Should You Have a Short or Long Engagement?

The holiday season is a time when many couples get engaged and kick off the wedding planning process. First of all, congratulations on this exciting new season in life! Following the proposal, one of the next steps in the planning process is selecting your wedding date. However, the process is a bit more tricky than simply selecting a day that has a nice ring to it, like 8/18/18. You need to consider the potential benefits of drawbacks of having a longer engagement, like 18 months, or a shorter engagement, closer to 6 months.

Long Engagements

Pros Having a longer engagement tends to take some of the pressure off of the decision-making process. The added time gives you the freedom to think more thoroughly through decisions. If you're someone who wants your family to be highly involved in the planning process this is a crucial bonus since the extra time will help you communicate decisions and direction more fully with others. Additionally, you have more creative freedom with a longer wedding. Certain decor ideas or special details and projects you dream up may take longer to come to fruition. Cons Deadlines can creep up on you because you think you have all the time in the world to plan. During the first few months of your engagement, it may feel like you have all the time in the world for planning. However, before you know it much of that time will be gone and you may end up a bit further behind in the planning process than you wanted to be.

Short Engagements

Pros The lack of extra time in a short engagement necessitates strong and quick decision making. If you tend to be an indecisive person this may prove to be more of a hardship, but in the end, it will be a huge blessing to work through tricky decisions promptly and deftly. Cons The main drawback to a shorter engagement is that many of your first choice vendors may potentially already be booked on your wedding day. If you have your heart set on a certain photographer or a certain venue, a short engagement may be incredibly limiting. However, if you're open to new ideas and new vendors you may be glad that the field of options has been narrowed down for you.

Another downfall of a short engagement is that many guests may also already have plans or may not be available to come to your wedding. If you're having an especially short engagement it may not be financially feasible for people to travel to visit you and coordinate taking time off of work. However, if you're on a tight budget and hope to have a smaller wedding you may enjoy the added bonus of some people being unable to attend. In the end, simply remember that this is your day and only you and your partner know what length of engagement is best for you. Whether you elope next month or have a celebration two years in the making, your guests will have a blast and you will cherish the special memories for a lifetime.

What do you think the magic number is when it comes to the perfect engagement length? How long is your engagement?Style Me Pretty Contributor - Hannah Nowack is a freelance writer, calligrapher, and event designer living in Atlanta, Georgia. When she isn't working, you will find her decorating her Danish Modern-inspired apartment, frequenting the gourmet cheese counter, or enjoying a glass of Cabernet with friends.