In all technicality, Justin and I have been engaged since last December. That's when we sat down to officially map out a timeline, a budget and a savings plan for this shindig. I didn't expect that a silly (but pretty) ring on my finger would make any difference in how I felt or perceived things between the two of us. But I was wrong.
Justin and I last Christmas (personal photo)
I won't lie. I had butterflies start fluttering when I turned around that evening on the Natural Bridge and saw Justin down on one knee. I had thought I'd pick up on his plans to officially propose before hand (because he's not all that skilled in surprises), but he got me good. I was as giddy as a girl who hadn't spent the previous four months already working on wedding plans. I was still just as excited to call our parents and a few close friends to share the news even though everyone around us knew we were going to get married. And I'm thankful that I got to experience every piece of those emotions.
Did I expect a ring to change how I felt about Justin and I? No. Did it in fact change things? Not exactly. I still felt the same love and excitement to be marrying that man, it was all just a little more real. Putting the first deposit check down on the venue was my first "I'm getting married!" moment. Looking down and seeing the symbol of our impending nuptials just brought it all home that (at that point), 7.5 months in the future, Justin and I would be saying I do. And it was kind of surreal.
It's been easier to call Justin my fiance. And I think that some people outside of our closest friends take this whole planning process a little more seriously now that we're "officially" engaged. I actually had my first "Wait, you all were planning the wedding before you were even engaged?" response a few weeks ago while telling a friend of a friend about mine and Justin's story. While her tone was more of a 'Pshh, who does that?', I just shook my head and said "Yep" like it was the most natural thing in the world. Because for us, it was.
Any other ladies in waiting out there feel like things were a little more "real" after getting your ring?
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