The average length of engagements prior to the wedding is about 15 months, according to The Knot. It is often said that planning for a wedding involves a lot of responsibility and pressure – enough pressure that it’s able to bring about negative emotions in everyone involved. It’s worth considering, therefore, what the difference might be if you opted for a long engagement instead. As it turns out, a long engagement is a very good idea for several reasons.
You Can Celebrate Your Engagement Better
Getting engaged is a major relationship milestone, and a truly exciting time. It can be rather tempting to start planning things right away, but that can inadvertently build up pressure at a time when you and your loved one should be happiest. When you and your partner decide to embrace a long engagement, you’ll be able to celebrate your engagement better. It gives you and your partner a long time to enjoy each other’s company and luxuriate in the feeling of having made a serious commitment to each other. There will be enough time to share your engagement news and experiences with other involved parties, so you don’t feel pressured to keep everyone in the loop regarding your wedding plans.
It’s Good For Your Budget
Weddings in the US have an average cost of $24,723, according to Value Penguin. That cost can go up depending on when the wedding date is, as there can be significant competition for popular venues and vendors. A prolonged engagement can be good for your budget, as you are not beholden to the high prices of the in-demand wedding seasons. With more time to plot out your wedding, you are in a better position to negotiate lower rates, as you can book services well in advance before rush fees settle in. It also gives you and your partner a chance to earn more money to allocate toward your wedding and honeymoon.
You Can Shake Free Of Trends
Wedding trends come and go, and it’s easy to get swept away by them whenever you see influencers and friends swooning over the latest ones. While wedding trends can make your wedding more interesting, would you really want a wedding that looks a lot like someone else’s? A long engagement gives you and your partner the chance to shake free of wedding trends that may be dominating the market. A long engagement gives you a chance to truly discover what kind of wedding you truly want to have. Make sure that it’s one that really expresses both of your tastes well, and one that you won’t regret.
Your engagement should be a time spent celebrating and building your upcoming nuptials. Ultimately, it is up to you to determine what length of engagement works best for you. What’s important is that you and your future spouse make use of the time to strengthen your bond and determine if this is a relationship that will make for a happy and healthy marriage.
