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10 Tips Every Newly-Engaged Couple Should Follow

Got the ring? Awesome. Here are some tips every newly-engaged couple should follow if they want to make it down the aisle.

He got down on one knee, you said yes, and it was the most magical thing in the world. You knew he was the one, but you weren't aware that saying yes to his proposal would kick off such a crazy part of your life.

Nowadays, everyone is asking when the wedding is, who will be invited, badgering you to "care more" about the wedding planning, and maybe also trying to add their own two cents on how you two should get married. If you're really unlucky, you may also have in-laws who make sure you know they disapprove.

It's stressful, and to a point, can be the cause of a breakup. Those who want to navigate wedding planning and the like better should check out these tips every newly-engaged couple should follow.

Get united on all fronts when it comes to planning a wedding for yourselves.

Wedding planning can tear couples apart faster and quicker than anything else you could imagine. From "buttinsky" mother in-laws to a wedding planner that just doesn't seem to get what you want, everyone and everything will seem to pull at you while you choose your wedding plans.

The best way to keep things stress free is to be united on all fronts, and to work with each other to say no to "suggestions" people keep trying to have. You should agree on everything from the wedding photographer to the size of the guest list.

If you have serious guest list problems you need to hash out, then it's time to sit down and talk things over. Above all, if you can't agree, it may be better to compromise or delay the wedding until you can come up with an agreement.

Remember to be honest about your financial situation before you marry your lover. A third of all marriages end in divorce due to financial stress, so it's important to know what you will be bringing to the table. Out of all the tips every newly-engaged couple should know, this one will be most likely to save your marriage.

Take time to just have fun with your spouse.

Your engagement is going to be a period of time where everything will start hitting you at once. You will need to work to get more money for the wedding you want to have, you will have people calling you up to chill with them before the big day, and you may also end up getting barraged with vendor ads.

There will be times it will be too much to handle. This is a time when you may need to talk to people and say you need time for you and your fiancé—alone!

If you don't take time for each other, you will drift apart.

Remember that it's not about the wedding, but about the marriage.

Bridezillas is a television show that gained notoriety among people who watched it, simply because the blowups from brides-to-be were just so outrageous. Sadly, there's a lot of women who act like them and end up being divorced within a matter of months.

If you're looking for tips every newly-engaged couple often needs to be reminded of, then remember this one: It's not about the wedding. It's really not. It's about the marriage.

Great marriages can happen when you spend under $100 for the entire celebration. As long as you two are happy together, you'll have a good life together. Money simply can't buy that.

Trash the bridal magazines.

Bridal magazines are made for one reason, and one reason alone. They are made to push products dealing with the wedding industry and pressure brides into having the biggest possible bash for their union. They are giant books of ads.

Do yourself a favor, and bin them. You do not need a "unity rock" or anything like that in order to be married. Stick to something that works for you, and stop letting media pressure you into buying things you shouldn't get.

Go into premarital counseling and get a prenup.

Before you even tell anyone that you popped the question, make a point to prepare for the less romantic stuff. This means you should prepare yourself for the financial aspects of marriage, the day-to-day lifestyle issues you'll face, as well as the potential fallout if things don't work out. 

Premarital counseling may sound like something that only couples in trouble need to have, but it's not. It's there so you both will have your wants and needs understood.

This way, you don't have any ugly surprises when you two are living together. If you separate, you will also have a document that helps judges determine the way that you split up property.

Brace yourself for questions—lots of them.

Once you get engaged, everyone will be asking questions and offering their set of tips for newly-engaged couples to follow. It may be annoying, but understand it comes from a good side of people. It's only natural for people to be excited about it, so take it as a compliment.

Seriously, the moment that you announce you're engaged on social media, you will have a fountain of questions. It's best to brace yourself and keep things vague until you have solid details on the wedding, your plans, and when things will be.

If you're worried about awkward conversations with people, then it might be a good idea to talk to your fiancé about the questions you're dreading answering.

Don't be bashful about what you want.

Wedding registries are a thing because people really aren't always that good when it comes to putting together a good gift. It's sad, but it's also true.

Before you announce the full details of your wedding, make a point of looking at items you could use at major stores, and sign up for at least one of the better honeymoon registry sites out there.

It's okay to be greedy. Just make sure that your friends don't end up feeling used for hyper-expensive gifts.

Make sure that you live similar lifestyles and have similar life goals before you marry.

Contrary to the way pop culture discusses it, opposites really don't attract. If they do, they are far less likely to stay together. Before you consider marrying someone, make sure that your lifestyles are similar enough for you both to compromise on the minor things.

Your wedding day will come and go, but your choice of lifestyles will likely not change. If you're marrying someone hoping that they'll trade in their love of city living for the country, you probably won't have a good time in divorce court.

Come up with a social media policy.

It is so tempting to show everyone on social media every little detail of the wedding planning process or talk you have, but is it healthy? Not really—and it'll often open the doors to some really unsolicited advice you might not even want to hear.

Spilling your guts online is about as attractive as it sounds. Don't be the person who spills everything and makes everyone debate whether or not your wedding is worth attending.

Still keep an eye out for red flags.

Believe it or not, a lot of abusers will actually start to show their colors when they're engaged to their partners. If you notice warning signs that your relationship has deeper problems than just typical wedding day woes, you might want to consider cancelling the wedding.

An "out of character" outburst, a sudden rise in territorial behavior, or behaving jealously could be an indicator that you're actually with an abuser who's very good at keeping a mask on.

Finally, just remember that nothing has to be perfect.

The wedding industry has really made it hard to have a normal wedding without people talking about how much more perfect it could have been. It's natural to see the flaws in something when it doesn't totally look the way it does in movies.

You may have followed all the wedding planning hacks you could find to a tee, but it may not be enough. Sure, there could be a better layout of food. Sure, maybe the country club's bathrooms were bad. Maybe you could have hired a better photographer. Or maybe your bridesmaids are fat. Who cares, though?!

It's your perfect day, because you're surrounded by love. All the best tips every newly-engaged couple should follow involve planning for your future, and that means worrying about what will happen after the wedding.

Sasha Konikovo
Sasha Konikovo


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