The Big Business of Getting Engaged

Most couples that are contemplating getting engaged probably believe that their biggest hurdle is selecting and financing a stunning engagement ring. However, such naivety just might bring a very unpleasant wake-up call down the line as the true business of being engaged really unfolds. Engagements are far more complicated, event filled and expensive these days and the industry is booming.

Couples today are struggling to keep up with society’s expectations surrounding the celebration and its required etiquette. The wedding itself is almost an after-thought compared to the planning and organising that an engagement involves. The pressure felt from friends and family members is all very well intended, no doubt, and yet can end up being a heavy emotional burden on the couple and an even heavier one on their budget.

The Main Event

The first main event couples have to contend with after getting engaged is the announcement. The thousands of excited phone calls made right after the question is popped do not count, as this is meant to be a formal announcement on a grand scale. Engagement parties, and their professional organisers are thriving in what has become a very lucrative business. Couples are usually excited and fairly new to the whole event-planning process at this point, which can put them at an ultimately expensive disadvantage. The invitations, the decorations, the venue, and the catering are just the tip of the iceberg; there are the rules of engagement party etiquette to adhere to too, such as who to invite and the timing of the party. Some couples end up throwing two engagement parties just to accommodate all societal expectations and keep friends and family happy.

Smile Please!

After possibly blowing a good portion of the wedding budget on the engagement party many couples are then urged to face the cameras for an official engagement photo-shoot. Like most occasions that necessitate professional photographers the service of documenting a couple’s engagement does not come cheap. Some couples, however, wisely use this opportunity to ‘test drive’ a potential wedding photographer and some also use the pictures taken at the shoot for invitations or wedding day décor. After getting engaged most couples quickly learn the importance of trying to ‘kill-two-birds-with-one-stone’ with regards all their planning efforts and expenditures.

Now the Hard Work Begins

After the guests have partied and the couple has posed for their pictures the real work begins. The experience gained from organising the ‘engagement extravaganza’ will prove very beneficial once the real work of planning the wedding actually begins. At this point most couples look back on their ‘expensive engagement’ and realise that it was just the beginning and it was a walk in the park compared to selecting bridesmaids, dresses, wedding venues, caterers, invitations and all the rest of the wedding day paraphernalia.

One could honestly say that after getting engaged and up to the departure for the honeymoon a couple is being tested. If two people can survive the stresses and strains of organising multiple events, attempting to keep their friends and families happy and affording it too, then they are truly meant to be together. However, if a couple can stay grounded after the initial excitement of getting engaged calms down, then wise choices can be made about what they really want for their celebrations. Eventually they might need to become experts at saying ‘NO!’

Laura L Bolick is the founder of the F&L Designer Guides, compiled and written to help consumers choose the best and the most unique engagement ring designers in the UK. Join the F&L journey that covers topics related to getting engaged, choosing the right stone, affording your engagement ring and how to work with talented designers.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.