Things People Don't Tell You When You Get Engaged

So, I know that alot of you have been wondering: What in the world is she counting down to? Well, if you didn't know I am counting down to our wedding date that I haven't really exposed to alot of people, but today if you all have been biting your figures and giddy with excitement and asking yourselves, 'come on what freakin day is it???' Then here it is for the world to see................drum roll please:

*Our Wedding Date is September 15, 2011*



***Currently we have 190 days to go, so much to do, and many memories to make along the way!!! From now on I will be counting down the days of being the fiance of Martel Johnson until I become his wife on our wedding day***

*DAY 65 of being the fiance of Martel Johnson: I have already shared how my life has not been the same since the day Martel proposed to me. There have been a flood of emotions that I can't explain, deadlines to meet, people to avoid whom you don't even know but that want to be apart of your wedding lol, and all at the same time I have to remember soon I will be married. But I noticed that there are just some things that people never tell you about UNTIL you get engaged:

1. You will never know when the love of your life will propose to you.  Even though, I was dressed up because Martel told me that we were just going on a day outing, I don't think that I would have wanted to look like I had a mug shot when he proposed to me lol

2. You won't be able to stop staring at your hand.  There is a big difference between dreaming about what your dream ring will look like on your hand and to actually have the brand new shiny, bling bling, ring on your finger!!! I know when Martel first placed the ring on my finger, I absolutely could not believe it and it's Day 65 of me being the fiance of Martel and I still haven't stopped looking at my ring. 

Quick Tip: Everyone is going to want to see the ring, so please get a manicure or keep your nails polished up and try not to gawk at your hand while crossing the street or driving lol

3. You will have to tell your proposal story a trillion times! I cannot tell you how many times I have shared our story so far, but it's supposed to be fun to share during the engagement process, but sometimes it can get annoying. The easiest thing to do is to share your story with close friends and then provide the rest of the world with a link of the story. But trust me, I am over the rainbow uper dope excited to be engaged baby baby!!!

4. People will ask you about a wedding date and location before you've had a chance to even think about it!

I know that this part was so crazy to me because I'm like, 'people I just got engaged hello!!!' But anyway, even if you don't know any info just simply say: 'We have plenty of time to plan, right now we are just so excited to be engaged' and don't forget to show the biggest smiley face that you can=)

5. There might be a few sours along the way. There's usually at least one friend or family member who may not come off quite as supportive or elated as the rest of them. If this doesn't happen to you, be thankful, because you're in the minority. I am already experiencing this with my mom and my sisters, but I refuse to let their reactions get to me and I believe that their negative responses are a reflection of them and not me.  So, I won't dwell on negative feedback, but I will focus on the positive, the friends who express their excitement for me, the blessings and the gift of I am getting married!

6. Recently married friends will suddenly become wedding planners, I take that back EVERYONE will become wedding planners, and often times they will give unsolicited advice. If a friend offers wedding planning advice say, "You shouldn't invite kids to your wedding," or anything else that starts with, "You should/shouldn't...", take it in stride. Graciously accept it as a sign of their friendship (there's no need to get defensive). If you agree with the advice, take it; if not, thank them and move on with your plans.

7. You will watch wedding shows and tv shows differently.  I believe that 'Say Yes to the Dress' and 'My Fair Wedding' are my best friends right now lol. I find myself oftentimes just staring at the t.v. like a zombie trying to soak up every minute of what kind of dress I should wear, what kind of wedding we should have, and what party favors to choose for guests. But anyway, this is one of those guilty wedding pleasures that you're totally allowed to indulge in while you're engaged.

8. You'll have a hard time not jumping into wedding planning right away and will find it difficult to 'just enjoy being engaged.' I am a total witness that, within my first two weeks of being engaged, I actually had a meltdown when I tried to start planning early. But after talking with friends who made me come back to my senses of the excitement of the engagement process, I stopped losing my mind=)  Also, it's okay (and good!) to get started early, but PLEASE BE SENSITIVE TO YOUR FIANCE!!! He more than likely just spent a lot of money and time planning out the proposal. So give him a little time to relax if he needs it. But, I do know that for now if you just got engaged like me you can start documenting your proposal story.

9. Your relationship will be different even if you have known your fiance for a couple of years. I have known Martel, as my best friend, since May 4, 2007.  But, now that we are engaged, I am starting to see a whole new side of him that I never thought that I would see in him, and it is making me fall in love with him all over again.  My favorite part is to know that he actually wants to be involved in the wedding planning and I thought that he was going to be one of those guys that would just show up to the wedding lol.

A marriage proposal is exciting, but it's also serious. We have just agreed to commit to one another -- for forever.

So, we are working out the nitty-gritty details that we may have only touched upon when we were dating. We going through a marriage workbook together, reading the Word in a couples' devotional together, exploring the world of marriage through other Godly married couples together, and we have signed up for prewedding counseling, where we will be led through the process by a pro. WE ARE MAKING SURE TO DO EVERYTHING TOGETHER.  I am learning that having worked out hard-to-make decisions together will make the wedding ceremony that much more meaningful for us.

10. Choosing your Maid of Honor, Bridesmaids, and other people for the Bridal party can be harder than you thought.  This process was and still is so hard for me because I know so many people and when I surrendered my life to Christ, I actually gained so many friends that facebook is keeping accountable of them as I type lol. But anyway, I know who I am actually close to so I thank the Lord for my sisters in Christ who will be my Bridesmaids and I am so excited for my honorary maid of honor: my little sister Sydney Henderson and my maid of honor: Amber Walker. I love you all.

Remember, this list is just a few things that I have learned from just being engaged and I am sure this is not the end of the list too=)