The 5 Inevitable Things That Happen After You Get Engaged

Ah, engagement. First comes a romantic proposal, then comes the Facebook status update that ultimately gets liked by just about everyone on your friends list, including your weird aunt who sends you a million Bejeweled Blitz game requests. Then you post a ton of photos of your gorgeous ring with disgustingly romantic captions.

Everywhere you go, you wait for enthusiastic congratulations from everyone you know — and sometimes from perfect strangers. Of course, the engagement glow can only last for so long; eventually, the new reality will set in. After all, an engagement is a huge step that will bring new life experiences that you never thought you would encounter.

1. You stare at your left hand, like a lot.

It’s amazing what a beautiful ring can do to make your hand look… amazing. You start to feel like maybe you should become a hand model because finally seeing a ring on that particular finger can be quite a shock.

You’ll likely stare at it for no particular reason. For instance, you’ll stare at it while you’re driving, while you’re typing, while you’re handling something, while you’re eating and while you’re grocery shopping. By all means, stare away at that little beauty that now glistens on your finger. Just don’t get too distracted and drive into a busy intersection.

2. You have to retell your engagement story a ridiculous number of times.

How did he do it? Was it a surprise? Did he get down on one knee? What did he say? Did you cry? Everyone will want to know how it happened — especially your female friends. At first it will be fun, but then you’ll find yourself having to tell the exact story repeatedly.

After a while, it can get quite annoying, so much so that you may find yourself reciting a streamlined script of your proposal story just to save your sanity. Just try to remember that these people just want to know more about your special moment. Give as little or as much detail as you want, after all it is your engagement story — just be sure to leave out the part when you ugly cried.

3. You find out which friends actually care about your happiness.

Jealousy is a sad, unavoidable part of life. While you’re still riding the “just engaged” happy wave, unfortunately, there are plenty of people who would love to see you fall. Some people won’t react as positively as you may have thought and some won’t react at all. There will be people who seem less than impressed by your engagement story or your ring.

There will be people who will talk about you behind your back and judge everything you do, but what else is new? And while it can be quite hurtful, take this time to figure out who is really there for you. This is especially important when picking bridesmaids and inviting guests to the wedding. Ultimately, petty people don’t matter — you’re the one getting married!

4. You watch wedding themed movies and television shows in a different way than you used to.

Obviously, wedding themed movies and television shows are guilty pleasures for most women — engaged, married or single. But upon becoming engaged, they take on a whole new meaning. They become inspirational, educational and a source of comedic relief. You’ll find your heart racing during the ceremony scenes because the situation will resonate with you more directly.

You’ll start making mental wish lists during every scene, even though you know it’s completely fictitious and you could never afford such spectacular features. You’ll probably watch every episode of “Say Yes to the Dress” on Netflix. You’ll watch it so often that you’ll become an expert on the different types of wedding dress fabrics and styles like A-line, mermaid and sheath. 

5. You become the closest you’ve ever been to your significant other.

If you thought you and your significant other were close before, just wait until you get engaged. Things will feel just a little bit different between the two of you. You must come together and begin to decide how the rest of your lives together will transpire.

Compromises must be made. Holidays will be split amongst your families. You’ll make wedding decisions together and discuss things that may be brand new for you. But, the process will only make your relationship stronger — you may find yourself more in love with your significant than you already were.

Photo via We Heart it