Not Long

I'm not "officially" engaged.  Official meaning the ring hasn't come in yet, so dr soc has not gotten down on one knee with it and asked me to make him the happiest man in the world by marrying him yet.  YET.  To some, the officialness of the status is just a semantic and the ring is a technicality.  We know we're getting married, we live together, the ring's on order, and the big thing is we're (ok, I'm) planning the wedding.  So why don't we consider ourselves engaged?  We just don't right now.  When he puts the ring on my finger is when we'll be engaged, and that's how we both see it.   

However, there's lots going on for someone who's not officially engaged.  I am no holds barred, unfettered, took off the down the bubble of tulle path without looking back planning our wedding.  We've set a date, set up appointments and meeting to look at things and vendors, priced caterers and djs, and my bubble of tulle spreadsheet (seriously, I named it that) is getting bigger and bigger as we speak.  All stuff I said I wouldn't do until I was engaged.

But we picked a popular date.  So if we want our choice of things and to stay within our budget, we need to be planning ahead.  I don't want to have to book an over priced whatever simply because that's all whose was available.  Plus, I have the time right now to pour over websites and read the fine print, and the squee momentum to keep me going.  Yeah I get balled up in the details sometimes and dr soc has to pull me back and refocus me (or say no to the 10 story ice sculpture (and the releasing of 2 doves symbolizing our love (what?)), but I love it.  Love, love, love it. 

The only small caveat about the officalness of my status and the wedding planning not lining up, is that now vendors are calling/emailing me, and some ask how long have we been engaged.  I'm not going to say, well, technically we're not yet, because then I have to explain the pragmatic plan in advance but not thinking of each other as a fiance yet.   And since they can't see me anyway, my answer is pretty simple.  "Not that long!"