‘Tis the Season…for Engagements!
December 10, 2018
December is a busy month. Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanza all happen or start in December. High school and college students typically face end of quarter or semester exams. For some couples, December is also the month in which they get engaged.
In fact, as Kim Forrest revealed in “Top 10 Most Popular Days to Get Engaged,” “about 40 percent of engagements occur between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day.” Half of the 10 most popular days for proposing fall in December. Is this your season for getting engaged?
Before the Proposal
Gone are the days of graduating from high school or college and getting married. According to the US Census Bureau, the average age at which men and women first marry has risen from 22.8 and 20.3 in 1960 to 29.8 and 27.8 in 2018.
Why is the age at which men and women marry creeping up? One reason: “Millennials Are in No Rush to the Altar.” In this article, author Tehrene Firman cites a study of nearly 2,100 couples between ages 25 and 34 who dated, on average, more than six years before tying the knot.
Most experts agree that it’s a good idea to take your time getting to know a partner before committing to a legal lifelong partnership. That said, some couples who are secure in their likely future together may start planning for the wedding before the formal proposal.
In “7 Wedding Planning Tasks That Are OK to Tackle Before You Get Engaged,” Kim Forrest reports that two-thirds of millennial couples in a Wedding Wire survey took at least one wedding-planning action prior to becoming engaged. Couples commonly discussed their wedding style, guest count, possible wedding date and prospective venues.
The Proposal
Proposals can take any form that a couple finds meaningful. For very outgoing couples who enjoy sharing personal moments in public, the sky’s literally the limit. Simone Hill, in “58 Most Romantic Ways to Propose,” suggests possibilities such as inviting a choir or band to perform your partner’s favorite song before the proposal, arranging to take the mic from a dance club DJ and propose in front of the crowd, hiring a sky writer to spell out a proposal or organizing a flash mob to help with the proposal.
For the rest of us, something more private and romantic is usually a safer bet. Simone Hill’s list includes rings concealed in desserts or drinks or on strings around puppies’ necks. She also gives a thumbs up to reenacting proposals from romantic movies and going to a special place in nature that you both treasure.
There’s nothing more magical than being on the same page as your partner. If the sentiment is sincere, the method of delivering a proposal is less important.
After the Proposal
Take some time after the proposal to enjoy the new relationship status with your partner and close friends and family. When you’re ready to share the news more broadly, update your status on Facebook and post pictures of you and your intended with the ring on multiple sites. Some wedding writers recommend that newly engaged women get a manicure to properly set off the ring photos.
After that, couples should get to work on wedding details. Wedding planners quoted on an Inspired by This blog recommend that couples start out with these tasks:
- Working out the wedding budget,
- Finding inspiration from other couples’ wedding photos,
- Setting the date and searching for a venue and
- Coming up with a rough guest count.
If you’re looking for a beautiful space for your wedding or reception, we’d love to show you around the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center! We have classic spaces inside and picturesque grounds outside. We also have a flexible catering policy, so you will never pay for more food than you need.
Recently engaged? Congratulations! We’d love to help. Call today at 952-948-6502.