The average couple is engaged for 12-14 months which is an entirely workable timeline if you have time to dedicate to wedding planning, but do give yourself at least a few weeks before delving straight in and to give yourself a little time just to look around online and see what kind of wedding that you both may like to start to build up some excitement and always better to go out shopping for what you want, then end up with bits and pieces that may not work together!
So le’ts just have a look at what are the benefits.
Long versus Short Engagements: Is one better than the other?
You might be excited to get your wedding planning underway but wondering how soon you should plan or how far away should the actual wedding date be? This is something that many couples don’t take enough time to think through and tend to run into planning a wedding, picking a date based on convenience or even wedding venue availability. (which is all very well and good if you have fallen in love with a venue that ticks ALL of your boxes and you are happy to work with their diary and not yours) However, it would be wise to sit down and talk through the pros and cons of a long engagement versus a short engagement and then decide on what’s best for you as a couple.
The Benefits of a Long Engagement
1. You get more time to plan the details of your special day. It gives you plenty of time to ensure that all the little details are taken care of, especially if you like attention to detail.
2. You have more time to save up for the wedding which means you don’t have to negotiate on your perfect dream wedding, and importantly not getting married in debt. There will always be some things that you want that are non-negotiables and some that are “if we have the budget” but having a long engagement can ensure you have the time to save up and set aside money for what is important to you.
3. You have more time to enjoy your relationship. Engagements that are purely focussed on wedding planning can often be stressful, so give yourself more time to spend with your partner enjoying that next phase of your relationship before the wedding. Planning a wedding can be stressful for both of you so it is always advisable to do it at a more leisurely pace, and you can still enjoy being a couple and spending time together.
4. With a longer engagement, you have more time to really think through the decisions you’re making and make sure that the wedding reflects who you are as a couple. There will be lots of decisions to make during your wedding planning, so ensuring you have plenty of time to make the right decisions.
5. A long engagement allows you to take your time and make lasting memories, rather than feeling rushed or overwhelmed and certainly a great way to ensure you have everything you desire in place for your wedding day.
Benefits of a Short Engagement
1. A shorter engagement often creates a greater sense of excitement and anticipation of the wedding day. Friends, family, and loved ones will be excited at the news of your engagement, having a short engagement period means they will remain excited as your wedding day approaches.
2. Working to a tight deadline with a short engagement could end up saving you money by planning what is essential, or you do get carried away with just buying more and more.
3. You can be more efficient in your planning and decision-making processes. With a short deadline and less time to dwell on options, and dare I say it – procrastinate, you will find that you become more decisive and go with your ‘gut’ on decision making, saving you time.
4. You will remain focussed on the marriage itself. With a short engagement period you will find the focus less on ‘stuff’ and more on the marriage itself and what is going to happen after the wedding.
5. If you’re not much of a planner, or you know you might get consumed by the details then a shorter engagement with fewer elements to the wedding could be just the right option for you
A short engagement period could be exactly what you need – a date for the wedding in the not-so-distant future that you can be excited about, smoother decision making processes as you follow your gut, and money saved as you add on fewer of the ‘extras’ that we can easily be consumed with.
There are positives and negatives to both long engagements and short engagements and with no ‘one-size fits all’ approach it is important that you do what feels right for you and your partner.
If the thought of planning in general regarding if long or short engagements, then why not consider a wedding planner. We take out all of the stress, all of the running around finding tried and tested suppliers, all of the worry to keep budgets on track and you get to carry on your life, making the final decisions for your special day. With the time saved and the discounts we can achieve, sometimes we often end up coming in at a much smaller cost than you think and we are not just for the rich, planning is an affordable option for many nowadays.
Either way, we hope you have an amazing successful wedding planning journey
This post was written by Sian Belton of BusyBrides
