As the months roll by and Mr. Right and I have been celebrating our first happenings at the new house in our own special way, it makes me think about our future..namely our wedding. You know, the wedding that I have yet to plan. September will mark our 7 year anniversary of being together and this July will mark our 3rd year of being engaged. Yes, you read that correctly. We have been engaged for three years.

To some women (and I say namely women, because men don’t seem to be as bothered by this..) this is far too long. However, I am not exactly certain who made the relationship and wedding planning rules. These rules such as an unrealistic time line for planning a wedding and how long certain stages of a relationship should last, just aren’t on par with…actual life. In all honesty, I think these type of relationship pressures are adding to the reason why divorce rates are steadily getting higher, but I digress.

I remember vividly the day I got engaged and Mr. Right asked me to be his wife, but I also remember the whirl-wind aftermath that nobody prepared me for! Here are some things I wished somebody would have warned me about, prior to getting The Ring:

You’re supposed to know your wedding date prior to engagement.

When is the wedding? Although this question seems harmless, when everyone (including strangers) starts asking you this…it gets so damn annoying. I just got engaged less than an hour ago. Can I at least enjoy this moment, before thinking about another one that should be over a year into the future?! People are so quick to move forward to the next-big-thing, that they don’t stop to appreciate the here-and-now.

Prepare yourself to be an advocate for your uterus.

Yea. That. ‘Cause apparently, the moment after you get a ring people will want to know your plans for “starting a family”. The last time I checked, my husband-to-be and I do make a family; that’s wether kids are a part of it or not. In 2019, I feel like the topic of children and child rearing is a personal one; if you don’t see a couple with kids- stop asking them about it. Mr. Right and I have discussed our plans for children, but I am not about to share that with every person who asks about it. Besides..can I make it to the wedding first?! Dang!

Ready yourself for unsolicited advice.

I’d like to think that I am an open minded person and I generally welcome what people have to say on any topic. I like to hear people’s stories about their personal experiences, however in regards to planning my wedding and what I should or shouldn’t do, I think that’s overstepping. Especially since Mr. Right and I are left to funding the entire wedding ourselves with no outside help. The only one who gets to call any shots, are the ones handing over the cash!

At the end of the day, you only have one life and you can only live it for you. Sharing your life with others should be on your own terms and it is up to you to decide how much you want to include those around you in the details of your engagement, future wedding and overall your relationship.