If you love someone, you might want nothing more than to get married and express your love for each other publicly and intertwine your lives. However, this is more than a romantic gesture. It’s a massive step, and jumping into things too soon could damage your relationship and make your life more difficult.
So, before you get engaged, there are a few things to get sorted first.
Getting to Know Each Other
It seems cliché, but there’s a reason a lot of people in healthy relationships call their spouse their best friend. This is because you should be friends with each other, you should know each other well, and you should like each other’s company. A serious relationship is more than butterflies and attraction; it’s an actual relationship.
So, make sure to get to know each other before making an impulsive decision. This way, you will know whether you do get on as people, or whether it’s just a case of infatuation. The sooner you realize this, the healthier it will be for both of you.
Also, if the proposer knows the proposee really well, they’ll be able to craft a proposal with their significant other in mind.
The Big Conversations
As well as all of those little conversations that build a friendship, you do need to have some big, meaningful conversations to make sure you’re on the same page about your future together. This includes whether you even want to get married, as well as whether you want kids, where you want to live, what work you want to do, and what your priorities are.
While these aren’t necessarily first date conversations, it is a good idea to talk about them relatively soon in the relationship so nobody gets unnecessarily hurt. It’s awful to think that you’ve met the potential parent of your children, only to learn that they have no intention of having kids, and it’s also awful to be in the other situation.
The Engagement Ring
Once you know that you are both right for each other, you can really start to plan the engagement. The engagement ring is one of the most important symbols of your bond, so it helps to get it right.
But what if the proposal will be a surprise?
There are a few options. If you know what ring your future spouse would want, then you can try to find out their ring size (using a ring they wear now could work) and buy it for them. Or you can buy a placeholder ring that is large enough to fit and then go ring shopping together. You can find some stunning options online, including a lab grown oval diamond engagement ring.
Planning Your Wedding
So, everything has gone well and you’re engaged. Unfortunately, planning the wedding is a whole other beast. One thing that can really help is to get a wedding checklist ready so you can keep track of what you need to arrange and, just as importantly, what you need to save up for.
