The month is September, the weather is warm and the timing? Perfect. At least that’s what I thought when the love of my life got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him.
We’re still both in college, we have large amounts of debt and we don’t exactly know what we’re doing with our life once we graduate. So was getting engaged really the best thing for us to do? Here’s what I think.
Getting engaged is truly one of the most special times of your life. Your world stops, and you immediately start thinking about your future life with this person. You take cute pictures, obsess over the sparkliness of the ring and post the big announcement on Facebook. After that, you immediately start thinking about planning.
Planning a wedding is a huge task to take on. There’s finding the right venue, creating the guest list, coordinating seating charts, deciding on decorations, finding the right dress, asking friends and family to be bridesmaids and groomsmen and so, so much more.
For someone working a full time job, it can still be a lot. So why is it that I thought adding planning my wedding on top of my 18 credit, senior year semester would be a good idea? I have no idea, but here I am.
I’m not going to lie, it’s very stressful. We’re both trying to graduate and secure jobs, work to cover our bills and get our homework in on time. There are a lot of nights where I’m up until 2 a.m. either finishing homework or figuring out wedding stuff.
It’s a lot, and without my planner and him by my side, I wouldn’t be able to keep track of everything. With that, I can’t say I would change anything, though. I absolutely love knowing that the person I want to marry and spend my life with is mine and mine only. Being able to come home from class and have him and our dog waiting for me, knowing that this is how it’ll be soon, I wouldn’t change that for the world.
However, I don’t think it’s for everyone. Getting engaged isn’t about how old you are or how long you’ve been with someone, it’s about maturity. Have you and your significant other talked enough about the hard topics? Do your plans align? Can you truly see yourself marrying this person?
If you can answer yes to those questions, then ask yourself this next question. Can I handle the added stress of wedding planning on top of my classes?
If you believe you can, then go for it. There’s nothing wrong with getting engaged in college and being excited about it. From my perspective, though, the added stress probably isn’t worth it. If you’re okay with waiting a few more months or a year, then wait. Save yourself the long nights and all the worrying. Your partner won’t be going anywhere while you do.