What wonderful news, you’re engaged. For many brides to be this is one of the happiest and most memorable days in their lives. Such excitement and so much joy. But then you wonder, “What’s next?”

The general rule or time between engagement and weddings is from 12-24 months . Many couples get engaged during winter - specifically between Christmas and Valentines day. So spring and summer wedding are the most popular after that engagment time. That might seem like a long time, but most brides will need every minute once the realize the effort and real legwork that come when one is planning a wedding. One trick is to start slow and start building your list of those things you must and want to have in the time between engagement and the actual wedding.

Having 12-24 months also give you and your finace time to get to know each other even better and work on planning things together. Having this time allows you both to understand what is important in the planning of not just your wedding but in your future together.

Having a large wedding will certainly require more time, money, energy and even compromise to create the wedding you both envision. Larger weddings will require a more specific venue to accomodate a large amount of guests. These venues are sometime booked up to 2 years in advance for specific time - think Spring and Summer.

If you are planning a smaller, more intimate wedding you can probably have a shorted engagement and maybe even relax in it’s planning. Smaller weddings can be a lot less stressful than a large wedding and can make the engagement a pleasure. A smaller wedding can happen at a home, backyard, beach, barn, and other types of intimate venues. These types of venues are sometimes easier to plan and book so your engagement can be shorter if you are open to this size wedding.

One of the first issues that might be stressful will be trying to book venues, photographers, and caterers. and wedding. Another agenda item that could be tricky is the actual guest list. Although you would think this is easy - it has been known to cause many a couple great stress. Combining families is not as easy as an engaged couple may think.

Both of you should have realistic expectations in the engagement and wedding planning time. If you tend to lose interest in big project or at the end of a long timeline, a short engagement period might be right for you.

The most important thing during yor engagement, whether is is a long or short period, is to get to know your future spouse better. This is just the beginning, or a snap shot, of how well you learn to plan, support, and encourage each other. Learning how to work together, combining ideas regarding income, and of course your dreams during your engagement is a lesson in learning how to live together when you finally get married.