I know this sounds ironic, of course you should enjoy being engaged. But so often the stress of wedding planning and merging your life with someone else can put a strain on your relationship. As someone who has been engaged and works with so many engaged couples, I wanted to give you 3 tips to help you enjoy the engagement period and keep your relationship strong while you prepare to enter the next step of your life together.
1 - Keep up Date Nights
One of the most important pieces of advice I can give newly engaged couples is DON'T STOP DATING! I don't know about you but this is something I often hear recited to married couples, but I honestly think it's so important to start implementing it as soon as you get engaged. Wedding planning can be so stressful, especially on top of all the other day-to-day things you have on your plate. A lot of the time setting aside time to connect with your partner is the last thing on your to-do list, but it is so important to make it a priority so you can start your marriage off strong. And on these date nights make it a point not to talk about the wedding. If you don't it's easy to let wedding planning consume your relationship and become all you talk about your whole engagement period.
2 - Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
I don't know about you but when I am stressed I shut down. I have such a hard time communicating my wants and needs with my partner at times because I don't want to be a burden. I am a people pleaser 10000% and it's definitely something I am working on. If you're like me it can be difficult when planning a wedding to communicate with your partner, but it is so important. If you have a problem with the song they want for your first dance, tell them!! If you hate the flowers they chose, tell them!! I'm not saying to start a fight over these things but a good marriage and relationship is learning to communicate and compromise. And now is such an important time for you to lean on each other for support.
3 - Savour the Experience
Remember, as stressful as this time is, you'll miss it! Planning a wedding is, hopefully, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. So soak it in and do your best to have fun and make the most of it!