my fiancé!"
You will no doubt lose count the amount of times you or someone else has to correct how you and your partner refer to each other. It's all part of the fun. And being a fiancé is such a unique part of the process because, for most people, it's the stage and title in your relationship that you'll have for the shortest time.
People often spend years as a boyfriend, girlfriend or partner, followed by (hopefully!) a lifetime as a husband or wife - so enjoy every second of that period where you can refer to yourself as Beyoncé, but with an 'F'.
8. You Start Being Savvy
It's like when you move into a new home or have a child, getting married instantly makes you feel like a grown up. Suddenly that daily coffee and croissant or the weekly takeaway feels like more of a splurge because you have this really exciting, big event to save for.
Whilst saving for a wedding can be exciting, it's important not to strain your finances too much. Especially when you've just got engaged, try to enjoy the bliss as much as you can before you dive into the whole wedding budget planning stuff.
9. You Experience Gift List Excitement
Even though creating your wedding gift list comes a lot further along in the wedding planning journey, it's definitely one of the things to get excited about when you first get engaged. In what other situation, as an adult, do you get to create a wish list of everything you want?
Did someone say Dyson hair curler? Totally legit wedding gift.
10. You May Feel Overwhelmed
Planning a wedding is often a new concept to newly engaged couples, and we'd be lying if we said it isn't a potentially overwhelming situation to find yourself in - especially if the world of weddings and planning is completely alien to you. The best thing you can do if this happens is take a deep breath and take a step back. You've literally just got engaged - what's the rush?
READ MORE: Wedding Stress and How to Manage it Effectively
11. You'll Get Ahead of Yourselves
It's so natural to get ahead of yourselves when you first get engaged and just want to plan everything all at once, right away. We get it - it's so exciting. But trying to do too much too soon can lead to wedding planning regrets. There are a few common wedding vendor mistakes couples make when they're planning a wedding, and rushing to do things too quickly is definitely one of them.
By all means, look and enquire, read wedding planning articles, get inspiration from others - but don't try to tackle every aspect right at the start. You also run the risk of leaving yourself with nothing left to do if you rush into things. Trust us on this one, take it slow.
12. Opinions Incoming
One thing every newly engaged couple will experience when they announce the proposal is a lot of opinions from a lot of people. From when you should get married and what wedding venue to pick, to the wedding colour scheme and what dresses to try, people can't help themselves when it comes to chiming in on other people's wedding planning process.
Friends, family members, colleagues, people on social media - everyone will have opinions or advice for you to take on board. Most of the time this comes from a good place and people are just trying to help - but it doesn't make it any less annoying. Smile, nod and change the subject - that's our advice.
13. You'll Love Being a Team!
From feeling overwhelmed and laughing about the ridiculous opinions you're getting, to correcting each other when you forget you're fiancé's and dreaming about the gift list - the best thing that you'll experience as a newly engaged couple is feeling like more of a team than ever before.
They talk about newlywed bliss, but newly engaged bliss is a thing as well. Relish it!
When you are ready to get started with planning, be sure to check out our amazing wedding suppliers - we have so many talented wedding photographers, florists, cake makers and more for you to browse.
