It's not just about the ring....but let's face it...IT IS ABOUT THE RING! It's beautiful on your finger, it makes you feel special and important and it means that he popped the question!

Well now that the big moment has come and gone, how excited are you?? I am jumping, like Kriss Kross, for joy!

Well of course it is exciting, but at the same time it can be and will be very stressful. As soon as you announce "We're engaged!" you are going to be stalked! Family, friends and people are coming out of the woodwork wanting to congratulate you and get all the details on the proposal and especially what you have planned for the BIG day. Whooooooaaaaa....hold up!! Big Day? We are still celebrating this BIG day, our engagement! Slow down people, I have not even had time to process what being engaged means, get used to having a ring on my finger, let alone start to plan the wedding. I mean Pinterest is a great site, but does pinning things I like to my board really classify as planning? 

So on top of being stalked by people you do know or used to know or that know your family, you can add vendors to that list! You register to one measly wedding website and the emails and snail mail deliveries start pouring in. You change your relationship status on Facebook and thanks to Geo Targeting (more like no thanks to geo targeting), your Facebook account is now going to be showing you all things wedding related. The words 'Wedding' and 'Engaged' might as well be flashing fluorescent lights above my head at this point.

So, if any of you are like me, the excitement of getting engaged is a BIG deal, not just the idea of the wedding and you may want to relish in that moment....good luck! But, in all seriousness, try <being the key word here> to enjoy the moment and each conversation that you have with your friends and family no matter how many times you have to repeat the same story. Of course everyone is excited about the engagement and that is why they are asking all of those questions. As far as registering on wedding sites, if you do not want to be bombarded with emails in your personal or work email, set up a separate email just for those.

Even though you and everyone else is excited, plan at your own pace. Talk with your fiancee and figure out how you both picture your day. Research. Ask questions. Do not settle on something just because it may be what someone else wants, your wedding day should be about celebrating you (and the groom of course!). This is your BIG day! How many guests do you think you will have? Can the style of wedding/venue you are interested in host that amount? Do they have restrictions on real flowers, flames, bringing in wild animals (I think I want flying monkeys...no big deal right!? JK!). What is included in the ceremony/venue/caterer/photographer/florist/DJ/transportation/accomodation/rental pricing? Can you bring in an outside caterer or and outside baker? Never be afraid to negotiate (without being too pushy) and it is always best done in person! Have that Hotel throw in the Bridal Suite the night before and Wedding Suite the night of, make sure parents of both parties are upgraded for free.

It is very important to stay realistic, for example, flying monkeys are very extravagant and just near impossible, so easy enough and I have scratched that off of my list. Include those that are important to you in with the wedding planning, even if you are just giving updates to your mother because you really do not want her opinion, do it! This is a BIG day for a lot of people and just be considerate of that. But most importantly, enjoy this time because it goes by so quickly! Stress is what you make of it and right now I am choosing NO NO NO to stress!

I may not be the first person to say this to you, but congratulations and welcome to wedding, wedding, wedding mode. Everything you do from now until your wedding will probably in some way shape and form be focused on planning, but now my board on Pinterest is going to have some use! Pheeewwwww....told you so Mom!!