In general, couples are engaged for 5 - 12 months before they walk down the aisle. However, some have been engaged for more than a year and postponing their wedding. Various reasons motivated them, such as a long-distance relationship, or one of them hasn't either graduated or is still pursuing a mature career.
Here are the pros and cons of having a long engagement.
Pros:
1. Able to do a lot of savings to finance the wedding
Did you know that a couple can spend a budget between IDR 325,000 - IDR 650,000 per guest for intimate to moderate scale wedding? Being engaged for more than a year gives the couple more chances to collect the funds for their wedding.
2. Preparing the life after marriage better
After the wedding, the marriage life starts afterward. House and other new needs can be prepared without a hurry because you have more time to make plans and work on them.
3. More time to do the wedding plan
Due to the extended duration, you don't need to feel pressured because the overwhelming wedding preparation. Not only you can relax, but you also have time to do other activities.
4. Reserving your dream vendors.
Several well-known vendors mostly have tight schedules, and in general, they have been reserved a year prior. It is a relieving thing if you can collaborate with your dream vendor on your special day by booking them way earlier.
The cons:
1. Difficult to make decisions regarding the wedding
Seeing too many options or hearing different opinions for someone else can overwhelm you. Being too confuse will complicate you to make a decision. You will tend to keep postponing your decisions.
2. Being forgetful because busy with other things
Postponing your wedding decisions can end in carelessness. For example, you forget the meeting appointment with a vendor because of your tight work schedule.
3. Triggering a conflict
You will become obsessed with the small details of the wedding because of the long preparation duration. You get "drown" into various wedding-related materials instead of putting attention to the substantial relationship you are having with your partner.
4. Over-the-budget realization
If you become obsessed with every element, even the small ones, you will keep pursuing perfection. As a result, it will eventually over-limit your budget plan.
If you and your partner decided to be engaged, but need to postpone the wedding for over a year, it should be based on strong reasons that will support your future after-marriage life. However, if one of you keep postponing the D-Day, both of you should reflect back on your readiness and willingness to spend a life together.
